Library Newspaper Collection

Herm is blown up by a mine, 4 January 1952

In view of the recent spectacular controlled detonation of a WWII bomb off Guernsey, here is a rather less controlled episode from 1952, in which the 28 inhabitants of Herm were incredibly lucky to escape injury or worse. 'Will you tell your husband when you go ashore that there is a mine somewhere off the Herm coast. Tell him to try and get a rope round it and pull it in; it will be quite harmless. It's been in the sea since the war and the firing mechanism will be rusted up.' Insurance did not cover damage by rogue mine, but the States stepped in to do the repairs, which were considerable.

Mr Trengrouse's Rocket Apparatus, June 1836

As reported in the Comet of July 4th, 1836. Henry Trengrouse (1772-1854), from Cornwall, was the inventor in 1808 of an early form of the Breeches buoy. As he first presented his invention, however, in 1818, versions of it had long been in use by the time he demonstrated it in Guernsey, despite the Comet's misgivings.

A diplomatic incident, July 1836

Necessity demanded that a gang of Alderney smugglers kidnap a French customs officer on the French coast and take him back to Alderney, then leave him to make his own way home. The authorities in Alderney smiled indulgently on the miscreants, but French Ambassador Count Sebastiani made angry representations to the UK Government for action. The Comet is indignant, pointing out that the French are quite happy for their nationals to smuggle gin to England.

St Barnabas and the Plateau, June 1932

The philanthropic Reverend Mignot and his Plateau, from the Guernsey Evening Press of June 13, 1932.

British conscripts: where compulsory service flourishes under the Union Jack, 1900

From The Star, July 5th, 1900. Reprinted from the Daily Mail of June 29th, 1900. Training the militia and their expertise at rifle-shooting.

Maybugs

A cruel pastime is banned.

United All England Eleven versus the Twenty-two of the Channel Islands: May 1866

Double your cricket numbers with England's finest (or second finest) at the Fort Ground. The newspaper notes: 'Although the Twenty-two are said to be of the Channel Islands, three only are natives, the remainder being officers of the garrison or other temporary English residents.' From the Star, March 31st, 1866.

The loss of the Hibernia, April 1833

From a letter in the Star, May 2, 1833. The Hibernia, Captain Brend, left Liverpool 6 December 1832, and sank on February 4, NW of Acension island, 1100 miles from Brazil. There were 79 males, 80 females, and 50 children as passengers; 4 of the crew were boy apprentices. 150 died. There were insufficient lifeboats, and they were very poorly maintained. The survivors were rescued by the Guernsey vessel, Isabella.

Witchcraft: Les Sorcelleries, March 1787

From the Library's Gazette de L'Ile de Jersey, 10 March 1787. If you're a Jersey person and you think you're cursed, you can call on the local white witch to save you.

Bicycle and Tricycle Club, February 1889

From the Star of February 2nd, 1889; the history of the Club. The cyclist in the photograph is the great champion, Jack Le Tocq, from the Library collection.

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