History Section

La Société Jersiaise

The History Section

La Section d'l'Histouaithe

 

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2007 IN THE MEMBERS' ROOM AT 17:15

Present: Frank Falle (Chairman), Jean Arthur, Mary Billot, Mervyn Billot, Guy Dixon, Mary Gibb, Sue Groves, Andy Harris, Anne Herrod (new member), Elizabeth Horne, Nicolas Jouault, Frank Le Blancq, Suzanne Le Feuvre, Georgia Le Maistre, Bob Le Sueur, Mike Lees, David Levitt, Pat Maindonald, Will Millow, Paul Nicolle, Alec Podger, Ian Ronayne (new member).

1. Apologies for absence: Yvonne Aston, Francis & Anne Corbet, Sarah Jordan, Peter King, George Langlois, David Le Maistre, Ian Machin, Danny White.

2. Minutes of the meeting of 16 January 2007, and amendments

7.4 ... Bob Le Sueur advised that there might be some connection with the Duc de Berry, son of Charles X, who wished to reign as an autocrat like his 18th century forbears. The Duc de Berry was assassinated but it was discovered that his widow was pregnant, which meant that the autocratic Bourbon line would continue as heads of state. There was a revolution; Charles X fled to exile in England and was replaced by his liberal cousin, the Duc d'Orléans.

7.8 Frank Falle said that Philippe de Carteret died in Southampton and was buried in the catacombs of All Saints Church there. The area in New Jersey called Elizabethtown after George de Carteret's wife is opposite Manhattan Island.

The minutes were then agreed as a correct record.

3. Matters arising from the minutes not covered by the agenda

5.6 Frank has not managed to make progress on the Heritage brochure because of domestic upheavals. It will include the summer walks and the Autumn lunch-time lectures.

5.8 The President's lunch on 10/3/2007 is now oversubscribed.

7.6 A date needs to be arranged for the Section visit to the Jersey Library organised by David Le Maistre with a maximum of 20 people.

7.7(i) Raoul Lemprière's book Jersey in the 20th century includes a photograph of Rev. Samuel Falle and committee ladies of the Jersey District Nursing Association.

4. Chairman's communications

4.1 Frank welcomed two new members, Anne Herrod and Ian Ronayne, and introduced them to the Section.

4.2 He announced that the March meeting of the Section would be at the Jersey Archive, by kind invitation of Sue Groves, Head of Archives. This will be the annual venue each March.

4.3 He said that the Section budget of £200 has been agreed.

4.4 David Levitt has contributed an article on sundials to the 2006 SJ Bulletin.

4.5 Frank thanked Sarah Jordan for preparing the January 2007 minutes. He also thanked Mary Gibb for collecting the deposits for the Quimper trip in September. Mary Billot said that the party totalled 34 and that Go France has received the deposit.

5. Members' contributions

5.1 Sue Groves said that the Archive would hold an Open Day on 17th March 2007, 10am to 4pm. There are six tours behind the scene and two talks, all of which must be booked in advance.

5.2 Ian Ronayne spoke of his research into military history specifically relating to Jersey in WW1 and the 230 volunteers of the Jersey Contingent. The CI Great War Study Group's website is www.greatwarci.net and his own email address is . He welcomes information from members concerning their own family memories as he has a book in the pipeline. He reminded everyone that the Canadian Contingent included 600 Jerseymen. Nick Jouault, Mervyn Billot, Bob Le Sueur, Alec Podger, Georgia Le Maistre and Guy Dixon contributed information.

5.3 Alec Podger circulated a photograph of District Nurse Emma Mahy (b. 1891). He said that the new program for the Friends of the Maritime Museum database has been installed; it can now sort by date.

5.4 Nick Jouault said that his grandfather Jean Louis Jouault (1883-1956) was the French Representative in France during the GO, and circulated an article from the CISS journal, vol.6, no.81, Feb. 1984.

5.5 David Levitt said that the SJ Library now has a copy of the first five years of the Jersey sundial register compiled for the British Sundial Society. 54 dials are listed with 300 photographs.

5.6 Mary Gibb circulated two aerial photos of Le Saie Harbour, showing the mysterious structure, which has been examined by the Archaeology Section. The stone oblong is accessible at low tide; possibly it was used to keep seaweed and then hauled away using the cart track.

5.7 Mike Lees had nothing further to report from the Forts and Towers Working Party.

5.8 Anne Herrod asked whether the area around Rue de la Hambye was a 'ville'. She is also interested in Jerseymen abroad. 5.9 Georogia Le Maistre has been contacted by a descendant of the Mauger family. She told them about the St Ouen quintuplets (mother Nancy Sophie Grandin).

5.10 Paul Nicolle said that Will Millow has given him copies of the contracts for St Thomas' Catholic Church. Dr Diane Enget is also researching Roman Catholics in Jersey. He is still working through the Richard Mayne papers on the Jersey Militia and has reached the 16th century.

5.11 Elizabeth Horne has found a lavoir opposite her house in La Profonde Rue, St Ouen. She is concerned about the fate of the mediaeval pigsties at Trodez House as she believes will not survive current renovations.

She asked about the dating of the water flowing in underground streams. Frank Le Blancq said that it is done by carbon dating the isotopes. David Levitt said that there was a paper on this topic on the website.

5.12 Bob Le Sueur said that the Rev. La Trobe-Bateman created the Longueville Manor gardens; descendants still live in Sark.

He reminded the meeting of the SJ AGM on April 19th 2007; the last date for nominations to Executive is March 30th. Frank Falle confirmed that he is happy to stand again; Bob will propose him and Mike Lees will second him.

5.13 Frank Falle said that a notice in an 1895 newspaper asked the parishioners of St Martin to bring their 'deniers' to the Public Hall. He asked whether they were part of the tithe payments or were they actual coins?

He said that a 'bigard' was a Viking word for a place to keep bees; it is in Jersey place names, and in Jean Renault's recent book.

He is giving a talk to the National Trust for Jersey at Grève de Lecq Barracks on Sunday March 11th at 2pm on Jersey's cod fishing exploits in Newfoundland from 1500 to the 1850s. Open to all.

6. Date of next meeting

Please note change of venue

Tuesday March 20, 2007, 5.15pm AT THE JERSEY ARCHIVE, by kind invitation of Sue Groves, Head of Archives. Some limited parking is available.