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 time, after a brief look at the first motor car in Jersey, he turns his attention to sea travel. A notable catasrophe was the wreck of the Stella. Stella was a passenger ferry in service with the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) that was wrecked on 30 March 1899 off the Casquets during a crossing from Southampton, to Guernsey. It was going too fast in heavy fog, too fast because of the rivalry between the LSWR and the GWR [Great Western Railway]. It will be seen below that the risks taken had not abated in the 20th century between the wars, despite this lesson!
Travel by Sea
As previously stated, motor cars were unknown in Jersey in the early part of the century, and it was well into the first decade before the first was seen on the roads.
As previously stated, motor cars were unknown in Jersey in the early part of the century, and it was well into the first decade before the first was seen on the roads.
Peter Falla had one on the road in the late nineties [1899].
This was considered a wonderful contraption, and I well remember my father remarking that although motor cars might eventually be used for short journeys, they would never displace the horse for general purposes.
With roads as they were in those days his remarks could be well understood, for pneumatic tyres would not have long stood the wear entailed when travelling along a road of cracked stone. It may well be said that the motor car was the originator of modern roads.
Aeroplanes again were unknown, and travel to and from the mainland and continent was by steamer. Although the modern ships' plying from Jersey to Southampton and Weymouth are larger and more comfortable, the time taken for the journey is, if anything, longer, for in the early years of the century great competition existed as between the two great companies whose ships served the Island.
The South Western Railway Co. [London and South Western] and the Great Western Railway Co. were the two most popular, but another company, the Channel Islands Steamship Co., also ran a bi-weekly passenger and cargo service to Plymouth.
The service to St. Malo and also to Granville by the SS Victoria has never since been equalled as far as the time for the journey is concerned, and fares to-day seem ridiculous when compared to the 7/6 charged for excursions at that time. Other services consisted of a daily service to Carteret and a bi-weekly service to Paimpol, both of these using Gorey as their home port.
This was considered a wonderful contraption, and I well remember my father remarking that although motor cars might eventually be used for short journeys, they would never displace the horse for general purposes.
With roads as they were in those days his remarks could be well understood, for pneumatic tyres would not have long stood the wear entailed when travelling along a road of cracked stone. It may well be said that the motor car was the originator of modern roads.
Aeroplanes again were unknown, and travel to and from the mainland and continent was by steamer. Although the modern ships' plying from Jersey to Southampton and Weymouth are larger and more comfortable, the time taken for the journey is, if anything, longer, for in the early years of the century great competition existed as between the two great companies whose ships served the Island.
The South Western Railway Co. [London and South Western] and the Great Western Railway Co. were the two most popular, but another company, the Channel Islands Steamship Co., also ran a bi-weekly passenger and cargo service to Plymouth.
Very often the South Western and the Great Western mailboats would leave Guernsey within minutes of one another, and a race then ensued to reach St. Helier first. Great risks were taken by the masters of the ships concerned and courses taken which to-day would be prohibited. Several accidents occurred, and eventually their foolhardy races were discontinued, but it was not till after the second World War, i.e. 1939 to 1945, that the merging of the two rival companies into the British Railways system ended all further competition.
The service to St. Malo and also to Granville by the SS Victoria has never since been equalled as far as the time for the journey is concerned, and fares to-day seem ridiculous when compared to the 7/6 charged for excursions at that time. Other services consisted of a daily service to Carteret and a bi-weekly service to Paimpol, both of these using Gorey as their home port.
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| Albacore |
Gorey was a flourishing little port, for, apart from the vessels carrying passengers and cargo, the port was a naval station and a fishery-protection ship was always stationed there. The two I remember were the Albacore and the Raven, and their presence there not only increased the prestige of the port, but added considerably to the well-being of the little shops and public houses of the neighbourhood. Originally, but before the beginning of the century, Gorey was the main port for the extensive oyster fishery.
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