Edward le Quesne: I see Winston

Edward Le Quesne (1882-1957) was elected a Deputy for St Helier No 2 district in 1925 and held the seat until he stood successfully for the new office of Senator in 1948. This is an extract from a journal he wrote entitled “50 Years of Memories”, written sometime around 1949. This part of his memoir looks at an encounter with a very young Winston Churchill.

I see Winston

In 1898 and 1899 I was at school at “ Parlett’s Collegiate School ”. This school, which was considered one of the best in the Island, was situated in Victoria Crescent, and was always a great rival to Victoria College.

My brothers were all educated at the College, but as my father had always intended that my career should be the Ministry; immediately I had passed my first-class College of Preceptors exam, then considered the equal of the London Matriculation, I was sent to a denominational College at Caterham in Surrey. 

For the next seven years I was only infrequently in Jersey for, abandoning the idea of becoming a minister, I went to London to learn my trade as a plumber. Quite a number of young Jerseymen were in London at the same time; and several of us lodged together and formed a small colony in the neighbourhood of the Elephant and Castle and the Walworth Road.



Winston Churchill, circa 1900


Whilst at Caterham I remember an occasion when Winston Churchill, then a correspondent of one of the London dailies, came down to report on the departure of a reserve artillery regiment then proceeding to the South African War. This was my first sight of the man who eventually was to become perhaps the greatest Prime Minister of all time. Few of us at that time could have even imagined the possibility of that eventuating.

Before going to Caterham I had completed my recruit’s drill for the Militia, and can remember being drilled in the Arsenal Yard, now the Fire Brigade Station. My Sergeant Instructor was a regular soldier named Brint, and although he stood no nonsense from his recruits, a good deal could be done with him by means of the wherewithal to obtain liquid refreshment, for which he had a great partiality, and it was probably my ability to provide that wherewithal that secured me the silver spoon. presented by the States for the best recruit of the year. I cannot by any stretch of imagination think of any other reason!