Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday July 18th 2006 at 5.15pm, Members' Room


         Members present:
        Frank Falle (Chairman), Jean Arthur, Marie-Louise Backhurst, Mary Billot (Secretary), Mervyn Billot, Roy Dobin, Gerry France, Mary Gibb, Sue Groves, Nicolas Jouault, Peter King, George Langlois, Suzanne Le Feuvre, Georgia Le Maistre, Bob Le Sueur, Mike Lees, Ian Machin, Rose Millow, Will Millow, Alec Podger, David Woodall.


1.        Apologies for absence
        Yvonne Aston, Bertram Brée, Francis & Anne Corbet, Sue Hardy, Frank Le Blancq, David Levitt.


2.        Minutes of the meeting of June 20th 2006 and amendments
8.7        Suzanne Le Feuvre said that inaccuracies could be perpetuated in the media because wrong information was recycled. The minutes were then approved as a correct record.


3.         Matters arising from the minutes not covered by the agenda
        There were no matters arising.

4.        Chairman's communications
4.1         Frank Falle asked people to be sensitive to members' other interests when discussing subjects on which there could be diverging points of view.
4.2        He said that Jonathan Voak is the new SJ representative on the JHT, replacing Dr Sallis.
4.3        Frank will be away for the August meeting so Georgia Le Maistre agreed to take the chair.


5.        Honorary Secretary's communications
        Mary Billot has prepared a circular giving notice of intent about the 2007 weekend in Brittany, based on four nights in Concarneau. She will send it out with the next set of minutes and confirmed the dates (Wednesday September 12th to Sunday September 16th 2007).


6.        Forts and Towers Working Party report
6.1         Mike Lees said that the draft papers on Le Tour Carré, Lewis Tower and Kempt Tower are expected by the end of July. Responses must be with Roger Hills (JHT) by the end of August.
6.2        Bob Le Sueur said that those new information signs which he has seen are accurate. He expressed his disapproval of the planning application for solar panels and a wind generator to be placed at Seymour Tower. Frank Falle said that the SJ Executive was divided on the acceptability of these additions. It has been established that any lettings would have to be under the supervision of a knowledgeable guide.

7.         Farm Characterization Project
        Georgia Le Maistre asked on any progress on the responses to the questions, which were needed by the end of June. Frank reiterated that he is keen to examine them and suggested that they would be suitable topics for the 2008 Autumn lunch-time lectures. Marie-Louise Backhurst said that each subject could generate a lot of research. The JHT report is due in August. Either or both the researchers (Bob Edwards, Jeremy Lake) may return in September.

8.        Members' contributions
8.1        Mike Lees is researching two gunners called Henry Pipon. One was a Major-General (1843-1924); the other (the lesser known) was born March 7th 1851 and died in 1882 returning from India. Mike has checked Alf Pipon's family history for the second one. Pipon branches were at Noirmont Manor and La Haule Manor.
8.2        Sue Groves reported that the civil records of St Lawrence have been deposited at the Archive; leaving only those of St Clement and St Ouen to come. The records of St Thomas RC Church have also arrived.
8.3        Jean Arthur circulated photographs of Inverness Lodge, St Lawrence, and a diagram of its sundial.
8.4        Mary Gibb meets Peter Tabb tomorrow to see his file of Bank of England correspondence about financial arrangements for the end of the German Occupation. Some date from 1944 showing early preparation for a return to banking normality. Mary wants to verify a story that the Bank sent over £1million by lorry on May 9th 1945.
Mary invited Section members to an Archaeology Section dig at afternoon low water at Le Saie Harbour on Saturday August 12th; Nick Jouault discovered a circle (possibly prehistoric). Mary circulated a diagram of the site. She has invited Dr John Renouf to come so that he can identify the stones. Bob Le Sueur said that Père Burdo wrote an article about stones on the beach at La Coupe, which have a similar date to those at La Hougue Bie (SJ Bulletin 1929).
8.5        Alec Podger said that Philip Carteret was one of the trustees for the sale of the late King's goods (Charles I) in 1649. Another trustee was Michael Lampier, possibly Lemprière. From : Jerry Brotton, The sale of the late King's goods, Macmillan, 2006. [Copy with official minutes] Following on from this, he asked whether anyone was collecting information for a third volume of the Biographical Dictionary. Frank Falle said that he would ask the SJ Library and the Publications Committee.

8.6	David Woodall said that he has been inducted as a Hereditary Freeman of the City of Shrewsbury and circulated the commemorative scrolls given to him at the ceremony. He said that the Army Museum in Edinburgh Castle has General Don's sword on display; he was born in the city.

8.7        Ian Machin enquired about a WD (War Department) marker found in a Gorey garden. Frank Falle said that it might be one of a series of granite stones used for delimiting Ordnance property. There was a Tower no.8 at Longbeach (now gone) so this stone might be linked to it. The discovery was considered to be significant.
8.8        Mervyn Billot asked whether there are charts recording named rocks. Frank said that Jersey Place Names was the best source of information, though they are not recorded on the maps if off the coast. The SJ Library has some lists (Les Ecréhous and Nick Jouault's list for Les Dirouilles). Warwick Rodwell's book on Les Ecréhous also has a list.
        Mervyn reminded members that a Jersey cart has two wheels; a van or harbour wagon has four wheels. This is important for the captions of photographs.
8.9        Marie-Louise Backhurst has been doing further research on the Nicolle family at No.9 Pier Road. Philippe Nicolle's brother Jean married Edith Noble and they had two children, including a son Sydney. After Edith Noble's early widowhood, she married Mr Pym. One descendant of her second marriage was Aspley Cherry-Garrard, the Antarctic explorer.
        She asked whether anyone would volunteer to write a new title to succeed Joan Stevens' Short history of Jersey (out of print) and Peter Hunt's Brief history of Jersey (soon to be out of print). The Publications Committee wants the new title to include general information as well as history.
        She is continuing to research street names in the Land Registry and she recently explored those relating to the Ingouville family (see a recent JEP article). Georgetown (George Snr), Peter St (Pierre), Mary St and Elizabeth St (wives of George Snr) are definite, Charles St is possible. Phillip St is John Phillips. Ann St is not named after an Ingouville forename. Peter King suggested that she check house names as well, eg. Isabella House. Burrard St is named after Henry Burrard; his nephew is recorded in Burrard Inlet in Vancouver.
8.10 Rose Millow said that Aquila Rd and Priscilla Rd are named after the children of William Pearce. They are Old Testament names.
8.11 Nick Jouault reported that the Association of Jersey Charities has given the SJ £20,000 towards a digital scanner, after a skilful presentation by the SJ President. A further £10,000 has been obtained from the Johnson bequest.
He circulated an illustration from the Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News of June 3rd 1882, called 'Seaweed harvest in Jersey'. He has given a copy to the SJ Library.
        He said that Guernsey granite was found at Fishbourne Roman Villa in West Sussex, confirming early Guernsey trading routes.
8.12        Frank Falle thanked Marie-Louise for some useful references to spinning wheels in the Assize records. The 1309 Assize notes a wheel found in a wreck; this was a quern. There are interesting references to of reports referring to Jersey yarn, prior to 1597. Boxgrove Priory near Chichester, West Sussex, is dedicated to St Blaise, the patron saint of wool-combers.

9.        Date of next meeting
        Tuesday 15th August 2006 at 5.15 p.m. in the Members' Room if available, otherwise in the Arthur Mourant Room.