Social History

J H Ingrouille, 1916

At the meeting of the Loyal Guernsey Lodge of Oddfellows, held at Lower St Julian's last evening, the officers wore mourning regalia as a tribute of respect to the late Mr J H Ingrouille, who was one of the founders of this great Friendly Society. The following may be read with interest by local Oddfellows: Mr John Ingrouille was the survivor of half-a-dozen Guernseymen on whom rested the honour of starting the great Friendly Society movement in this island. In the upper room of the café in the States Arcade, then a hotel kept by Bro. Rougier, was formed by the six, the Loyal Guernsey Lodge…

The notorious Frenchman D'Orlean, 1836

'I have cured persons whom the Doctors had given up; if I am guilty it is of that.' The King versus D'Orléan, the conclusion of a protracted case which opened in the Royal Court, Saturday, December 10th, 1836. Much of the evidence was heard in camera. D'Orléan was practising as a veterinary surgeon. The folk of the country parishes—Judith Lainé, the Bichards, Rihoys, Reniers, Mahys, Galliennes and Ogiers, in this case—are as usual regarded as ill-educated and credulous by Guernsey's sophisticated urbanites. The details of the case are reported in the Comet of February 6, 1837.

The Yellow Dress

A surprising dark side to life at the Town Hospital is hinted at in this Royal Court case. Unmarried local girls who became pregnant and who sought help at the Hospital, although treated kindly, were nevertheless put under a great deal of pressure to disclose the name of the father, so that he would be responsible for the child's maintenance and not the parish, but the threat extended to this girl is another thing entirely and seems to have terrified her. It should be noted that the Star newspaper chose not to mention the dress and represented the trial somewhat differently.

Poor Johnny Hotton

From a note in the Notebook of Elie Brevint, minister of Sark from 1612 until his death at the age of 87 in 1674. Written around 1610, this extract refers to events in his father Cosme's time as minister at the end of the 16th century. This is quoted in the Guernsey Magazine, or Monthly Illustrated Journal, for March 1875, p. 271; there is a copy in the Library.

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