The noticeboard at St Ouen's Church gives a bare bones list of past rectors of the church, but behind each is a story. Buried in a 1916 Bulletin, in French, are details which add flesh to the bar bones of that list. Francis Le Cornu has very kindly provided me with a new translation of that article.
1599-1620 Thomas Le Sebirel
M. Thomas Le Sebirel. Son of Guillaume Le Sebirel from St. Jean, and Marguerite, his wife, daughter of Nicolas Messervy, from Mont-à-l'Abbé, in 1593 he was one of the "three children most advanced and capable of study to be maintained in good letters to be made suitable for the ministry " and the States decided that "the treasures of 10 parishes would contribute 24 ecus per year to support him in school." (States Acts, Dec. 17, 1593).
Already, on June 22, 1593, the Colloquium of Jersey had chosen him, along with Pierre de la Place, son of the Rector of St. Ouen, as "the most suitable for advancement in studies". At the extraordinary Colloquium of Nov. 3, 1598, the church of St. Ouen declared "having a particular affection for Mr. Thomas Le Sebirel, who, when called, also declared his affection for the said Church when it pleases God to call him to the Ministry."
On March 23, 1598-9, he was "approved (by the Colloquium) in his doctrine and life and sent to preach three or four times initially in the Church of St. Ouen." Finally, on May 15, 1599, Mr. Thomas Le Sebirel, "having proposed the word of God 5 or 6 times in the Church of St. Ouen, was approved by the said church, which requested him as a pastor promising to provide for his maintenance, to which he having consented, was received as a minister, and Brother Mr. Millet named to install him in his position”
Mr. Thomas Le Sebirel married shortly after in St. Brelade (in 1599) Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Claude Parent, Rector of this parish; he died in 1620, and his widow, called to Paris by Mr. Jacques Parent, his brother (a wealthy man with no children, as Mr. Elie Brevint tells us), died there during the winter of 1649.
This Rector left a son, Thomas Le Sebirel, and a daughter, who married Philippe Remon.
1623-1645 Etienne La Cloche
1623-45. Mr. Etienne La Cloche. He was the younger son of Mr. Edouard La Cloche, of St. Helier, and Elizabeth, his wife in second marriage, daughter of Matthieu Le Gallais.
By contract dated July 21, 1619, Mr. Edo. La Cloche transferred to Thomas La Cloche, his elder brother, his share of the inheritance from their father, for 14 quarters of wheat as rent. (Registry, Book 5, page 234). In 1624, Mr. Etienne La Cloche had a lawsuit with the Vice-Dean, Mr. Thomas Olivier, who complained "that the said Mr. Etienne La Cloche had gone to England despite the prohibition made to him in the letters that the said Mr. Olivier had received from Mr. the Dean."
Mr. La Cloche, on his side, complained "of the tyranny of the Vice-Dean who had committed such an offense like a pope." (Acts of the Ecclesiastical Court). At the next session of this Court, Mr. La Cloche was sentenced to make honourable amends. This Rector was evidently a very independent spirit, impatient of any kind of restraint, and this disposition caused him several disputes with the authorities, whether civil or ecclesiastical.
In 1630, he was even suspended from his duties for a certain period. Here is a copy of the Act of the Ecclesiastical Court on this matter: May 24, 1630:
1599-1620 Thomas Le Sebirel
M. Thomas Le Sebirel. Son of Guillaume Le Sebirel from St. Jean, and Marguerite, his wife, daughter of Nicolas Messervy, from Mont-à-l'Abbé, in 1593 he was one of the "three children most advanced and capable of study to be maintained in good letters to be made suitable for the ministry " and the States decided that "the treasures of 10 parishes would contribute 24 ecus per year to support him in school." (States Acts, Dec. 17, 1593).
Already, on June 22, 1593, the Colloquium of Jersey had chosen him, along with Pierre de la Place, son of the Rector of St. Ouen, as "the most suitable for advancement in studies". At the extraordinary Colloquium of Nov. 3, 1598, the church of St. Ouen declared "having a particular affection for Mr. Thomas Le Sebirel, who, when called, also declared his affection for the said Church when it pleases God to call him to the Ministry."
On March 23, 1598-9, he was "approved (by the Colloquium) in his doctrine and life and sent to preach three or four times initially in the Church of St. Ouen." Finally, on May 15, 1599, Mr. Thomas Le Sebirel, "having proposed the word of God 5 or 6 times in the Church of St. Ouen, was approved by the said church, which requested him as a pastor promising to provide for his maintenance, to which he having consented, was received as a minister, and Brother Mr. Millet named to install him in his position”
Mr. Thomas Le Sebirel married shortly after in St. Brelade (in 1599) Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Claude Parent, Rector of this parish; he died in 1620, and his widow, called to Paris by Mr. Jacques Parent, his brother (a wealthy man with no children, as Mr. Elie Brevint tells us), died there during the winter of 1649.
This Rector left a son, Thomas Le Sebirel, and a daughter, who married Philippe Remon.
1623-1645 Etienne La Cloche
1623-45. Mr. Etienne La Cloche. He was the younger son of Mr. Edouard La Cloche, of St. Helier, and Elizabeth, his wife in second marriage, daughter of Matthieu Le Gallais.
By contract dated July 21, 1619, Mr. Edo. La Cloche transferred to Thomas La Cloche, his elder brother, his share of the inheritance from their father, for 14 quarters of wheat as rent. (Registry, Book 5, page 234). In 1624, Mr. Etienne La Cloche had a lawsuit with the Vice-Dean, Mr. Thomas Olivier, who complained "that the said Mr. Etienne La Cloche had gone to England despite the prohibition made to him in the letters that the said Mr. Olivier had received from Mr. the Dean."
Mr. La Cloche, on his side, complained "of the tyranny of the Vice-Dean who had committed such an offense like a pope." (Acts of the Ecclesiastical Court). At the next session of this Court, Mr. La Cloche was sentenced to make honourable amends. This Rector was evidently a very independent spirit, impatient of any kind of restraint, and this disposition caused him several disputes with the authorities, whether civil or ecclesiastical.
In 1630, he was even suspended from his duties for a certain period. Here is a copy of the Act of the Ecclesiastical Court on this matter: May 24, 1630:
"Mr. Etienne La Cloche being notably convicted of contempt for the visitation held on the fifth of last May in the church of St. Ouen and published the previous Sunday, refusing to submit to respond to the published articles, to recognize the reasons for his non-residence in his parish, to regularly attend the events, not to visit the sick, catechize young people every week, and other points of conformity and public duties of the ministry, pretending by his oppositions to elude all authority, seeing his contumacy openly displayed in front of his superior, despite the command given to him to respond to objections or on the information of the overseers, for these reasons, the said La Cloche having come to court in St. Helier to undergo judgment on the premises or to submit, promising to do his duty in the future, having persisted in his refractory behaviour, despite the favourable offers to drop the said contempt if he submitted to reside in his parish and reform the aforementioned deficiencies, rejecting also the salutary remonstrances of Mr. the lieutenant governor and the procureur to attend the day in court for the interest of the King's service and to win him over to his duty, after the third warning persisting, for these reasons, he was suspended from his ministry by the sentence of Mr. the Dean.
Signed D. Bandinel, Dean."
On July 18, 1631, the Ecclesiastical Court again ordered Mr. Etienne La Cloche—upon complaint of his non-residence—to comply with the points "that have been found deficient, i.e., in visiting the sick, and assisting at burials, and for this, he was ordered to personally reside in the said parish." A term of 6 weeks was given to him for this purpose, under penalty of suspension, pursuant to a command from the Bishop of Winchester.
Mr. La Cloche had no less difficulty with Sir George de Carteret, Bailiff and Lieutenant-Governor, than he had with Dean Bandinel. He did not approve of the privateering war that the Royalists were waging against the Parliamentarians; having dared to say from the pulpit that Jersey had become like a little Dunkirk, he was arrested, imprisoned at Elizabeth Castle, then later at Mont Orgueil Castle, finally sentenced to banishment, along with his wife, Mrs. Esther Planson. For more details on this period of Mr. La Cloche's life, we refer the reader to the Journal of Jean Chevalier.
Mr. Etienne La Cloche, however, returned to Jersey before 1652-3; he was buried in St. Hélier on February 6, 1652-3.
Signed D. Bandinel, Dean."
On July 18, 1631, the Ecclesiastical Court again ordered Mr. Etienne La Cloche—upon complaint of his non-residence—to comply with the points "that have been found deficient, i.e., in visiting the sick, and assisting at burials, and for this, he was ordered to personally reside in the said parish." A term of 6 weeks was given to him for this purpose, under penalty of suspension, pursuant to a command from the Bishop of Winchester.
Mr. La Cloche had no less difficulty with Sir George de Carteret, Bailiff and Lieutenant-Governor, than he had with Dean Bandinel. He did not approve of the privateering war that the Royalists were waging against the Parliamentarians; having dared to say from the pulpit that Jersey had become like a little Dunkirk, he was arrested, imprisoned at Elizabeth Castle, then later at Mont Orgueil Castle, finally sentenced to banishment, along with his wife, Mrs. Esther Planson. For more details on this period of Mr. La Cloche's life, we refer the reader to the Journal of Jean Chevalier.
Mr. Etienne La Cloche, however, returned to Jersey before 1652-3; he was buried in St. Hélier on February 6, 1652-3.
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