Jean Arthur, Marie-Louise Backhurst, Mary Billot (Secretary), Gavin Booth, Bertram Bree, Roger de Carteret, Nelson Fauvel, Derek Gray, Douglas Hooke (new member), Geraint Jennings, Sarah Jordan (new member), Sally Knight, David Le Maistre (Chairman), Georgia Le Maistre, Bob Le Sueur, David Levitt (new member), Alec Podger.

Apologies : Yvonne Aston, Sue Hardy, Reg Jeune, Nicolas Jouault, Mary Jupp.

3.5.1 The Channel 4 producer of 'Black history on the map' www.blackhistorymap.com has changed his mind about a link to Jersey from the map. The project has now been registered. Geraint Jennings has put a brief history of Pompey (Major Peirson's black servant) on to the History Section web pages and has set up a link. Further topics: Jean Le Nègre of St Aubin who spoke fluent Jerriais, black servants and seamen, boys at Victoria College. [Letter from Channel 4 TV with minutes]

3.5.5 The date of the proposed field tour to Dinan with Prof. Meirion-Jones has been decided as Thursday September 20^th to Sunday September 23^rd 2001. He has set out a preliminary programme. Please let Mary Billot know if you want your name put on the list of those interested (currently twenty names). History Section members have priority.

5.8 The CI Gaspesian Society visit was a success; it is now the turn of the CI Family History Society to go to Gaspé.

David Le Maistre welcomed Roger de Carteret back and said that Mary Jupp has returned home. He also introduced three new members : Douglas Hooke, Sarah Jordan and David Levitt. He reported that Mike Day (JHT) found our minutes very informative; he has offered to take the Section on a private tour on Mont Orgueil Castle in the Spring 2001, on a Tuesday to be arranged.

SJ meetings :

October 18^th, 8.00pm, Members' Room : Julia Coutanche & Gareth Syvret introduce the Photographic Archive.

Wednesdays November 8^th, 15^th, 22^nd, 29^th starting at 1.15pm, Members' Room : History Section Autumn lunchtime lectures. David Le Maistre starts the series with Picture postcards of the 20^th century. Georgia Le Maistre and Sally Knight volunteered to help with coffee and tea.

Martine Schenk hopes to talk on the First Church of the Latter Day Saints in 2001.

5.1 The Section web pages : Geraint Jennings has volunteered to update the pages; Sarah Jordan said that she would assist when Geraint is on holidays. Contributions can be emailed to history@societe-jersiaise.org. Topics will include : monthly summary of minutes; members' contributions; text from speakers' special presentations; Autumn lecture programme.

5.2 Marie-Louise Backhurst said that the 2000 SJ annual bulletin is expected soon. She will report on the three SJ Millennium History awards for 2001 at the November meeting.

5.3 Geraint Jennings has copied an email from Pascal Vannier (France TV Channel 3, Caen) to the Library. He said that Jersey would host the next Fête Normande on 8/9^th June 2002 (see the Langue Jerriaise website). June 8^th (Friday) will be a study day at the SJ; he hoped that the History Section could mount a display suitable for Norman speakers. Bob Le Sueur suggested Norman religious houses in Jersey as a subject. June 9^th (Saturday) will be at Samarès Manor.

5.4 Gavin Booth spoke about a clumsy attempt in 1899 to extort money from Lady Otway, a local socialite. The culprit, Ernest Desponts, a French house servant, was tried in February 1900 and sent to prison; a friend of Desponts also made a copycat demand. He also referred to a bizarre car accident in June 1983 when three people were killed on Mont à La Brune and the co-owner of the car was killed at the same time in an unrelated fight.

5.5 David Levitt is researching sundials for the British Sundial Society; Jean Arthur has also researched the subject.

5.6 Sarah Jordan is interested in the German Occupation.

5.7 Georgia Le Maistre remarked that the JHT Accessions List is no longer being sent to the Section. The Jersey Archives WEBOPAC catalogue is updated every three months. She mentioned an autobiographical account by an Irish nurse in Jersey during the German Occupation : Mauyen Keane Hello, is it all over? (1984) [Copy in Library]

6. Date of next meeting

Tuesday November 21st 2000 at 5.15 pm, Members' Room