History Meeting Minutes - October 2008

Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 18th November 2008 at 5:15pm,
Members’ Room, Société Jersiaise

Present:
Georgia Le Maistre (acting Chairman), Yvonne Aston, Marie-Louise Backhurst, Mary Billot, Mervyn Billot, Bertram Brée, Mary Gibb, Sue Groves, Anne Herrod, Nicolas Jouault, Suzanne Le Feuvre, Frank Le Blancq, David Le Maistre, Bob Le Sueur, Mike Lees, Elinor McFadden, Pat Maindonald, Ian Ronayne, Doreen Schofield-Fost, Adrian Walton, Danny White.
 
 
1. Apologies for absence:
Jean Arthur, Francis & Anne Corbet, Frank Falle (Chairman), David Levitt, Ian Machin.

2. Minutes of the meeting of 16th September 2008, and amendments
 There were no amendments. The minutes were approved as a correct record.
 
3. Matters arising from the minutes not covered by the agenda
4.1 Suzanne Le Feuvre said that Gill Kay (JEP) would feature her lecture on ‘Votes for women – Jersey style’ in the ‘Lifetime’ section (24th November 2008).
4.5 Georgia Le Maistre thanked all the Autumn lunch-time lecturers and those who helped making teas and coffees. They were a great success as usual, with a total attendance of over 400. Yvonne Aston asked for summaries of the talks; instead lecturers are urged to give copies to the SJ Library. Ian Ronayne said that he would e-mail his presentation to the SJL. Georgia said that it is now time to give thought to next year’s series of lectures.

4. Chairman’s communications
4.1 Marie-Louise Backhurst gave an outline of the planned 2009 Brittany tour, which will be arranged by Go France for Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th September 2009. She warned that prices would probably rise, given the run on the pound sterling and the strength of the euro (currently at 86p).  Pat Maindonald has stayed at the Westotel and liked it. Marie-Louise reported as follows :
I have emailed Gerry O’Connor (Go France) and said that we will stick with the Westotel(20 mins outside Nantes) - it probably is more secure and more comfortable than the hotels in the middle of Nantes.
Price (at the moment) is: £244 per person (double or twin) ,£85 for single supplement.  Bed and breakfast.  (We may get a price for half board for two nights which may be attractive). The Erdre trip will be extra - could be optional.
What I have suggested is less ambitious than Go France had already suggested, but may still be a bit ambitious- will check with the coach company (Courriers Bretons).

The itinerary will (roughly) be:
Wed. 2nd September 2009.   dep Jersey.  Arr St Malo. Lunch probably at Hedé with visit to local manor. Drive to Hotel
Thurs.3rd Guided visit around Nantes to include the cathedral, the chateau and other sites.   Lunch at Guérande and guided visit there; drive to St Lyphard -village de Kerhinet and perhaps Isle of Fedrun, Saint Joachim (this is an ornithological reserve-La Brière Parc National) and then return to hotel.
Fri.4th  Visit to Bourgneuf sur Retz-Musée du Pays de  (or/and possible visit to Noirmoutier) and Abbaye of St Philbert. Visit Clisson (Italianate buildings and chateau)-lunch. Drive to Chateau Goulaine. Dinner trip on river Erdre (or Thurs)
Sat.5th September 2009  Drive via Ancenis, and Vitré (lunch and guided tour) to St Malo. Return Jersey.
   
4.2 Mary Billot reported briefly on the Chairmens’ and Secretaries meeting held on November 11th 2009. The main item on the agenda was a presentation on the redesigned SJ website by Simon Harrison (webmaster), who advised on access and contributions. Marie-Louise said that she considered that an overall editor for Section web pages is needed for uniformity of standards. Suzanne Le Feuvre said that input to the calendar facility was easy and that it would be good for sections to provide information (as the History Section does already). 
4.3 Mary Billot asked for help with the Christmas meeting on December 16th 2008. Sue Groves, Pat Maindonald and Elinor McFadden offered to help (as well as Wendy Tipping). Nick Jouault said that he would help Frank Falle with his presentation.
4.4 Bertram Brée said that the accounts for the Normandy 2008 tour were in the SJ Office. Refunds of £64.81 per person have been made.

5. Military History Group
 Mike Lees had nothing to report.
 He thanked Ian Ronayne for his lecture on Jerseymen and women in World War I. Ian has repeated his lecture at Victoria College and at the Jersey Museum and he has an article in History today.  Tourism is interested promotion of the subject and Howard Butlin Baker was instrumental in spreading information. Mike said that the Victoria College Armistice Day parade went well and added that alterations to the Jersey Militia were made during WWI; research is needed. Adrian Walton asked about progress on the Militia history; Paul Nicolle has the William Davis papers.

6. Local History Teaching Group
 Nothing to report.

7. Members’ contributions
7.1 Bertram Brée said that he would research hotels in the Loire Valley or La Rochelle area for 2010.
7.2 Marie-Louise Backhurst said that that SJL has received an enquiry about a great grand-daughter of Admiral George Le Geyt (grandfather of Capt. Henry Pitcher VC). She was the late Barbara Wootton, a Labour life peeress (née Adam, born 1897). She served on many Royal Commissions and wrote several influential books on social policy and reform.  There is a Wootton link to a residence in La Colomberie.
7.3 Nick Jouault asked about the history of St Helier that St Helier Parish Assembly will underwrite to a maximum of £30,000 (JEP notice, 29/10/2008). Marie-Louise said that Francis Corbet and she have been working on the project for a year. It will be published by the SJ. 
  He has found a new website on Alderney local history <sites.google.com/site/alderneylocalhistory>.
7.4 Mervyn Billot had a conversation with the Princess Royal at her visit to the RJAHS on October 30th 2008, and has sent her a signed copy of his book, via Jersey Heritage.
 Marie-Louise commented on the three loaves made from Le Couteur wheat seed for the occasion. Suzanne said that the bread was delicious and that one was presented to the Princess Royal, who is well informed on wheat varieties.
7.5 Yvonne Aston said that a DVD In Flanders Field, is for sale; Peter Tabb was its instigator for the Victoria College WWI commemoration.
 Nick Jouault said that Henry Rondel Le Sueur died because of chemical warfare. 
David Le Maistre has WWI photographs for Ian Ronayne. Ian added that the WWI Roll of Honour is on the CI Study Group website. There are omissions from both the Roll of Honour and the Roll of Service (published 1919 from information given to the committee). 
7.6 Adrian Walton commented on the three red bars in the parish badge for St Martin and the four red bars for the Grouville badge. Bob Le Sueur said that St Martin of Tours was born in Hungary, hence the bars.
7.7 Pat Maindonald circulated a finely made box made by a WWI prisoner of war at Les Blanches Banques, which belonged to her mother.
7.8     Danny Woods has completed the first draft of his paper on Joseph Charles Edgar.
7.9        Georgia Le Maistre said that the Vingtaine de la Ville (St Helier) has agreed to fund a plaque to Elias
  Le Gros (1781-ca 1860) to be put on the Picket House. David Levitt has described him as a cartographer, mathematician and civil engineer.

8.         Date of next meeting 
 Tuesday 16th December 2008 at 5:15pm, Members’ Room, Société Jersiaise (Christmas gathering).