History Meeting Minutes - July 2008

Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 15th July 2008, 5.30pm at Le Câtel Fort, near Le Chemin du Câtel, St Mary courtesy of the National Trust for Jersey

Present:
Frank Falle (Chairman), Jean Arthur, Marie-Louise Backhurst, Mary Billot, Bertram Brée, Mary Gibb, Christopher Harris, Nicolas Jouault, Sally Knight, Suzanne Le Feuvre, David Le Maistre, GeorgIa Le Maistre, Bob Le Sueur, Mike Lees, Ian Machin, Pat Maindonald, Elinor McFadden, Rose Millow, Ian Ronayne, Doreen Schofield-Fost, Wendy Tipping, Adrian Walton.   

1.0    Apologies for absence:
Yvonne Aston, Mervyn Billot, Francis & Anne Corbet, Anita Fell, Sue Groves, David Levitt, Will Millow, Danny White.

2.0    Minutes of the meeting of 17th June 2008, and amendments
There were no amendments. The minutes were approved as a correct record.

3.0    Matters arising from the minutes not covered by the agenda
4.1    Rose Millow said that Primitive Methodism started at a Camp meeting in Staffordshire in 1807; it wished to get back to basic tenets and sang hymns to popular tunes. The movement reached Jersey in 1832 with the arrival of George Cosens (‘a gentleman of colour’). The Bible Christians broke away from Methodism in the 1830s in the West Country. Rose explained the allusions to Aquila and Priscilla; they were Christian tentmakers in the first century AD. The Bible Christians rejoined the Methodists in 1907 and the Great Union of Methodism took place in 1932.
Frank Falle thanked Rose, André Ferrari and Marie-Louise Backhurst for the interesting walk around the area of Aquila Road. 
7.8    (20th May 2008) Georgia Le Maistre said that the SJL copy of the Gough Map of 1360 has gone for conservation. The Library has acquired a book about the map : Millea, Nick. The Gough Map (Oxford :  Bodleian Library, 2007).

4.0    Chairman’s communications
4.1    Pitcher VC fund raising : the money required has reached its target. The Association of Jersey Charities accepted membership for the newly formed charity ‘Raising the Standard’ on 26th June 2008. It made an instant grant of £20,000 to this charity. Spink (auctioneers) will raise the invoice and Jonathan Voak will bring the medals back to Jersey which will be placed initially in the Jersey Heritage safe. They will be presented to the Island of Jersey.
Georgia Le Maistre asked how and when the medals should be handed over and suggested Remembrance Day. Frank wishes to link it to a fundraising event for the new charity but does not wish it to encroach on Remembrance Day. 
4.2    Frank said that funds for the creation of two flocks of multi-horned sheep have been received. Frank has suggested that there should be sculptures of the sheep in the Royal Square (formerly the Market). The Jersey Sculpture Trust has been approached with the idea and is supportive. It is seeking funding..
4.3    He thanked everyone in the Section for its support for these two initiatives. 
4.4    Mary Billot said that a minute taker would be needed for the September meeting as she will be away.
4.5    Bob Le Sueur asked about the suggested visit to Seafield House, Millbrook. Nick Jouault has no news yet.
4.6    Nick Jouault said that there would be another Marine Biology Section walk around St Aubin on Saturday 27th September, starting at La Haule Slip at 2pm.  Marie-Louise Backhurst will provide the history input.
4.7    Frank apologised to Bob Le Sueur for forgetting to publicise his walk to the Payn vraic marks on Jersey Radio and in the JEP etc, which took place on 6th July. Bob has agreed to repeat it, hoping for better weather on 31st August. Please see Bob’s report attached to the Agenda for the August meeting.
4.8    Sue Groves was congratulated on being appointed Superintendent Registrar Designate for Jersey.
4.9    The Jersey Archive will open for six Saturdays from 9am to 1pm, starting on September 6th and then every fortnight (Sept. 20th, Oct. 4th and 18th, Nov. 1st and 15th). There will be talks starting at 10am, for which places need to be booked (Archive reception 833300). A full archive service will be provided. Applebys have sponsored these openings. See www.jerseyheritage.org for details.
4.10   Bertram Brée said that final payments for the trip to Normandy are being made for the 23 people and the  driver. Details are almost finalized for the itinerary.
4.11   Bob Le Sueur asked whether the Aquila Road Methodist Centre provided a room for local Muslims as he needs to know for a visitor. Rose Millow said that they use an upstairs room on Fridays.
4.12   The SJ annual bulletin for 2007 is now ready for collection at the Office.


5.0    Le Câtel Fort
5.1    Mike Lees spoke about the background to the fortifications at Le Câtel Fort from his extensive research.
5.2    Bob Le Sueur then introduced the archaeological excavations.
After the talks, members went to Le Moulin de Lecq for a pre-booked supper, which was very successful.

6.0    Date of next meeting
Tuesday 19th August 2008 at 5.15pm in the Members Room, Société Jersiaise if available, otherwise in the Arthur Mourant Room.

ADDENDUM TO THE HISTORY SECTION MINUTES FOR JULY 2008

 THE PAYN VRAIC MARKS OFF LA ROCQUE, GROUVILLE

On the wet and windy afternoon of Sunday July 6th 2008, Bob Le Sueur led an intrepid party of four to the Payn marks. Nick Jouault, Vincent and Gilly Obbard and Advocate Richard Renouf joined him at La Rocque Harbour. Here is Bob’s report :

The Payn vraic marks were the subject of a fascinating article in the SJ Bulletin (Arthur McGugan, vol.25(1), 1989) and many people have since gone down to look at them. There were originally six, all incised by order of the Royal Court in 1747. One disappeared 35 years later when Seymour Tower was built in 1782. The remaining five are not all that easy to find (even by Bob) but here are the precise locations using Antony Gibb’s GPS positioning device.
   
Payn vraic marks co-ordinates    Latitude    Longitude
La Petite Avarison    49°. 09.808    2°.00.414
Les Perrots    49°. 09.805    2°.00.367
Le Nez Courant    49°. 09.634    2°.00.147
Les Settes Sampson    49°. 09.504    2°.00.218
L’Avarison (Seymour Tower)    49°. 09.460    2°.00.458
Slightly to the east of the main
tractor route from the Tower to
Seymour Slip    49°. 09.665    2°.00.679