Histories of Jersey Companies: The House of Voisin – Part 2
By Phyllida Campbell [Jersey Life 1966
The New Frontage
Three-year-old Francis Gerald‘s great-grandfather, Colonel Francis Hazzard Voisin took over the company on the death of his father in I915—a terrible difficult time for him as he was away on active service, and the loyal staff carried on somehow, with infrequent visits from the owner. However, he proved himself an excellent business man, particularly when he acquired the pastry cook and confectionery business of Gaudin‘s at 32 King Street next door, enlarging and extending it and opening a tea room at the back of the shop. This was a very popular idea with the ladies who spent their mornings shopping at Voisin.
Later he acquired the King Street-Don Street corner property for a modern china and glass department, and the triumph of his all too brief reign as head of the firm was the modernisation of this by now very large but old-fashioned shop property.
By Phyllida Campbell [Jersey Life 1966
The New Frontage
Three-year-old Francis Gerald‘s great-grandfather, Colonel Francis Hazzard Voisin took over the company on the death of his father in I915—a terrible difficult time for him as he was away on active service, and the loyal staff carried on somehow, with infrequent visits from the owner. However, he proved himself an excellent business man, particularly when he acquired the pastry cook and confectionery business of Gaudin‘s at 32 King Street next door, enlarging and extending it and opening a tea room at the back of the shop. This was a very popular idea with the ladies who spent their mornings shopping at Voisin.
Later he acquired the King Street-Don Street corner property for a modern china and glass department, and the triumph of his all too brief reign as head of the firm was the modernisation of this by now very large but old-fashioned shop property.
A transformation of the whole premises was planned, with the beautiful and unified frontage that can be seen today. There were to be recessed lobby windows in polished Napoleon marble, and handsomely ornamented main entrance, the piers and arches supporting the upper floors faced with a gleaming cream-coloured faience with bases in black. Above, at each end the windows were to be given spacious glass easements and flower-filled window boxes. Inside, the elegant central staircase was to be the first of its kind ever seen in the Island.
Although like his forebears Colonel Voisin worked almost to the end of his life, he died in April 1933, a few months before the completion of his great undertaking.
A Family Tragedy
The Colonel‘s younger son, Major Gerald Hazzard Voisin (father of the present owner), served like his father in the Royal Jersey Militia and went to France with the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry. On demobilization in 1919 he joined his father in the business. He took over on his father‘s death and just three months later the new shop front was completed. It was a great triumph, the most stylish and modern building in the street, and how he wished his father had lived to see it.
More improvement, and business flourished, then came the centenary celebrations of April 15th, 1937. There was a wonderful party which many of the staff recall vividly today, well wishers cabled congratulations from all over the world and a beautiful brochure called Through Six Reign: was printed by Bigwoods and circulated to friends and customers.
In it were photographs of the entire hierarchy, from the founder Francis to the then proprietor, Major Gerald and the strong family likeness was particularly noticeable.
Most islanders of middle age will remember the tragic air disaster at St. Peter’s just before the war, when amongst those killed were Major and Mrs. Voisin. The elder brother, Colonel Francis Ogier Voisin, immediately resigned his commission and rushed back to Jersey to take over, but war broke out soon afterwards and he had to return to his regiment.
The Occupation and Afterwards
Several members on Voisin‘s staff today could pick up the tale from there. Mr. John Arthur, a handsome and upright man who has served the Company for four generations, is one. ‘None of us will ever forget that dreadful day’ he says. ‘We last saw the Major walking round the shop on his usual tour of inspection. A few hours later we heard the news and felt we had lost our greatest friend.
‘The Occupation? Well we really ran ourselves, with the late Mr. Mauger doing a fine job as manager. We were open two days a week, and we got our stock somehow, people made articles for us and brought their own goods in for us to sell. Money? Really we hadn’t any after a while, but after the Liberation our suppliers in England and elsewhere were astonished when we managed to pay all the pre-Occupation accounts that most of them had written off, and we did it quickly. That helped tremendously. They stood by us, helped us to re-stock and in five years we were back to normal.
‘My most vivid memories of the past 54 years? There was the wonderful party for the centenary celebrations in 1937, the horror of the air crash not so long afterwards, and then I think perhaps the joy we all felt when Mr, ‘Tim’ Voisin’s little son was born three years ago. We all dashed into Gaudin’s and how the champagne corks popped’l
The Liberation until Today [1966]
The war over, Colonel Voisin returned to Jersey and took charge of the firm until his retirement in 1957, his late brother’s son, young Mr. Gerald Francis, better known as ‘Tim’ joining him in 1946, and now the man at the helm, with Mr. S. E. Lee who has been on the staff twenty years and joined the Company after the Occupation, as his general manager.
As everyone knows, tremendous alterations and expansions have taken place in the 19 years Mr. Tim has been with the Company. ‘Owing to the partages in Jersey law’ he said, ‘we lost a lot of property my ancestors acquired, but now that we have re-acquired a building in New Street and the area behind, everything is under one umbrella as it were, and the last alterations were completed 12 months ago’.
The men’s wear department has an impressive ‘new look'. Beautifully laid out, it has a great feeling of space and all the famous names in men’s wear are represented. The transfer of the carpets and soft furnishings to the upper floor is a fine innovation, the wide staircase and whole area carpeted in green, the huge broad looms on modern fitments that turn at a touch of the finger. The china and glassware area can now be entered from the main shopping area. Although it is no longer possible to buy an entire tea set for half-a-crown as in the days of Voisin in 1863, the beautiful china of Josiah Wedgwood and Sons for whom the Company was appointed sole agent in 1884, is on display now as it was 80 years ago.
Old Ovens Bake on
Though space does not permit a description of the many departments in this large emporium, there is some interesting contemporary history behind the scenes in Gaudin’s, where in the bakehouse, alongside the gleaming ultra-modern equipment, two 50-year-old ovens, large, black and solid, now converted to gas, still cook scones and pastries to a turn as they did at the beginning of the century.
What would the early Victorian founder have thought o£ the small salon upstairs, with its crimson carpet, French décor and dainty Florentine brass chairs, reserved for frequent mannequin parades and dress shows? Would he turn in his grave at the sight of pretty girls gliding down the cat walk, sometimes in miniskirts or even an ensemble of Op-art design, while soft music plays and Mrs. Fair gives an informative running commentary?
His descendant thinks not. Indeed, if he could appear in the flesh he might easily remark ‘Splendid. you are carrying on the tradition of a family firm with a progressive outlook’. No doubt he would also be happy to know that the family home, first occupied by the earliest Voisin who settled in Jersey from France in 1720, is still owned by the present Mr. Voisin and occupied by members of his family.
Although like his forebears Colonel Voisin worked almost to the end of his life, he died in April 1933, a few months before the completion of his great undertaking.
A Family Tragedy
The Colonel‘s younger son, Major Gerald Hazzard Voisin (father of the present owner), served like his father in the Royal Jersey Militia and went to France with the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry. On demobilization in 1919 he joined his father in the business. He took over on his father‘s death and just three months later the new shop front was completed. It was a great triumph, the most stylish and modern building in the street, and how he wished his father had lived to see it.
More improvement, and business flourished, then came the centenary celebrations of April 15th, 1937. There was a wonderful party which many of the staff recall vividly today, well wishers cabled congratulations from all over the world and a beautiful brochure called Through Six Reign: was printed by Bigwoods and circulated to friends and customers.
In it were photographs of the entire hierarchy, from the founder Francis to the then proprietor, Major Gerald and the strong family likeness was particularly noticeable.
Most islanders of middle age will remember the tragic air disaster at St. Peter’s just before the war, when amongst those killed were Major and Mrs. Voisin. The elder brother, Colonel Francis Ogier Voisin, immediately resigned his commission and rushed back to Jersey to take over, but war broke out soon afterwards and he had to return to his regiment.
The Occupation and Afterwards
Several members on Voisin‘s staff today could pick up the tale from there. Mr. John Arthur, a handsome and upright man who has served the Company for four generations, is one. ‘None of us will ever forget that dreadful day’ he says. ‘We last saw the Major walking round the shop on his usual tour of inspection. A few hours later we heard the news and felt we had lost our greatest friend.
‘The Occupation? Well we really ran ourselves, with the late Mr. Mauger doing a fine job as manager. We were open two days a week, and we got our stock somehow, people made articles for us and brought their own goods in for us to sell. Money? Really we hadn’t any after a while, but after the Liberation our suppliers in England and elsewhere were astonished when we managed to pay all the pre-Occupation accounts that most of them had written off, and we did it quickly. That helped tremendously. They stood by us, helped us to re-stock and in five years we were back to normal.
‘My most vivid memories of the past 54 years? There was the wonderful party for the centenary celebrations in 1937, the horror of the air crash not so long afterwards, and then I think perhaps the joy we all felt when Mr, ‘Tim’ Voisin’s little son was born three years ago. We all dashed into Gaudin’s and how the champagne corks popped’l
The Liberation until Today [1966]
The war over, Colonel Voisin returned to Jersey and took charge of the firm until his retirement in 1957, his late brother’s son, young Mr. Gerald Francis, better known as ‘Tim’ joining him in 1946, and now the man at the helm, with Mr. S. E. Lee who has been on the staff twenty years and joined the Company after the Occupation, as his general manager.
As everyone knows, tremendous alterations and expansions have taken place in the 19 years Mr. Tim has been with the Company. ‘Owing to the partages in Jersey law’ he said, ‘we lost a lot of property my ancestors acquired, but now that we have re-acquired a building in New Street and the area behind, everything is under one umbrella as it were, and the last alterations were completed 12 months ago’.
The men’s wear department has an impressive ‘new look'. Beautifully laid out, it has a great feeling of space and all the famous names in men’s wear are represented. The transfer of the carpets and soft furnishings to the upper floor is a fine innovation, the wide staircase and whole area carpeted in green, the huge broad looms on modern fitments that turn at a touch of the finger. The china and glassware area can now be entered from the main shopping area. Although it is no longer possible to buy an entire tea set for half-a-crown as in the days of Voisin in 1863, the beautiful china of Josiah Wedgwood and Sons for whom the Company was appointed sole agent in 1884, is on display now as it was 80 years ago.
Old Ovens Bake on
Though space does not permit a description of the many departments in this large emporium, there is some interesting contemporary history behind the scenes in Gaudin’s, where in the bakehouse, alongside the gleaming ultra-modern equipment, two 50-year-old ovens, large, black and solid, now converted to gas, still cook scones and pastries to a turn as they did at the beginning of the century.
What would the early Victorian founder have thought o£ the small salon upstairs, with its crimson carpet, French décor and dainty Florentine brass chairs, reserved for frequent mannequin parades and dress shows? Would he turn in his grave at the sight of pretty girls gliding down the cat walk, sometimes in miniskirts or even an ensemble of Op-art design, while soft music plays and Mrs. Fair gives an informative running commentary?
His descendant thinks not. Indeed, if he could appear in the flesh he might easily remark ‘Splendid. you are carrying on the tradition of a family firm with a progressive outlook’. No doubt he would also be happy to know that the family home, first occupied by the earliest Voisin who settled in Jersey from France in 1720, is still owned by the present Mr. Voisin and occupied by members of his family.
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