History Section

 
La Société Jersiaise
SOCIÉTÉ JERSIAISE

HISTORY SECTION

Minutes of the meeting held Tuesday September 18th 2001 at 5.15pm
Arthur Mourant Room

        


2.        Minutes of the meeting of August 21st 2001 and amendments
4.4        Jean Arthur has listed the SJ Lemprière Collection (copy in SJ Library).
5.5Marie-Louise Backhurst is researching the day in 1802 of the opening of the Market. The college founded by Sir George de Carteret in the 1640s was on land near The Parade.

3.         Matters arising from the minutes
  1. 1The Members' Room has been booked for the Autumn lunchtime lectures. The 2002 series and next year's meetings will be booked soon.
  2. 3Frank Falle said that a visit to Pirou Castle can be made with Alizès via Gorey to Carteret or Portbail..
  3. 1Groznez information board : Bob Le Sueur wrote to the JHT; Doug Ford's reply was circulated to John Denize, Frank Falle and Max Lucas. Lé Congrès des Parlers Normands-Jèrriais has agreed to the Jerriais translation.
Max Lucas agrees with Doug Ford's suggestion that the name is of Norse origin. Doug refers to Sir John de Roche (early 1330s) and to a Naval Signal Station (Napoleonic Wars). There is a query as to whether the castle was attacked once or twice in the 14th century. Stead (1809) lists the signals stations : 10 in all, each with a Lieutenant and two ratings. Doug now has Max Lucas' comments.
4.        Chairman's announcements
4.1         Frank Falle will prepare the Section's article for the Autumn Newsletter. Topics include ;
      1. ·Autumn lectures
      2. ·Geraint Jennings on the healing springs of St Helier in Upper Normandy
      3. ·Dinan study tour 2001
      4. ·Ongoing research :
    1. sundials
    2. Viking DHA, La Hougue Boëte
        1. anniversaries - Registre Public (1602), the Market (1802) Victoria College (1852), Victor Hugo (1852 in Jersey), Battle of Flowers (1902), The Queen's Golden Jubilee (2002).
    3. 2The Dinan study tour will be the subject of the December meeting with reports, photographs and mementos from the participants. Invitations will go to those who are not Section members.
    4. 3Frank has details of the Snorri Sturluson Icelandic Fellowships for research in Iceland in 2002. He has also received a letter from the Jersey Archive about its one to one consultation sessions for members of the History Section. [Copy enclosed].
        
    1. Members' contributions
    2. 1 Mervyn Billot is in France and will report on funding at the October meeting. Frank Falle said that the SJ has to run as a business by paying its way by using the interest on capital or to rely on contributions and earned income if using capital for projects. The JHT made an annual reimbursement of £41,266 to the SJ in 2000.
    3. Alec Podger asked whether this was just a Section matter? Frank will raise the issue at the next Chairman/Secretaries meeting in November.
    4. Members showed concern that they have to pay site admission for special JHT events (see SJ Spring 2001 Newsletter for details). JHT Gold Card holders get in free. Marie-Louise Backhurst said that this had been in place for some years. Francis Corbet said that this was being queried again.
    5. 2The Jersey Library is asking for ideas to improve its services, eg. café? Alec Podger would like its collection of Calendars of State Papers deposited in the SJ Library. He asked for Section support, which was given. He proposes to ask the SJ Librarians to negotiate a permanent loan as they would be more useful here than there. About 100-150 feet of shelving would be needed.
    6. 3Jean Arthur circulated a copy of a sketch made by her grandfather, J. Arthur in 1880, place unknown. Members suggested the West Country or Cornwall.
    7. She also reported on the St Brelade parish book; Enid Quenault wishes to reproduce Gavin Booth's photographs of part of the old station uncovered during renovation.
    8. She has details of a sundial at Haut du Mont, St Peter, for David Levitt. She also remarked on the suggested extension of the General Hospital (JEP 20/08/01), possibly on top of the Gwyneth Huelin Wing and wondered whether the old Prison arches could be incorporated.
    9. 4Geraint Jennings said that a booklet is being produced for the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the L'Assembliée d'Jerriais in November 1951.
    10. Prof. René Lepelley has written a new book on placenames, Dicotentin; Bontemps has published Encyclopédie Normandie.
    11. He will update the Section's pages on the website. His email address is geraint@societe-jersiaise.org .
    12. He reported on his holiday spent cycling from Rouen to Caen. He gave a laptop presentation of slides which included the holy spring and chapel of St Hellier (sic) at Varennes in the Eawy Forest and the St Helier church at Beuzeville. Frank thanked Geraint for the very interesting presentation.
    13. 5Bob Le Sueur said that there was a trip to Icho Tower on September 19th; the Jersey Association of Retired Teachers meet at Le Hocq slip at 2.15pm. Members are welcome.
    14. 6Georgia Le Maistre said that the New St School arch was supposed to be incorporated in the St Paul's Gate development. She visited the Masonic Temple on its open day to find out about Dr Cuquemelle, a founder member of La Cesarée Loge, who delivered the Grandin quintuplets. His portrait was lost in the German Occupation destruction. He died in 1859, and seemed to be living apart from his wife and daughter.
    15. Frank Falle continues his research into the origins of vingtaines. The theory that a vingtaine consists of twenty households does not seem to be valid.
    16. Any other business
    17. There was no other business.
    18. Date of next meeting
    19. Tuesday October 16th 2001, 5.15pm, Arthur Mourant Room.