Social History

A Farmer's Vacation, 1873: Sark

Baker's Valley, Sark, in 1880, from Priaulx Library Collection

From George Wearing's A Farmer's Vacation, 1873, pp. 231 ff. The photographs are from the Library collection; that of the Seigneurie in Sark is by Thomas Singleton and dates from c. 1875; above is Baker's Valley in around 1880. 'The population of the island is less than six hundred souls, and of these over ten per cent are confirmed drunkards.'

Shrimps, 1763

The Royal Court republished this 1763 Ordnance in January 1813.

Taxation

From Duncan's History of Guernsey, 1841, pp. 270 ff. From Ferdinand Brock Tupper.

Taxation and parish meetings, 1840

From Sarnia, or the Holy Land, a new guide to the privileged island of Guernsey, &c. by a Twenty Years' resident: Payn, Jersey, 1840, pp. 83-4.

Actions de graces, prayers of thanksgiving

Beautiful prayers in French, previously used in Guernsey. As written in the History of Guernsey Churches scrapbook in the Library. During the Reformation this type of prayer was said after a baptism; later they were used at special services of thanksgiving, such as at the end of wars, or recovery of a monarch from illness.

Bread and hot cross buns

From the History of the Guernsey Churches scrapbook.

Explanation of the nature of Real Property in Guernsey: Rents, 1815

Bails and rents continued, from the Report of the Royal Commissioners Deputed to the Island of Guernsey in 1815. First is a succinct explanation of giving to rent, as selling a property in Guernsey was in effect known, by John Jacob from his Annals of 1830.

The Guernsey farmhouse and cottage, 1846

Old Guernsey Kitchen, Thomas Grut, Priaulx Library Collection

Continuing the extract from the Dublin University Magazine, 1846. The Guernsey diet and the lower classes' utter lack of musicality.

Turkish trowsers

Greek woman from Marmora from the Library Collection

From the anonymous Annotations on 'The History of Guernsey' compiled by Mr William Berry, which takes schoolmaster and entrepreneur Berry severely to task for his numerous errors. The author takes greatest umbrage, however, on the subject of, yes, underwear. The illustrations are from the Library collection; the one above shows a Greek woman from Marmora in Turkish-style clothing.

History of the Jeux St George

An extract from an article in The Guernsey Magazine, July 1888, p. 60, giving a detailed history of the Jeux St George, which took place annually after Christmas at Vazon. It was the foundation of these games, which were instituted as an incentive for members of the militia to improve their marksmanship, which was at that time very poor, that eventually led to the expertise of Guernsey marksmen at Bisley and other competitions. The results of these games and other similar island shooting competitions that followed were always reported in great detail in the local newspapers.

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