History Review - Spring 2009

Members will remember the Section delivered an interesting and varied programme of lunchtime talks last autumn. Each one attracted strong support with attendances averaging eighty. Very rewarding for the presenters and helpers whose thanks I extend to everyone who attended. The Section also recognises and supports the much larger task being undertaken by Mrs Cally Noel, who has successfully co-ordinated a series of fifteen spring lunchtime talks.

This autumn, the History Section will be delivering a further five talks on local topics. To ensure readers are informed prior to the start of the programme, details are provided below. The Members' Room will remain the venue, with talks being given from 1.15 to 1.45pm on the following Wednesdays in October/November.

• 14 October - Bertram Bree. Matthieu de Gruchy, Roman Catholic priest.
• 21 October - Christopher Harris. Reformation in early 17th century Jersey.
• 28 October - Prof Ian Machin. General Don, defender of Jersey
• 4 November - Suzanne Le Feuvre. 90th anniversary – Jersey Farmers' Union.
• 11 November - Sue Groves. The Role of the Superintendent Registrar.

General Don – the subject of a talk to be held on 28th October

An Invitation to Join the History Section's Annual Off-Island Visits

Regrettably the Section has had to forego its annual trip to France this year. The main causes were the fall of the exchange rate between the pound and the euro and the general financial crisis. However, the Section remains undaunted and a trip to France is being planned for next year, with proposals of a visit to England in 2011. To remove much of the responsibility and administrative obligations from members, the idea is to involve Go-France. The History Section will select the itinerary, Go-France will oversee the planning, bookings and accounts. An imperative is to devise a visit satisfactory to a wide variety of interests. Participants should expect to visit historic sites including towns, monuments, cathedrals, etc., gardens and stately homes, wildlife and bird sanctuaries, museums and libraries etc. The objective is to attract a core of like-minded people, within the Société Jersiaise, to aid promotion and support the programme. Our plans are not ambitious and the duration of a visit is unlikely to exceed five nights away. Should you be interested, please contact the Chairman.

Multi-horned Sheep

These are a primitive type of sheep, which by 1584 were becoming rare in Jersey. However, John Speed the map maker, in his description of the Island, states circa 1610, "The Soile is very fertile, bringing forth ftore of Corn & Cattle, but efpecially of Sheepe, that are of reafonable bignes, the most of them bearing foure hornes a peece; Their wooll very fine and white, of which the Inhabitants make their Ierfey Stockings, which are ordinarily to be had in most parts of England, and yield a great commoditie unto the Iland". The subject of the picture is the ewe, which gave birth to the first multi-horned lambs in Jersey for probably 250 years! The flock is to graze the coastal headlands which provide rough pastures no other sheep are able to use. They will also contribute a crucial role in returning our coastal headlands, to heathlands. It is also interesting to note that the late Dr F Le Maistre associated 'bergeries' and "bigards", sheep folds. The 'bi-gard', like 'hau-gard', has a Norse derivation. The other words with probable Norse derivations are: 'bercas', a sheep, 'merche', an identification mark on a sheep and 'fara', a sheep-island.

Frank Falle – Chairman