Napoleonic

What Sarah Fyers saw from a window in Gibraltar

17-year old Sarah Fyers was with her father with the garrison in Gibraltar in 1801, a few days before her wedding to Cornelius Mann, when she witnessed the first part of the Battle of Algeciras from the breakfast room. A handwritten copy of her eyewitness account is in the Dobree-Mann collection held at the Library. She was a close relation by marriage of Admiral James Saumarez, who played a crucial part in the battle and eventual victory.

L'Invention: fastest ship of her day

From an unknown newspaper [Guernsey Press?] of January 10th, 1939, in Carol Toms' scrapbook I., 'Famous L'Invention of Guernsey.' 'Fastest ship of her day, probably the first four master to carry yards on all her masts, the famous Guernsey ship L'Invention is picturised in the Guernsey Museum and a similar picture was used as Christmas cards by 'The Cachalot's' Club,' of Southampton.'

Sword Exercise of the Cavalry

Guard from Sword Exercise by J G Le Marchant, 1796, Priaulx Library Collection

J. Gaspard Le Marchant, Rules and Regulations for the Sword Exercise of the Cavalry, LONDON, PRINTED for the WAR OFFICE, and sold by T. EGERTON, MILITARY LIBRARY, WHITEHALL, 1796.

Castle Cornet threatens Napoleon

From Collins' Stranger's Guide to Guernsey, 1833, p. 66.

Two letters on the Commissariat, by Havilland Le Mesurier

A supportive review of an important work by Havilland Le Mesurier, the letters following on from his System for the Commissariat of 1798, from The Critical Review, Vol. 9, 1807.

Jerbourg Signal Station and the Saumarez Tower

Saumarez Tower at Jerbourg, Priaulx Library Collection

The story of a picture in our collection, rather than a book; a black-and-white photograph of a watercolour showing Jerbourg Signal Station. Behind the signal-post is Saumarez Tower, the only known representation of this short-lived landmark. A copy of this watercolour is in the possession of the Guernsey Museum. In that picture, the roofs and the small cylindrical tower are shown as red. The photograph, taken at the behest of Captain Philip de Saumarez, was lent a century ago to local historian Edith Carey by Mrs Ozanne, the artist's descendant, and placed in one of Miss Carey's scrapbooks, now at the Library.

Finucania: the enigmatic Matthias Finucane

Matthias Finucane: self-portrait, detail, private collection

This overview of the artist Matthias Finucane consists of a biography researched by his descendant, the late Julia von Bertele, and a catalogue, created by Dinah Bott of the Priaulx Library, that aims to illustrate and provide information on all of his known works. It is intended that the catalogue grow organically to reflect further information that comes to light about both his life and his artistic output; he resided for most of his working life in the Channel islands and produced here both portrait miniatures and prints. The Priaulx Library is pleased to host this unique project of great local interest. Contact a Librarian if you have any material to add or can help with any of the many questions that remain unsolved about Matthias' life. The images here reproduced are believed to be in the public domain unless expressly credited.

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