Local history

The Library attempts to buy every new publication about, or with a connection to, the Channel Islands. If you have any suggestions for books or other materials you think the library should have in its collection, please let us know here.

The local studies library contains over 10,000 items, including eighteenth and nineteenth century histories and manuscripts. A great deal of this is relevant to the study of family history. If you would like to browse through our collection, our catalogue is available online.

The Priaulx Library has, for example, a significant collection of studies of Norman-French patois.

These include:

Corbet, Denys, Les Chànts du drain rimeux: ou pièces de poésie originale en Guernesiais et Français;
- Les Feuilles de la forêt: ou receuil de poésie originale, en anglais, français, et guernesiais
de Garis, Marie, Guernesiaise: A Grammatical Survey;
- Guernsey Dialect Names Etc.;
- Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernésiais
Fleury, Jean, Essai sur le patois normand de la Hague
Grut, Thomas, Des Lures en Guernesiais, par T.A.G.
- P'tites Lures guernesiais, A Collection of Short Stories in Guernsey-French and English, ed. Hazel Tomlinson
Henly, A.T., Ichìn nou pâle l'patouais; a selection of poems, old and new, in the Norman-French patois of Guernsey in the Channel Islands
Lewis, Edwin Seelye, Guernsey, Its People and Dialect
Lukis, Eric Fellowes,An Outline of the Norman-French Dialect of Guernsey;
- Dgèrneziè : the Norman tongue of Guernsey
Métivier, Georges, Dictionnaire franco-normand, ou receuil des mots particuliers au dialecte de Guernesey faisant voir leur relations romanes, celtiques et tudesques
- Fantaisies Guernesiaises: dans le langage du pays, la langue de la civilisation, et celle du commerce
- Poesies Guernesiaises et françaises
- Rimes Guernsesiaises, par un Catelain
Ozanne, Marjorie, The Collected Works of Marjorie Ozanne (1897-1973), in Guernsey French with English Translations, ed. and trans. Ken Hill, Vols. 1and 2
Tomlinson, Harry, An examination of the Teaching of Guernsey French, 1994

Mr. Clarke was extremely particular in his person and habits; and was, therefore, still less able to bear the dirt and slovenliness of the islanders, and the irregularity and confusion with which they were mixed up;—yet in both, (for they generally support a twin existence in the same person,) his patience and forbearance were often called into exercise. "One of Mr. Wesley's motto's," said he, when speaking upon the subject, " was,—' cleanliness is next to godliness.' * When I went into the Norman Isles, I found French dirt, the worst of all dirt. I have seen a large quantity of butter dashed down on the pavement for sale, and the suet of beasts lying in the window in a filthy state. After my marriage, and on Mrs. Clarke's arrival on the islands, she found it equally difficult with myself, to be comfortable, or silent, in the presence of dirt. On one occasion, she took courage to speak to a good woman, whose children appeared never either to have had their faces washed, or their hair combed. ' Do you think,' said she, placing the subject in the least objectionable form, by proposing a question ;— ' Do you think your children are as orderly as they might be ?'
Woman.—'Indeed they are.'
Mrs. Clarke. — ' Would it not be better to wash them ?'
Woman.—' O ! away with your English pride. '
Mrs. C.—' Does not Mr. Wesley say,—that cleanliness is next to godliness ?' hoping, by this reference, as she knew the woman entertained great respect for him, to win her over to compliance with more agreeable habits. 'Thank God!' exclaimed she, in return, as though cleanliness had been viewed as an intolerable burden, and deliverance from it a blessing; ' Thank God, that it is not written in my Bible ! '"