Student researchers win top awards from York Georgian Society 

York St John University PhD students have put eighteenth-century studies firmly on the map by winning this year’s top research prizes from York Georgian Society. The Nuttgens Award is given annually to two PhD students researching any aspect of the Georgian period. 

English Literature researcher Lowen Frampton-Thorburn took the top prize, and History researcher Nikki Gibson the ‘proxime accessit’, or second-place award, both receiving a £500 grant towards their work. They impressed the judges with their work on the roots of Cornish folk horror and the everyday routines of people living in North Yorkshire in the eighteenth century respectively. Alongside the grant they are invited to take the stage to share their work as part of a special celebratory event. 

The Nuttgens Award was established in 2008 in honour of Patrick Nuttgens, a prominent local and national figure who served as Secretary, Chairman and President of the York Georgian Society.  

This year is the first time York St John students have been eligible for the award, making the achievement particularly significant for the University and its growing community of researchers in eighteenth-century studies. 

Exploring the roots of Cornish folk horror 

Lowen's PhD research explores Cornish folk horror from the eighteenth century to the present day, with a particular focus on how the Cornish landscape has shaped stories and folklore over time.  

They said the idea for the research came unexpectedly while working in York St John University's library, where they are part of the Acquisitions department: 

"When I came across these things being used as inspiration for a short horror story while unpacking a box of books for the University library, I realised this was an area I wanted to put some proper research into." 

“It really meant the world to win this award; it gave me the opportunity for a fantastic research trip I wouldn't have been able to make otherwise that not only gave me access to specialist libraries and archives but also allowed me to meet with so many experts and interesting people that have informed my research in so many ways." 

Uncovering everyday life in eighteenth-century North Yorkshire 

Nikki's PhD research takes a different approach, using the diaries of Ralph Ward and Ralph Jackson to explore everyday life in eighteenth-century North Yorkshire. 

Her research looks at how ordinary people experienced the social, economic and cultural changes of the period, and how their daily lives were shaped by the communities around them. 

"What first drew me to the subject was the opportunity to uncover the voices of individuals whose experiences are often absent from more traditional historical narratives. 

"I was struck most by the normality of everyday life. These ordinary moments help bring the eighteenth century to life and remind us that, in many ways, people's daily routines were not so different from our own." 

Alongside these everyday details, the diaries reveal unexpected connections to well-known historical figures, including Anne Brontë, who worked as a governess for a branch of the wider family, and Captain James Cook and his wife, who were close friends of the Jackson family.   
 
For Nikki, winning the award was a significant recognition of her research. 

"As this was the first year York St John students were eligible, it felt especially significant to represent the University and to see York St John researchers recognised. It was a wonderful endorsement of my research and a very proud moment."  

Taking research beyond York St John 

Both researchers were also invited to present their work at a celebration organised by the York Georgian Society. 

Charles Martindale is the Society’s president:  

"Both students had fascinating projects that greatly impressed the judges: Nicola Gibson is exploring 18th-century social networks in Guisborough in Yorkshire through studying contemporary diarists; the winner, Lowen Frampton-Thorburn, is investigating how the landscape and folklore of Cornwall function as fictional devices within folk horror from its earliest appearances to the present day, in which, in her view, the eighteenth century played a key role. 

“The York Georgian Society is keen to strengthen its relationships with the two universities in the City, and not only to support research into the Georgian period but also its dissemination to the widest possible publics. The Award winners will be given the opportunity to give a talk to the Society and also encouraged to share the results of their work as widely as possible. This is very much in accordance with the vision of Patrick Nuttgens, architect, broadcaster on radio and television, writer, and radical educationist, who had a major disability caused by polio and was a force of nature.” 

The success of Lowen and Nikki comes alongside wider involvement from York St John students in this year's York Georgian Festival, including the Critical Editions project, which saw English Literature and Publishing students produce a freely available modern edition of the correspondence between eighteenth-century writers Ignatius Sancho and Laurence Sterne. 

Image shows Lowen on the research trip made possible by The Nuttgens Award grant