Social History

Extracts from The Star, September 1916

Children misbehaving at Candie ; Healy Maindonald, bigamist ; Fishing on Sunday ; Petition re military service ; Roll of Honour ; Ernest Carré, Le Poidevin, Ferguson ; Enlistments ; Bordage widening ; Guernseymen killed ; Albion Terrace School ; Old custom for scaring birds ; Jean-Philippe De Carteret obituary ; Guernsey prices The Star , September 2, 1916 BAND INTERRUPTION AT CANDIE Many correspondents have spilt ink in writing to you complaining of the behaviour of juveniles at the Sunday evening performances in Candie, but apparently they have fallen on deaf ears, as the nuisance still…

Children don't need shoes: saving money with Dr. Bishop

Detail from Singleton photograph of 1870 in Priaulx Library Collection

During the First War money and food was short amongst many islanders. The Medical Officer of Health delivered his report on the state of the Island's health for 1915 in September of 1916. In it he suggests an way for the poorer classes to save. The detail is from a photograph by Singleton, 'Rocquaine, 1870' in the Library Collection.

July 1791 - Louis XVI is arrested

Snippets from the Gazette of 1791, from the French. The early Gazettes strongly supported the French Revolution, but this soon changed.

The King's Birthday, June 4, 1794

A Party given in honour of the King's Birthday by the Lieutenant-Governor in 1794. Elizabeth Ham in her autobiography said of the birthday celebrations: 'In those days (c. 1809) the officers of the Garrison always gave a Ball on the 4th of June, the King's birthday. These Balls always caused great heartburnings from their exclusiveness.'

A new century

A writer of 1901 imagines the New Year of 1801, at the dawn of a new century. There are some interesting historical tidbits in here!

Two hundred years ago, in October

From the local newspapers. Mr French, Music teacher; Lost by William Bird; Finucane; Helier Allez; Monsieur Ferey; Valet position required; Chaumontel pears; wet-nurse; Hospital-Lane; Pierre Mansell; Daniel de Mouilpied, Nicolas Robert, Susanne Le Ray; Oysters.

September at the turn of the 18th century

Bread Prices; Guernsey-Jersey packet and post; Josue Priaulx; Santissima Trinidad or La Preciosa; Savoir-Vivre Club; public dance at the Rohais; John Caire; Kerbey and Courtney, teachers; Millers overcharging, letter; Mr Read's Ball; gas lamps for Town.

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.

The English Butcher and the Brewer, April 1801

Thomas Bishop posting of Frederick Mansell, 1801, Priaulx Library Collection

'Let me come at him, I will do for him, Damn him, a Butcher, I will do for him.'

Maria Rosetti

From St Peter Port to revolution. A request from Angela Jianu* of Warwick University for some research into the birth data of Marie Grant of St Peter Port has revealed the extraordinary history of a Romantic heroine, born here in Guernsey in 1819, daughter of Marie Le Lacheur, descendant of the Le Lacheurs of the Forest, and known today to all Romanians through her depiction as Revolutionary Romania, and because one of the main streets in Bucharest bears her name: Strada Maria Rosetti.

Search form