Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday October 17th 2006 at 5.15pm, Members' Room


         Members present:
Frank Falle (chairman), Jean Arthur, Marie-Louise Backhurst, Mary Billot (Secretary), Bertram Brée, John Cabot (visitor), Guy Dixon, Sue Groves, Andy Harris, Nicolas Jouault, Peter King, George Langlois, David Le Maistre, Bob Le Sueur, Mike Lees, David Levitt, Ian Machin, Pat Maindonald, Rose Millow, Will Millow, Paul Nicolle, Alec Podger, Doreen Schofield-Fost, Wendy Tipping, Danny White (visitor).


1.        Apologies for absence
        Yvonne Aston, Don & Jean Bell, Mervyn Billot, Francis & Anne Corbet, Gerry France, Sue Hardy, Frank Le Blancq, Suzanne Le Feuvre, Georgia Le Maistre, David Woodall.


2. Minutes of the meeting of August 15th 2006 and amendments
7.3        ... September 30th 2006.
7.6        Chris Aubin's definitive article ...
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 from the minutes.

4.        Chairman's communications
4.1         Frank Falle welcomed John Cabot, a return visitor from Boston, Mass., USA, to the meeting.
4.2        He listed topics for mention in the Section's annual report in the 2006 Bulletin. These were : Visit to Normandy, research for the Forts and Towers Working Party (co-ordinator Mike Lees), Marie-Louise Backhurst's workshop on mapping the town of St Helier, Rose Millow's research into Aquila Road and Windsor Road, the Friends of the Maritime Museum database (Alec Podger), David Levitt's sundial statistics, Jean Arthur's house histories, Mervyn Billot's book Sticks and stones to be published in November, Andy Harris on signal stations, Autumn lectures 2006, Oak Apple walk 2006.
4.3         Frank said that the December Christmas party would include showing the photographs of the Normandy visit.
4.4        He said that he will conduct three walks for the SJ in 2007, and that he will also deliver some evening talks on history. Bob Le Sueur offered to give talks on First Tower between the wars, and the German Occupation.


5.        Honorary Secretary's communications
5.1        Mary Billot said that the chosen hotel in Concarneau (Hotel de l'Ocean, 90 rooms) is full for the September 2007 dates so Go France is charged with looking for a suitable alternative for 33 people and the coach driver.
5.2        She thanked Sarah Jordan for volunteering to do the January 2007 minutes, and Alec Podger who will photocopy them. She confirmed that the minutes are sent to Geraint Jennings to go on the website though there seems to be a backlog.
5.3        Mary thanked Pat Maindonald and Wendy Tipping for offering to help with the teas and coffees at the first two lunch-time lectures.
5.4        She said that Roger Long has a copy of People of the sea for sale at £80.00, and a set of Old Jersey houses. Please contact him direct ((862473).


6.        Forts and Towers Working Party report
6.1         The report on Le Hocq is about to be circulated; responses are needed by the end of December 2006. The report on Icho Tower is expected in early 2007. Roger Hills has said that the Working Party's comments on Seymour Tower, Lewis Tower and La Tour Carrée will be included in the final reports. It was suggested that Roger be asked to the December meeting.

7.         Members' contributions
7.1 Sue Groves said that another Codes and clues day for children is being held at the Jersey Archive on November 5th. She commented that the report on the Landscape Characterization Project is due in November, having been scheduled to appear in April.
Marie-Louise Backhurst asked about local maps in the National Archives, which will be of help to Mike Lees. Sue said that she wishes to develop a database of archives outside Jersey. Shared lists are needed at the SJ, Jersey Library and the Archive.
She said that the Calendars of PRO documents are now in the public area of the Jersey Library reference Library (State papers, Close rolls).
7.2 Bertram Brée said that everyone on the Normandy trip would each receive a refund of £51.66. He commented that the Brée family erected the gas (now electric) lamp in Rue Sente Maillard, Grouville.
7.3 David Le Maistre said that Bob Burrows' widow has re-opened the bookshop Books & Things at First Tower. Local stock is for sale (ex Ian Monins).
7.4 Nick Jouault circulated a page from Glimpses of Jersey by John Manning (1994) about the 13th perquage path in St Ouen - a private path from St Ouen's Manor to Grève de Lecq. The second one in St Ouen goes from the demolished Chapel of Ste Marie de Lecq to L'Etacq harbour.
7.5 David Levitt said that there was a recent auction of a map used by Christopher Columbus, which included a map of the British Isles with some unidentified islands. He wondered if they were the Channel Islands. Alec Podger said that an article in the SJ bulletin in the 1920s was on the cartography of the CI. He commented that Charles II drew a map of Jersey which is now lost.
7.6 Doreen Schofield-Fost is researching her property Roslyn Farm House, La Rue du Douet, St Ouen, and asks for any information.
7.7 Wendy Tipping said that Jersey's first school, St Mannelier School in St Saviour, has SSI listing.
7.8 Ian Machin has been researching in the Actes des Etats. In July 1796 the States told General Andrew Gordon about Island communications with the French. Registration of boats was demanded and they were forbidden to go outside established boundaries; fines were included in the regulations. The States was fearful of French republican principles being promulgated. Alec Podger said that Jersey boats used to winter in St Malo before the Napoleonic Wars. Frank Falle thought that communication was for political purposes rather than smuggling.
7.9 Marie-Louise Backhurst said that the Environment Dept has published a consultation document Archaeology and planning; responses are needed by November 24th. Bob Le Sueur reminded the meeting that Jersey is the only jurisdiction in the British Isles without an official archaeology officer; consequently history has been lost over the years. There is a proposal to appoint a part-time officer. Frank Falle said that he would get hold of a copy of the paper and co-ordinate a response.
She has researched the Dumaresq family for a Guernsey correspondent interested in the Dumaresq silver punch bowl for sale at Martel Maides Fine Art sale on September 28th 2006. She has had difficulty in identifying which Edouard Dumaresq was given the bowl in the 1750s and what significant act prompted the gift. [E-mails with official minutes]
Marie-Louise enlarged on the career of Admiral James Noble who was Nelson's Flag Lieutenant at the battle of Cape Vincent in 1797. He is a relative of Edith Nicolle (née Noble) of 9 Pier Road.
She is gathering information for the 100th anniversary in 2007 of the founding of the District Nurses (later Family Nursing & Home Care). Peter King said that the Le Gros Centre in St Brelade has an archive.
7.10 Rose Millow wants information on Primitive Methodist places of worship in the 1830s before the Aquila Road Church was built.
7.11 Paul Nicolle said that Richard Mayne's widow has given her husband's Jersey Militia research to him. The Section received this news with satisfaction.
7.12 Bob Le Sueur said that Mary Gibb would give a talk on nourrices to the Archaeology Section on Thursday November 9th at 8pm, La Hougue Bie.
He said that a group from the History Section needed to respond to the Environment Dept's document Archaeology and planning as a matter of urgency. Nick Jouault was the sole volunteer for the group. Frank Falle said that he would pursue the Section's response.


8.        Date of next meeting
        Tuesday November 21st 2006 at 5.15 p.m. in the Members' Room if available, otherwise in the Arthur Mourant Room.