SOCIÉTÉ JERSIAISE
www.societe-jersiaise.org/history
Members
present :
Frank Falle (Chairman), Marie-Louise Backhurst, Don
& Jean Bell, Mary Billot (Secretary), Mervyn Billot, John Cabot (visiting
from Boston, Mass.), Mary Gibb, Sue Groves, Nicolas Jouault, George Langlois,
Suzanne Le Feuvre, Georgia Le Maistre, Bob Le Sueur, Elinor McFadden, Pat Maindonald
(new member), Will Millow, Doreen Schofield-Fost (new member), Wendy Tipping,
Bill Tower, David Woodall.
1. Apologies for absence :
Yvonne Aston, Francis & Anne Corbet, Guy Dixon,
Gerry France, Sue Hardy, Andy Harris, Douglas Hooke, Tertius Hutt, Geraint
Jennings, Sarah Jordan, Sally Knight, Frank Le Blancq, David Le Maistre, Mike
Lees, David Levitt, Ian Machin, Rosemary Millow, Alec Podger.
2. Minutes
of the meeting of August 16th 2005 and amendments
The following amendment was
noted -
5.5 Suzanne Le Feuvre wants information on Sir
Lothian Nicholson, Lieut.-Governor 1878-1883.
The minutes were then
approved as a correct record.
3.
Matters arising from the
minutes not covered by the agenda
5.1 David Woodall said that the new Dean of
Jersey is at present priest-in-charge for St Helier but he will become Rector
of St Helier at some date to be decided.
5.9
David has checked all the official lists and confirmed that Thomas
Howard, Earl of Suffolk, had never been a Lieut.-Governor in Jersey.
4. Chairman’s communications
4.1 Frank Falle welcomed Mrs Pat Maindonald and Mrs Doreen Schofield-Fost to the meeting and introduced the Section to them. He congratulated Bob Le Sueur on his 85th birthday. He also welcomed John Cabot, an SJ member from Boston, Mass. who is researching the Cabot family.
4.2 Frank has found the report on L’Etacquerel Fort, which he had left in the Photographic Archive. He thanked Mike Lees for photocopying extra copies for the Section. Mervyn Billot and Mary Gibb contributed comments, which were co-ordinated by John Clarke. Mary noted the small building above the fort (a guard house?) and she wants to check on the existence of a well. Nick Jouault said that there was a stream on the left of the fort. Frank has received a copy of Roger Hills’ report on Grosnez Castle. He has invited Roger to the November meeting to talk about the JHT Forts and Towers Working Party.
4.3 Frank said that John Clarke wants comments on the Leicester Battery; at one time it had some old cannon. Copies of these reports will go to the SJ Library.
4.4 Mary Billot said that the Christmas meeting on December 13th will include a report on the trip to Carnac; Marie-Louise Backhurst will provide a commentary to Nick Jouault’s photographs. The non-members of the Section will be invited.
4.5 Frank said that there is a call for papers for a conference in Guernsey on June 2-4, 2006. Its topic is great Victorian collectors and intellects and will focus on the Lukis family, famous for saving CI dolmens.
4.6 Frank has submitted the Section budget for 2006 for £200. This will pay for gifts to our French hosts in 2006 and for two information boards. These will be similar to the Pitcher VC board, which will go to St Martin’s School and possibly on to the Public Library. He has in mind a board on Pero Niño (1406) in 2006.
4.7 Frank received sponsorship of £200 from Lemprière Whittaker Renouf for the flyers for the Section’s Autumn lunch time lectures.
4.8 The Lieut.-Governor will present the oak saplings from Windsor Great Park to the parish Constables at Government House on Monday November 7th. There will also be five acorns from the Park, which will grow into Royal Windsor Oaks by 2010. The Committee of Constables will control the acorns.
4.9 The Chairmen and Secretaries of Sections met on October 10th 2005. Items included the 2006 budget and the implications of the Cultural Strategy report on the SJ’s finances, the SJ display cabinet in the Museum, the difficulties caused by the extension of the Royal Yacht Hotel (completion date June 2007), and a need for a corporate policy on use of the SJ Library and Photographic Archive by commercial organisations.
4.10 Frank spoke about the lunch-time lectures on BBC Radio Jersey today; Bob Le Sueur will give the first talk tomorrow. Mervyn Billot will talk on farm tools on Wednesday evening; he was on Radio Jersey this morning.
5. Members’ contributions
5.1 Sue Groves said that the Trinity Church records have arrived. The Cavern records are coming in; this is a very large deposit. The Archive will be closed for its annual stocktaking from December 5th-9th and on November 23rd.
5.2 George Langlois said that the blowhole of the extinct volcano at Rozel initially ran with sulphurous brown water but now runs clean. It goes down 2,000-3,000 feet. There is a warm water spring in St Martin. He agreed to Frank Falle’s suggestion that he give a lunch-time lecture on the subject in 2006.
5.3 Alec Podger, Mervyn Billot and Ian Machin are entering the crews from the Jersey Merchant Seamen’s Benefit Society registers into the Friends of the Maritime Museum database. There are two volumes to go and more volunteers are needed.
5.4 Wendy Tipping asked about George Street (1851 census, St Helier, district 4). Marie-Louise Backhurst said that its present name is Kensington Place. Wendy said that the new Avranches museum would house the books and manuscripts from Mont St-Michel.
5.5 Georgia Le Maistre referred to the rabbi she had found in the 1861 census, being indexed by the CIFHS. A researcher is currently working on the local Jewish community. Freddie Cohen told her that the community was well established by 1805; he had bought the synagogue in Halkett Place but no artefacts remained. Georgia thought that the building might be suitable for a Vingtaine de la Ville plaque; they commemorate people, events and buildings and are made of slate. The Rabbi of the 1861 census was still here in 1901 and acted as Librarian at the Masonic Temple. The community waned in size after 1861.
5.6 Mary Gibb has met Robert Norman for her research into nourrices; he has a large collection of postcards, especially of Rozel, shipping and harbours. His grandfather was a Capt. Larbalestier. Frank thought that he too might be suitable speaker for an SJ meeting and that he was born at The Moorings, Rozel Harbour. Frank will contact him. George asked whether he knew about the La Chaire Gardens, which has a hot spring. Mary said that her GO research is continuing.
5.7 Bob Le Sueur commented about GO compensation, which was paid when there was rebuilding. No compensation was forthcoming if the building was left as a shell. Mervyn Billot said that the money came from the States.
5.8 Marie-Louise Backhurst said that she now has photocopies of the late Philip Ahier’s notes on street names.
5.9 David Woodall said that his study on Civil War privateers is now complete and that he would like comments on it. Frank said that Alec Podger should see it, also Mervyn Billot. Comments to woodall@jerseymail.co.uk please. Bob Le Sueur congratulated David on pointing out that the CI supported the Parliamentarians.
5.10 Frank gave a resumé on his recent research into CI Vikings. The Viking Society for Northern Research is the source of an important document of 850AD. It refers to Viking trade with the Moors who sold silks and furs. Frank argued that the CI were an axis of trade routes for the Vikings in the Cotentin and gave them scope for levies.
6.0
Date of next meeting
Tuesday November 15th 2005 at
5.15pm, in the Members’ Room if available, otherwise in the Arthur Mourant
Room.