Agnes Mary Filmer (born Kennedy) was the daughter of Jeremiah Kennedy of Kimberley and his wife Mary Ann. In 1888 she married Harry John Filmer (1864-1946), attorney and businessman, with whom she had three children. They lived on the Witwatersrand until at least 1908. Agnes collected shells along the coasts of Pondoland and Bomvanaland (the present Elliotdale district). Her collection was acquired by Dr Hermann F. Becker* of Grahamstown some time after about 1895 and was described by the British conchologist G.B. Sowerby* in 1900. Unfortunately Filmer had added specimens from other parts of the world to her collection, some of which were reported by Sowerby as having been collected in Pondoland. As part of Becker's huge shell collection, her specimens were bequeathed to the Transvaal Museum, but the whole collection was transferred to the Natal Museum in 1978. Several species and varieties, such as Latirus filmerae, Pyrene flava filmerae, and Nassarius pyramidalis filmerae were named after her.

List of sources:
Barnard, K.H. Personal names in South African conchology. Cape Town: Conchological Society of Southern Africa, 1965.

Kilburn, R. & Rippey, E. Sea shells of southern Africa (p. 19). Johannesburg: Macmillan, 1982.

National Archives, Pretoria. Source MHG. Reference No. 732/41, death notice, Agnes Mary Filmer.

South African who's who, 1908, H.J. Filmer.

Compiled by: C. Plug

Last updated: 2024-04-30 11:50:31