Ladies’ College student places second in Great Debate 2024

Abigail Powers, 16, placed second nationally in the competition, going back in time to speak about the Guernsey martyrs of the 16th century.

Sisters Guillemine Gilbert and Perotine Massey with mother Katharine Cauches, known as the Guernsey martyrs, were burned alive in July 1556 for being Protestant under the reign of Catholic Queen Mary I.

A plaque on Tower Hill steps acknowledges the women’s horrific demise.

Alerted to it by her history teacher, Abigail was keen to get involved in the competition as she thought it would look good when she applies to study history at university.

More than 20 students from across the UK debated their chosen topics at Windsor Castle.

‘I researched lots of different areas for it and spent a lot of my time researching it,’ she said.

‘I used our library at college but I also found that the staff at the Priaulx Library were really helpful and lovely, they showed me all the things they had on the topic. Basically, these three women were burned for being Protestant and one of them, Perotine, was pregnant. Either the fear or the flames forcibly made her give birth into the fire and the baby was taken to the Bailiff, who said that it should be thrown back into the fire.’

She said that the women were originally bought to the court’s attention because they were suspected to be thieves.

‘A lot of people think that burning was only for witches but the Guernsey martyrs were burned for being Protestants. I think it’s been largely forgotten about because it’s difficult to acknowledge that our ancestors did these horrific things. It was quite an unusually horrific trial for its time.’

She said that the trip to Windsor Castle was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

‘There were 22 of us who were told to meet at the Henry VIII gate at Windsor Castle and we were taken like VIPs to St George’s Chapel, which is where the Queen is buried. We had some Windsor tea and on one of the breaks we got to see the Changing of the Guard.

‘Everyone there was so welcoming and I’ve stayed in contact with some of the other speakers. I think my main take-away from it was meeting like-minded people.’

She said she did not expect to make it to the final.

‘They read out the top four awards in reverse order, so when they announced I had come second I was really thrilled. The standard was really high and I wasn’t expecting to make it to the final at all.

‘There was one person from Jersey and I was the only person from Guernsey.’

Abigail thought her unique Guernsey topic had helped her to impress the judges.

‘One of the judges was a professor from the University of Cambridge and said she specialised in the Reformation period, which was the same sort of thing I was talking about, so it felt a bit intimidating.'

She won a £125 cash prize and a year’s membership of the Historical Association. This has a lot of resources for my A-level studies and hopefully university too.’