This week in June two centuries ago ... or thereabouts

Extracts, mostly from the Gazette de Guernesey, on this day (or thereabouts) two hundred years ago.

Lottery; Alexander Fisher; the Tartar and Indispensable; drawing school; acquittal of Marat; Thomas Maçon; D'Armancourt; J. P. Duport; Boston Packet; Earthquake; Juliana, Cynthia, Capt. Brehaut; Philippe De Bertrand; Candie estate; Tanner's Delight;La Concepcion, Resolution, privateer.


Gazette de l'Ile de Guernesey, Saturday 6 June 1797

SUPPLEMENTA la Gazette du 6 Juin 1795. LOTERIE PUBLIQUE DE GUERNESEY.

Tickets for the Humane and Charitable Lottery, approved by an Act of the Royal Court of 13 December 1794, the profit from which is to go towards the building of a hospital for sick soldiers, are for sale with the following Agents:

Josué St Jean Priaulx}Charles Le Marchant } --- rue des Forges.
Jean Tupper --- rue du Pollet.
Bonamy Dobrée --- Grand’rue.
Jean Condamine }Thomas Lihou } --- à la Grange.
Jean La Serre, jun. --- rue Tanquoil.
Nicolas Lefebvre --- sous la Porte

And since up to this point a sufficient number of tickets have not been sold for the Lottery to take place on Midsummer Day, according to the above-mentioned Act, and should enough tickets fail to be sold, by the said day, the Lottery will be cancelled, and the money returned to the ticket-holders: the Agents ask those who intend to buy tickets, to kindly buy them before the allotted day.

[LES billets de la Loterie, Humaine & Charitable, autorisée par acte de la Cour Royale en date du 13 Decembre 1794, & dont le profit doit etre appliqué a l’érection d’un hôpital à loger les soldats malades, sont en vente chez les Commissaires suivans:

Et comme il n’y a pas jusqu’ici un assez grand nombre de billets vendus pour procéder au tirage de la dite Loterie au jour St Jean prochain, conformément à l’acte de la Cour Royale ci-dessus mentionné, & que dans le cas qu’il ne se trouve un plus grand nombre de vendus, le dit jour, la dite Loterie sera annullée, & l’argent retourné aux porteurs des billets vendus: les dites Comissaires prient tous ceux qui ont dessein d’en acheter, de vouloir le faire avant le dit jour.] Back to top


Gazette de L'Ile de Guernesey, Saturday 3 June 1797

Speedily will be published by Subscription in three neat pocket volumes; price 10 shilling and 6 pence, Memoirs of the Travels and Adventures of Mr. Alexander Fisher, Comedian, M: M: R: A: & K: T-m-l-r. Subscriptions are taken by the author at Mrs Hammons, Smith-Street. Back to top


Gazette de L'Ile de Guernesey, Saturday 18 May 1793

Maingy and Dunière, owners of the Tartar privateer, are auctioning, next Monday 3rd June, at their warehouse in the Bordage, 20 barrels of raw sugar and 50 sacks of coffee, from Port au Prince. This is part of the cargo of the Indispensable, prize to the Tartar privateer.

[Maingy & Dunière armateurs du corsaire le Tartar font savoir, que Lundi 3 Juin prochain, ils feront vendre au plus offrant à leur Magasin au Bordage, vingt barriques Sucre Brut & cinquante sacs Caffè, du Port au Prince, faisant partie de la cargaison du navire l'Indispensable, prise dudit corsaire.]

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An emigrant Frenchman, just arrived in Town wishes to start a drawing school. Any prospective student who would like to judge his skill before signing up may see some examples of his drawing in different genres at Mr Chevalier, the optician's, shop.

[Un françois émigré arrivé depuis peu dans cette ville désireroit former une école de dessein; ceux qui voudront y participer mais qui désireroient avant juger de sa force, trouveront chez Mr. Chevalier opticien plusieurs pièces de dessein de différent genres, qu'il y a déposé.] Back to top

Jean Paul Marat was unanimously acquitted yesterday by the revolutionary tribunal, and carried immediately in triumph to the convention. He was kissed and hugged by the crowd, then, having taken off the laurel wreath he was wearing, he stepped up to the platform and delivered the following speech: "Citizens, you see before you a representative of the people, whose rights had been violated, but who has received justice. I once again swear to serve the cause of equality, freedom, and the people." All the right-wing members had left the room once Marat's arrival was announced. And there, once again, la Montagne has won.

[Jean Paul Marat fut acquitté hier unanimement par le tribunal révolutionnaire, & porté aussitôt en triomphe à la convention. Après avoir été bien embrassé, bien caressé par la multitude, il ôta de dessus son chef la couronne de laurier qu'il portoit, & étant monté à la tribune, il prononça la harangue suivante:

»Citoyens,

Vous voyez un représentant du peuple, dont les droits avoient été violés, mais on lui a rendu justice. Je jure de nouveau de servir la cause de l'égalité, de la liberté, & du peuple.«

Tous les membres du côté droit avoient quitté la salle, lorsqu'on avoit annoncé l'arrivée de Marat.

Ainsi voilà encore la Montagne qui triomphe.] Back to top


Gazette de L'Ile de Guernesey, Saturday 19 May 1792

Last Monday Mr Thomas Maçon was teaching one of his pupils when his penknife slipped from his desk. Thinking to catch it on his lap, he closed his knees, but the knife fell crossways and his pressing his knees together caused the blade to stick two inches into his right thigh. We hope he is not seriously injured, not only for his sake, but for our children's education's sake also.

[Lundi dernier Sr. Th. Maçon, étant à faire la leçon a un de ses écoliers, son canif glissa de dessus son bureau: lui croyant le recevoir sur ses cuisses serra les genoux: le canif se trouva de travers & en pressant les genoux l'un contre l'autre le canif lui enfonça deux pouces dans la cuisse droit: il est a souhaiter que sa blessure ne soit pas dangereuse, tant pour lui que pour l'éducation de la jeunesse.]

[This may be the Thomas Machon who was the last teacher at the Petite Ecole in St Julian's Avenue.]

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DARMANCOURT, painter of miniature portraits, Pupil of the Royal Academy in Paris, has arrived in Town. He is staying with Mrs Scott, Fountain-street.

[DARMANCOURT, Peintre de Portraits en miniature, Élève de l'Académie royale de Paris, fait savoir, au public, qu'il est arrivé en cette Ville. Sa demeure est chez Mrs. Scot, rue de la Fontaine. [This was probably Jean-Augustin Massavy Darmancourt (b. c. 1735, Paris. Works by this artist are extremely rare; he painted Benjamin Franklin in 1778. He gave lessons in painting in Paris, to both sexes, and was a prominent mason.]

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Gazette de L'Ile de Guernesey, Saturday 30 April 1796

ANNONCES

NOTICES. J. P. Duport, wishes to warn the two French Émigré gentlemen who came with intent during the night and misbehaved dreadfully at his door and those of his neighbours, that he would have had recourse to the law, if they had not come the next day to make their excuses, and to tell him that although they were actually with the perpetrators, they themselves were not responsible. Duport made them undertake to disclose the names of their accomplices, which they promised to do and have not done since: which is why he is informing them that if they do not come sometime during this week to disclose these names, he will be forced to take them to court, as having been disrespectful to the locals and disturbing the peace.

[J. P. Duport, previent les deux Messieurs Émigrés, qui vinrent nuitemment & méchamment faire des saloperies a sa porte & aux portes voisines, il y a environ six semaines, qui les auroit poursuit en loi, s'ils n'étoient venus le lendemain lui faire des excuses, & lui dire qu'ils étoient vraiment à la compagnie de ceux qui les avoient faites, mais que ce n'étoit pas eux: le dit Duport éxigea d'eux qu'ils déclarassent leur complices, ce qu'ils promirent & n'ont point fait depuis ce temps: c'est pourquoi il leur déclare, que s'ils ne viennent dans le courant de cette semaine les déclarer, il se verra obligé de les poursuivre en cour, comme faisant mépris des habitants & perturbateurs du repos public.] Back to top


Gazette de L'Ile de Guernesey, Saturday 30 April 1791 (No. 17)

Vente en l'ile d'Auregny.

Wednesday 25th of next month, will be sold to the highest bidder, in Alderney, before M. Jean Olivier, one of the island’s Jurats; about 3,000 pieces of Indian print, one thousand pieces of Irish linen, 3-4,000 pieces of fabric, fine and heavy sheeting, carpets, gauzes, muslins, cravats, handkerchiefs, shawls, waistcoats, Jeans, and other items. All originally part of the cargo of the Boston Packet, sailing from London to Boston, and wrecked on the rocks off Alderney.

[Le mercredi 25 du mois prochain, on vendra au plus offrant & dernier enchérisseur, en l'île d'Auregny, devant M Jean Olivier, un des jurés de la cour de ladite île; environ trois milles pièces d'indiennes, mille pièces de toile d'Irlande, & trois a quatre milles pièces d'étoffes, des fins et gros draps, des tapis, des gazes, des mousselines, des cravates, des mouchoirs, des shawls, des vestes, des Jane & autres marchandises. Le tout provenu de la cargaison du Boston Packet, alant de Londres à Boston, & naufragé sur des rochers près d'Auregny.]

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[There is in the National Archives a 'letter to Evan Nepean, Under-Secretary, Home Office, from Messrs Thomas Dickason and Co of Crutched Friars, London, stating that the American ship Boston Packet, released after being stopped by a Guernsey or Jersey privateer, had been carrying a bag of letters of great importance to British merchants and manufacturers. These letters were now detained in Doctors' Commons [Court of Admiralty], and it was understood that they could only be released to the post office on an order from the Secretary of State. Dickason and Co requested the release of the letters and suggested that merchants' letters brought to Doctors' Commons in future be inspected and, if not relevant to the capturer or the government, be resealed and delivered to the post office.'] Back to top


Le Cocq Notebook

Thursday 15th April 1773. There was an earthquake around 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning that lasted about 30 seconds.

[Jeudi le 15e d'Avril 1773. Nous avons eu un tremblement de terre sur les 3-4 heures du soir qui a duré viron une demie minute.] Back to top


Gazette de L'Ile de Guernesey, Du Samedi 11 Avril 1801 (No. 15)

On Tuesday 13th inst. at noon, on the South pier, will be sold, by auction, the ship Juliana, of about 500 tons measurement, strong built, coppered and well found, prize to the Cynthia privateer, Capt. T. J. Brehaut.—The ship may be examined every day, and the inventory seen by applying to Jefferys and Le Mottée. Back to top

Philippe de Bertrand of St Martin's has caught a ewe and lamb on his land. Could the owner please come and get them and pay for the damage they have caused. He also has a milch cow for sale.

[Philippe de Bertran, de la paroisse de St Martin, fait savoir, qu'il a pris, sur ces terres, une brebis et son agneau; ceux a qu'ils appartiennent sont priés de venir les reclamer, & payer le dommage qui lui ont fait: il fait aussi savoir qu'il a une vache à lait, à vendre.] Back to top

A large walled garden,1 in the Avenue, and adjoining the New-Ground, well stocked with the best fruit trees and promising an abundant crop, is to be let; or, 40 perches of that part next to Mrs Gullick, near 100 feet wide by 200 long, with two avenues to it, and a Southern aspect, is to be sold. Enquire of Mr Mourant. Back to top


All persons having demands on the ship or cargo of the brig Tanner's Delight, wrecked in the road of this island, are requested to send in their accounts, within three days of this date, to C. Priaulx, esq., Jurat; as no claims will be attended to after this week. And notice is hereby given to every one, having in his possession any goods or effects belonging to the said ship, or cargo, to deliver the same within the above period to said Mr Priaulx, otherwise they shall be criminally prosecuted.

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[MM. Dobrée & La Serre feront vendre, au plus offrant, lundi 13 du courant, sur la chaussée du Sud, a midi, une tartane Espagnole, N.S. de la Conception, d'environ 70 tonneaux, prise du corsaire la Resolution: l'inventaire est logé chez M. Bonamy Dobrée, à la Grand'Rue. N.B. Ladite tartane est au havre de St Sampson.]

Messrs. Dobrée and La Serre will expose to public auction, on Monday 13th inst. on the South-pier, at noon, the Spanish Tartane N.S. de la Conception, of about 70 tons, prize to the Resolution, private ship of war.—Inventory of which may be seen, on application to Mr B. Dobrée. N. B. The said tartane is at St Sampson's harbour. Back to top


1This is part of the Candie estate, now part of Candie Gardens. The Mourants sold off several large areas of their gardens in 1806, perhaps including what is now the site of the Vauxlaurens brewery (the brewery was founded by the Gullick family). Mourant already had cellars at the Vauxlaurens.