Health & Welfare

Smallpox vaccination, 1803

7th July 2020
The plan and operation to undertake smallpox vaccination in the British Empire. From The Report on the progress of vaccine inoculation in Bengal, Volume 3, by John Shoolbred, 1805, pp. 14-16. John Dobrée was appointed to the Carmarthen in 1802; it was a new ship built by Mr Williams for the East India Co. that season (Naval Chronicle). He was previously captain of the Busbridge, an East India ship owned by Samuel Dobrée, esq., for which he had obtained a letter of marque in 1796. 

Spirit of adventure: Violetta Thurstan

25th April 2016
'Guernsey readers will read with interest of the adventure of Miss Violetta Thurstan, who is managing an ambulance unit in Spain.' This article, from the Star newspaper of April 1, 1937, recalls her war service and brings readers up to date with her activities in the Spanish Civil War. Violetta received the Mons Star, the Russian Royal Cross of St George, and, twice wounded, was awarded the Military Medal.

My little brothers: Christmas with Victor Hugo, 1862

From the Gazette de Guernesey, Saturday 27 December, a report on Hugo's Christmas party for deprived children; a letter from Hugo to his wife, whose idea it all was in the first place; and another to the French publisher Castel, in which he plans to donate the proceeds of a new book of drawings to his poor Guernsey protégés. The editor of the Gazette at this time was Hugo's friend and disciple, Guernseyman Henri Marquand. The photograph accompanying this article is dated 1868. It was taken in March by Arsène Garnier. (Another very similar set of photographs was taken by a Jerseyman with a studio in London, named Henry Frankland, in February 1868; the Library has a photographic plate of one of these iconic images.) This particular photograph was popular with the public at the time; they could buy it in the local shops.Article by Dinah Bott.

Pages