Biography

Tom Sticks

Four accounts of Tom Sticks, from Edith Carey's Scrapbook, Vol. I., and letters from the Library's Dobree-Mann transcriptions. 1. Thomas Le Marchant, a retired Lieutenant of Mariners (familiarly called Tom Sticks by the Patricians and Le Ramouneux , or Chimney Sweep , by the Plebeians); by his miserly habits he hoarded so much money that he 'cut up' splendidly [ his brother Charles inherited it ]. Tom Sticks obtained his name of Le Ramouneux as follows. Believing that he had made a conquest of Miss Laperre of Les Blancs Bois, he thought to take her by surprise, as Jove did Danaë, by…

Frederick Le Page as St Andrew

Memorial at St Andrew's Church, Tostock, by Simon Knott

From Rosemary de Saumarez's reminiscences of James St Vincent Saumarez, 4th Baronet (1843-1937). The photograph of the memorial in Tostock Church is courtesy of Simon Knott. Rosemary Ashley (née de Saumarez) donated a photograph album to the Library in 1984 which contains photographs of Frederick, the sisters, his boat and his cottage at Cobo.

Walter St John: a background

John St John courtesy of Lydiard Tregoze

A short introduction to the main characters in the 16th-century tragedy of Walter St John and Isaac Daubeney, pupil and teacher. The portrait is of Walter's younger brother, John, aged 17; he was very close in age to Walter. The portrait was kindly provided by Lydiard Tregoze house.

Victor Hugo in Guernsey, by Henri Boland

From Boland's Les Iles de la Manche, 1904, pp. 145-6, including a note attached to the pages by Edith Carey. [By Dinah Bott]

Charlie Chaplin

From the Guernsey Press of May 11th, 1939; 'Heard in the Bordage' by Stargazer.

A priest takes refuge in Alderney and Guernsey, 1792-93

Extracts from 'Relation du voyage en Angleterre de Monsieur Lefebvre d'Anneville, Curé de Sotteville (près les Pieux)', from Notices, memoires et documents de la Société d'agriculture, d'archéologie et d'histoire naturelle du Départment de la Manche (1924). The author was one of 142 Catholic priests who fled persecution in France and came to Alderney in 1792. The photograph shows the Le Mesuriers' Les Mouriaux House as it is today.

Essay on the Institutions, Laws and Customs of the Island of Guernsey

The short preface to the 1889 first edition of Laurent Carey's work of reference, which was used on a day-to-day basis by the Royal Court in its proceedings.

Daniel de Lisle Brock and the British Government

'It has been truly said that the history of Guernsey, for the last fifty years of his life, was in fact the history of Daniel de Lisle Brock (A New General Biographical Dictionary, 1857).' The article reproduced below is from the Eclectic Review of 1845.

New books 2013

Southampton Port Books; Festung Guernsey; Les Dicqs and the Rousse headland: an overview; Canadian biography; Livres de Perchage; Pugin and Guernsey; Maritime Normandy 1500-1650; Victor Hugo in Guernsey; Militia buttons; Basement hydrogeology and fortifications of the Channel Islands; German Tunnels in the Bailiwick.

Matthias Finucane: a speculative life

'There has always been a mystery over Matt Finucane’s origin. His name does not appear on family trees, and I have never been able to find him anywhere else.' Matthias Finucane's descendant, Julia von Bertele, has devoted a great deal of time to trying to solve the mystery of the birth—and life—of the Channel Island miniaturist and printmaker, Matthias Finucane (d. 1810). This is part of the Finucania project.

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