Cornwall Heritage Awards 2025 Object of the Year
The Jane Slade by Reuben Chappell
Since 2018, Cornwall Heritage Awards have celebrated Cornwall's 80-plus museums, art galleries, castles, mines, historic properties, industrial heritage sites, archives and community museums. One of the ways they do this is with the award for the Object of the Year, which is decided by public vote.
This year, the theme for the Object of the Year is Cornwall's Creativity. Historically, Cornwall has inspired many people in many different ways, attracting artists, makers and thinkers. The history of Cornwall is immense and the people there have always been creative, innovative and resourceful, something which is reflected in the many museum collections.
Six Cornish museums have nominated the objects that they think should be Object of the Year 2025:
1. Life-Saving Equipment by Henry Trengrouse from the Museum of Cornish Life.
2. The Jane Slade by Reuben Chappell from the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
3. Lanhydrock epergne from the National Trust at Lanhydrock.
4. 1950s Mobile Telegraph Office; Poppy PK from PK Porthcurno Museum of Global Communications.
5. Prototype Hicks Reel Beach Life Saving Equipment from St Agnes Museum.
6. Hawker's Shepherd's Lantern from The Castle, Bude.
Here at the Daphne du Maurier website, we are truly impressed by the remarkable objects that are included in this year's list. But, we have a particular interest in the beautiful painting of the Jane Slade by Reuben Chappell.
The Jane Slade was a fruit schooner built in 1870 at Slade's shipyard in Polruan and named after the matriarch and owner of the yard. She was a relatively small vessel, built for speed because, prior to refrigeration, fruit needed to reach its customers quickly before it had time to rot. It was also important to be the first ship to arrive with the cargo because it stood the best chance of getting a good price. The Jane Slade was a record holder for the passage from the Azores to Bristol.
The Jane Slade was also the inspiration for Daphne du Maurier's first novel, The Loving Spirit, which tells the story of the Slade family and its shipyard, although changes the family name to Coombe.
We have voted for Reuben Chappel'ls picture of the Jane Slade, but you must decide which object you would like to vote for. We will announce the winner when the time comes.
To read more about the objects in the Object of the Year Award 2025, to see photographs of all of them, and to cast your vote, please click here: https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/culture-hub/surveys/ooty.
Voting closes on Monday, 10th February at midday, and the winning object will be announced at the Cornwall Heritage Awards ceremony at Liskeard Public Hall on Monday, 17th March 2025.