In Memory of Glenys Silverson and her Involvement in the Discovery of the Newport Ship

 

 In Memory of Glenys Silverson and her Involvement in the Discovery of the Newport Ship

When it came to my Mum and myself, the saying about apples not falling from the tree could not have been truer. My inspiration for pursuing a career as a Museum Curator has its origins in all those family holidays and trips where, as a family, we would immerse ourselves in culture and heritage. That is why it came as absolutely no surprise to me that when the Newport Medieval Ship was found during an excavation back in 2002, my Mum Glenys Silverson was immediately enthused by and engaged with this archaeological discovery.

I was working as a Curator for the Isle of Wight Museum Service and I remember the night my Mum telephoned to tell me about what archaeologists had just found in Newport. Mum was really excited about the discovery and was adamant that this heritage be preserved for Newport. She was quick to put me to work and knowing that at that time I was working with a Conservator with connections to the Mary Rose Trust, she tasked me to find her a contact to help fight for the ship. With her powers of persuasiveness, how could I possibly refuse?

Mum had contacted local businessman Charlie Ferris and she soon became a founding member of the Save Our Ship campaign to help protect the find that was in the process of being excavated by the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust. This all started with a community meeting that was held at the Dolman Theatre on 14th August 2002. Next, they hit the streets of Newport to collect as many signatories as they could to help “Save Our Ship”. As well as getting people to sign the petition, my Mum had also designed and created a Save Our Ship Banner to put on display while gathering support for the preservation of the Newport Ship. Artistic by nature, Mum had also identified a local potter to create medieval looking Newport Ship mugs to sell to raise money to contribute to the preservation and future display of the ship. My Mum had a natural appreciation of local history and it made her so happy to be part of the Friends of the Newport Ship. She really appreciated the people that she met as part of the project, likeminded people who all just wanted to do something positive for Newport. My Mum did not like the limelight and was happy to be an industrious volunteer in the background, all the while working towards a collaborative achievement.

Charles Ferris standing with helpers including Glenys on the right protecting the Ship  

It was with sadness that Mum’s involvement with the campaign was more short-lived than she would have liked. She had been diagnosed with cancer in May 2004 and tried to volunteer every Saturday to help fundraise until it became too much to continue. By Christmas 2004, she was diagnosed as terminally ill, and she sadly passed away on 14^th February 2005. Campaigning for the ship made Mum feel like she was actively contributing to the community and it was a great honour that the Friends of Newport Ship dedicated the purchase of replica shipbuilding tools to my Mum’s memory. She was a great example of how much a community can achieve when it works together and that will serve as a wonderful legacy to her.

Glenys as a volunteer collecting names for the petition.

Thanks to Glenys Silverson's daughter Rachel for providing this moving story of her mother's involvement in the campaign to protect and preserve the Newport Ship