Hunchback

One from the archive from 25th April 2005. As it is the Paris Olympics, I thought I'd take inspiration from Victor Hugo's great novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Shown in the photo is Lon Chaney from the silent version as the hunchback,

Hunchback

Broken, twisted form in pain

Every effort for him a strain

Bent with a crippling illness

Such is not a sight to impress

People turn, avert their gaze

But he keeps faith, does amaze

As he eats the broken bread

This is my body, here is said

Broken for you, and for many

Our eyes are open, and we see

Our Lord in our midst now here

As we too come, and draw near

Where are you Lord? Here today

A broken brother kneels to pray. 

 

The Story of the Shipwrecked Jersey Sailor who became a Monk

The Story of the Shipwrecked Jersey Sailor who became a Monk
By Philip Ahier

Le Comte de Chateaubriand in his Essay on "Les Revolutions Anciennes" (4th Edition, 1826, Vol. II pp. 384-387) told the story of a Jersey sailor who became a monk.

The distinguished French writer visited Gracioza, an island off the Azores on May 6th, 1794. Here he met the Jerseyman: "The chief brother who acted as our guide was a Jersey seaman whose vessel some years previously had struck the coast of Gracioza. He was the only survivor from the shipwreck. Not lacking in intelligence, he had noticed that there was only one occupation in the Island, that of being a monk! He determined to become one and became extremely interested in the lessons given to him by the Fathers; he learnt the Portuguese language and several Latin words. Eventually, because he was an Englishman, this erring sheep was brought back to the fold and made a priest.”

"The Jersey sailor, fed, housed, kept warm and having nothing to do but drink fayal (a kind of wine), found this mode of life much more congenial than unfurling the foresail on the top of a main yard. “

"He often remembered his former avocation. Having been so long without talking his native tongue (de Chateaubriand does not say which?), he was delighted to find someone who could understand it with the result that he laughed, he swore, he told us in truly sailor-like fashion, the scandalous history of Father So-and-So who was likewise present but who hadn't the slightest idea of the conversation which the English monk was regaling us! Then he promenaded us around the Island and took us to the convent.”

(At this point de Chateaubriand gave a description of the Island of Gracioza).

"Evening came, we partook of an excellent repast. Very pretty girls waited upon us with the wines. We gulped, fayal in large quantities. It was easy to see what was going to happen.

By one o'clock in the morning there was not a guest who could be seated in his chair! At 6 a.m. our Jersey monk told us in a stammering hesitant speech, punctuated with an English swear word only too well-known, that he was going to celebrate Mass immediately. We accompanied him to the church, when in less than five minutes the office had been performed ! Several Portuguese assisted very reverentially to the Sacred Office, while on our return we met many persons who bowed most obsequiously to the Monk's habit.

"The impudence with which this sailor, sodden with wine and debauchery, offered his arm to the crowd, amused me, but at the same time, I could not help, from the bottom of my heart, deploring the stupidity of mankind."

Part of the above story was originally reproduced by De La Croix in his "Ville de St. Helier" (p. 132), but unfortunately he gave the incorrect page. This necessitated having to consult the two volumes of de Chateaubriand's work on "Les Revolutions Anciennes" in order to get the complete story as De La Croix did not transcribe it all.

Outage

As Microsoft and Crowd-strike fail with a global outage, time to take stock.

Outage

The world stopped, at least the West
Technology failed after one upgrade
In hubris, we thought we were best
As the screens slowly begin to fade

Cards not cash, but if cards now fail
That which we thought so secure
From Airports and Tills comes a wail
How many hours can we endure?

Chaos comes again, bubbling out
Bad code and failure in one line
Computers fail, this is a route
Dependency by our design

A warning note for us to heed
Or our world may fail indeed

Entries of Burials in St. Martin's Parish Church Register of persons drowned off Jersey, 1665-1816.

Entries of Burials in St. Martin's Parish Church Register of persons drowned off Jersey, 1665-1816.

By Philip Ahier

The Parish Registers of St. Martin contain mournful accounts of lives that, from time to time, have been lost within sight of land with no one to help them.

The following extracts, translated from the French, were reproduced in the Parish Magazine for that Parish between the years 1890-1898 by a former Rector, the Rev. Thomas Le Neveu, the grandfather of the present Rector, the Rev. E. C. Lempriere.

September 1665

"On the last Saturday of September 1665, Clement Journeaux, Jean d'Assigni and Nicolas Baudayns, all three natives of this Parish, and Jean Dolbel of St. Saviour, were drowned at low water ... They were drowned at the rock called La Conchiee in Grouville Bay."

June 26th, 1667

"On June 26th, 1667, George Machon, son of Thomas, son of Helier left his house early in the morning to go trawling by la tour Perin at the north of Trinity Parish. He was drowned, no one knows how; his body was found twelve days after in Rozel Haven at the spot known as La Grasse Fosse."

February 9th, 1676

"On Friday, February 9th, 1676, Edouard Mallet son of Jean, Jean Le Huquet, Abraham Le Huquet, Lorans Le Moigne, his son Jean Le Moigne, Nicollas Noel, Pierre Giffard, Jean Le Huquet, son of Jean, Phil Renouf, and George Germain, ten men in all, were gathering seaweed at a spot called Rousetain in a boat belonging to Jean Le Huquet and his partners when it struck a rock and sank between 4 and 5 p.m. All the ten bodies were found near a rock called Le Repasseur des pierces on the following day."

March 6th, 1682

An account of a catastrophe which occurred in St. Ouen's Bay on March 6th, 1682, found its way into St. Martin's Parish Register although there are two discrepancies in this version as compared with an almost contemporaneous account found among the D'Auvergnes - MS. and reproduced in B.S.J. Vol. VI p. 52.

I have attempted to translate the story of this tragedy in readable English; some words are not to be found in any French. English Dictionary so only the essential details of the narrative are given:

"The following persons left le Havre de l'Etacq in a sloop: Mr. Jean Dauverne, Constable, Captain and Deputy for Monsieur de St. Ouen. Dlle Rachel le Montay, wife of the said Dauverne. Mr. Francoise Ricard, Centenier and Deputy for Monsieur Vinchelez de Bas. Mr. Pierre Le Brocq, Churchwarden. Mr. Philippe Dauverne, Master of the sloop. Jean Hacquoil, Parish Clerk and Constable's Officer. Esther Bellee, wife to the Parish Clerk. Mr. Jean Vautier, son of Jean, son of Edward. Jean Hamon, son of Jean Robele, man-servant of Mr. Jean Dauverne.

"They embarked for Le Havre de L'Etacq in order to catch oysters around the coast, they left an area known as La Demie Retraite from whence blew a fresh north wind. Unfortunately for them, they had hoisted sail and kept to the coast all the day. In the evening they attempted to return but foundered about half an-hour to three-quarters-of-an-hour after sunset. It was high tide between Le Pulec and Le Hurel at the hour stated; they were all drowned without any one being able to come to their rescue." (The rest of the account deals with the burial of the bodies). This was the surmise of the writer of this MS. account of the shipwreck tragedy. It must have made a deep impression upon the whole Island at the time, and hence one reason for its having been recorded in the Register of St. Martin where the scene of the wreck is definitely given as Le Pulle, whereas in the D'Auvergne MS., the rendering is Le Pimar.

July 31st, 1704

"On July 31st, 1704, Jean du Fresne son of Jean, Jean Germain son of Noe, Hugh Noel, Elie Starcq son of Jean, natives of this parish were interred. They were drowned on Sunday July 30th, with Jean Le Sueur of La Godellerie who was then one of the Churchwardens of the Parish of Trinity. There were also drowned, Thomas Le Riche du Catel son of Jean; Philippe Le Riche, nigh to Bouley; Hugh Whiller, son of Richard who was Prevost of that Parish and a son of Philippe Le Maistre, miller. The five from Trinity were buried in that churchyard the same day." "There was also a woman from St. Lawrence named Elizabhet (sic) Le Gros, the widow of Rouge Remon who had gone to see her son who was serving in one of the frigates."

"All the above persons had gone together to see the frigates which were anchored in Bouley Bay and were drowned by the overturning of the boat."

This entry is important as it indicates an instance of the English fleet cruising along the north coast of the Island in 1704. The War of the Spanish Succession had broken out in that year, and Louis XIV King of France was supporting the claims of his grandson as King of Spain and had declared War on England. A squadron of the English fleet had distinguished itself in the capture of Gibraltar on July 24th, 1704, while this squadron at Bouley Bay was ready to attack any French warship lurking in the vicinity.

March 1816

The last entry of burials of shipwrecked persons is the account of the interment of some of the French people drowned as the result of the sinking of the Balance in March 1816.

"On March 27th, 1816, Josephine Doucet, Sophie Bonnevie, Pelagie Poirrier, Edmond Briard, Louise Doubet, Jules Vigneau and Marguerite Bourgeoise, wife of Jacques Poirrier were buried in the cemetery of this Parish. They were drowned, with many others, on the Dirouilles on the night of the 23rd inst."

Jigsaw

A poem about dementia.

Jigsaw

On one day I saw the picture whole
Complete in every glorious scene
But strangers came and pieces stole
And no longer the whole I glean

Piece by piece the picture breaks
Maybe worn or lost, I cannot tell
Gaps where once were lovely lakes
And bluebells growing in the dell

I so try to fill the blanks in places
Even if the past is in the present
Come long dead, forgotten faces
Take and place in missing segment

Now jigsaw sometimes seems so strange
But I am not aware of the change.

1974 - 50 Years Ago - July 2024 Part 2

1974 - 50 Years Ago - July 2024 Part 2

16.—-The cost of living in Jersey has officially gone up by 5.3 per cent in the last three months and by no less than 20.9 per cent in the year since last June. The rise in the cost of food over the 12-month period was 22 per cent, and in the cost of fuel (including lighting), the increase was a. massive 68 per cent.

18.—Ten or the Island’s 12 parishes are almost certain to enter the inter-parish “ It’s a Knockout " competition next month, and there is a. possibility that the other two parishes. Grouville and St. John, will enter if anyone can be found to organize a team.

19.—A record total of 157,495 people travelled to the Island last month. The total arrivals for the January-June period of 464,738 persons was also a record.

20,—The Committee of Agriculture are to pursue a tougher line against landowners and occupiers who allow “injurious weeds ” to grow on their property. Under a little-known law. the Weeds (Jersey) Law, 1961, offenders are liable to a £50 fine for the first ofience.

22.—Following a tough adventure weekend, 18 year-old Richard Le Boutillier, or Woodlands, Mont a l'Abbé, St. Helier. has been selected to join Major John Blashford-Snell and the Scientific Exploration Society expedition down the Zaire River.

23.—The sale of seats for the Battle of Flowers on Thursday next week is going well, and a complete sell-out is again expected.

24.—Over 300 chance holidaymakers are arriving in the Island daily and putting pressure on the staff of the Tourism Centre at the Weighbridge who have appealed for information or accommodation available, even its only for one night.

25.—The West Vancouver Band Association gave their first public performance in Jersey when they marched through parts of the town to the King Street pedestrian precinct where they played for 30 minutes.

26.—The States Police Force is in good spirit and there is now a better understanding between them and the Honorary Police. This is the opinion of Mr. R G. Fenwick. QPM. HM Inspector of Constabulary, at the end of his five day routine inspection or the fence.

27.—The first of the continental banks recommended in the Policy Advisory Committee’s five-year plan as potential additions to the Island’s finance scene is on the verge of being granted a licence to operate in Jersey. Discussions with the leading Dutch bank. Algemene Bank, Nederland, have reached the stage of the formal granting of a licence, states Economic Adviser Mr. Colin Powell revealed, and talks are also going on with a View to attracting a bank with strong Middle East interests

30.—Over 30 clubs, societies. schools and other organizations have already accepted the “ JEP’s” invitation to register as collectors in the paper salvage scheme which has been devised in conjunction with the States Sewerage Board. However, there is still time for more to do so.

31.—The Queen has approved the appointments or Mr. Peter Crill as Deputy Bailiff and Mr. Vernon Tomes as HM Attorney-General with effect from January 1, 1975.

A Glance at Local Politics: Income Support and the Minimum Wage

Minimum wage and Income support

At the last Chamber Talk, Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham declared that he was committed to raising the minimum wage towards a living wage over the next two years. He said support would be given to businesses which had difficulty because of the nature of their industry.

The notion of helping the most vulnerable in society, of addressing poverty, is currently largely done by the mitigating factor of income support, which is means tested to ensure it gets to where it is needed most. If the thresholds are too low, people suffer deprivation, but if too high, it becomes a disincentive to work.

As the minimum wage stands, because it is below the living wage, employers are effectively having their business subsidised by income support to bridge the gap. This was something discussed a few years ago when I was chatting to two Constables at a meeting. One in particular did not see why the more profitable sectors should benefit in this way.

Some businesses - such as agriculture and hospitality - have historically struggled to make ends meet as the minimum wage increases. But a lot of other businesses - including the major industry in Jersey - the finance industry - really suffers little hardship. And the question which must surely be asked: why should the States subsidise them when they can well afford an increase in the minimum wage?

By increasing the minimum wage, but targeting selectively with some sort of subsidy, the kinds of industry that because of their structure and the nature of their industry have problems with remaining a going concern, those businesses which can well afford the increase will have less effective subsidy of their staff by income support. Quite what measures could be put in place to mitigate need discussion, but one way already in place is the level of offsets.

Where accommodation or accommodation and food are provided to employees as part of their employment package, maximum values are attributed to those benefits which can be taken into account when calculating whether an employee has been paid the Minimum Wage. Those are known as offsets.

Other measures may include tax incentives, subsidies, or training programs to help businesses adapt to higher labour costs.

Encounters

Encounters

I think, therefore I am. Not so!
Apart from others I am no one
Encounters both of joy and woe
Make life’s tapestry so spun

Encounters coming at the dawn
The pan-pipes playing on the hill
Joy to which I’m strangely drawn
Old music to inspire and thrill

Encounters on the winding road
The stranger met as if by chance
Words of wisdom from him flowed
Showing patterns in the dance

Encounters come and go each day
Bring to life our mortal clay

1974 - 50 Years Ago - July 2024 Part 1

1974 - 50 Years Ago - July 2024 Part 1

1,—Over 100 destitutes have so far been sent back to the mainland at Island expense—more than twice as many as in the first six months of last year. British Airways operated their first scheduled Jet passenger service from the Island this morning using an 86-seater BAC-11, series 400.

2.—Because of a steady fail of rain in the last nine days of June, the average for the month was up on past years.

3.—Property developer Mr. Gerald Symonds’s multimillion pound plan to build a “ new town ” of 2,400 homes on Land reclaimed between the Esplanade and Elizabeth Castle has been turned down.

4. —The man who last month escaped from Newgate Street prison and spent four days hiding from an Island-wide search was sentenced by the Royal Court today to four years in jail for attempted rape.

5.—-A young Londoner who pushed a 65-year-old taxi driver to the ground because he refused him as a. fare was fined a total of £50 by the Assistant Magistrate.

7.-—-Every seat was taken for the gala performance of music and ballet led by prima ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn, and the applause which brought a concert by top artistes to an end went on for more than five minutes.

8.—-Thieves who broke into Le Douet Farm, Léoville St. Ouen, the home of Mr. Graham Webb, sometime today, stole the safe which contained cash, jewellery, stamps and coins valued at more than £5,000.

9.-—The anti-submarine frigate HMS Dundnas anchored in St. Aubin’s Bay this morning at the start of a six day visit to the Island.

10.—Ralph Shanahan. the man who hit a 91-year-old woman with a milk bottle after breaking into her home, had his nine year jail sentence cut to six on a point of principle by the Channel Islands’Court of Appeal today

11.——A Channel Islands’ team is to visit London next Friday for talks on the Kilbrandon Report. Representatives from Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney will meet officials from the Home Oflfice and the Foreign and Commonwealth Officer to discuss the implication of the report with regard to the Channel Islands.

12.—-Jersey growers who, after an indifferent potato season, were looking forward to another million pound plus cauliflower bonanza this winter, could well be facing a crisis. The recent lack of rainfall has seriously hampered germination in the seed beds with the result that there is likely to be a severe shortage of plants.

13.—Housing has been found for all the 38 new schoolteachers coming to the Island to start work in September. A Housing Department spokesman said that their advertisements in the “ JEP ” had produced nearby 50 replies, as a. result or which accommodation was now available for all new teachers.

15.—The CID are investigating the theft early today of £1,600 in cash and cheques from the safe in the office at L’Auberge du Nord, St. John.