A very good year: donations 2016
5th January 2017A review of the generous donations made to the Library collection from local and outside sources. We received a large number this year, covering all types of material of local interest, from ciné films to town plans, via newspaper and photograph albums. These donations, open to all our visitors to consult, are invaluable and much appreciated by the Priaulx Library staff and Council and, even more inportantly, by all the researchers who make use of them.
Christopher Hughes gave us a copy of The Christian's new complete and universal family Bible, published in 1794, from the estate of Mrs Joy Le Lièvre.
Jeff Martel, Jeff of Stirling, Scotland, donated four framed prints of pen & ink sketches of Guernsey and Jersey, by his father, Roy Martel, and a set of negatives/plates of prints.
Jenni Grundy of Jerrys Plains donated the Book of the Hunter Valley, NSW (descendants of the Mills family settled there. See Mills family file.) [Strongroom]
Saint Peter Port (Town Church) Church warden Ruth Abernethy presented us with seven boxes of assorted correspondence & memorabilia on permanent loan, the majority of which has been examined and listed by Library staff.
Gillian Lenfestey donated her working papers for her published articles on William Le Lacheur and George Métivier; 3 files of Brock working papers, including correspondence with Guy St Denys; and images and research on Sir Isaac Brock, John and Irving Brock.
Alderney's Brian Bonnard presented us with copies of his A Very wild island & the Wild Flowers of Alderney and The History of the Island of Alderney early times to 1994 on CD-Rom.
M Corbet of Auckland, New Zealand donated a hand-coloured copy of Robert Morden's map of circa 1695. [On map cabinet in Council Room]
From Jill Barnicoat came a collection of Occupation-era papers, newspapers and pamphlets, as well as photographs (1930s) and prints, which complemented Tom Le Pelley's donation of a similar collection of Occupation newspapers and pamphlets [Strongroom LAG 929.2TOS]
Mr P H Hill of Louth donated a Reduced Survey Map of the Channel Islands, price one shilling, and Unknown Guernsey by V Coysh.
CLARKE MILITARY COLLECTION. Geoffrey Clarke donated: Occupation diary of Barbara Clarke (copy); WWI Diary of Geo I. Clarke & medals; Long service medals & South African War medals of Geo Clarke (snr); Princess Mary 1914 presentation tin; visitors' book Beau-Séjour Guest House (Les Canichers); 1940,2,4, issue of Star newspapers &c [Strong Room]
Author and military expert Major Edwin Parks, donor of a substantial collection of books in 2009, donated photographs of the RGLI and RGA; presentation of colours; photographs of Percy Groves' sketches of militia uniforms; gunnery practice at L'Ancresse &c [Strong Room (In Kodak yellow box)]
Barry Guilmoto gave us four scrap books of newspaper cuttings, mostly about Gas Company 1929 to early 1950s.
Margaret White and Peter Young donated material about the composer, John Ireland, the book, John Longmire Remembered, and two pamphlets: An Enduring Friendship, selected letters 1940-1949 from John Ireland to John Longmire, and An Honour for John Ireland, which concerns John Longmire's army life.
A wonderful photograph album of 23 cabinet photographs of the friends and family of Henri Marquand came to us from Peter Creasey on behalf of the Creasey family, together with the pamphlet Pour un soldat, published in Paris in 1875, and given to Marquand by its author, his great friend Victor Hugo, with a dedication to Marquand from Hugo; Marquand visited Hugo in Paris in that year. The album belonged to Marquand's wife, Martha de Garis née de Putron. A sister album belonging to Mrs Marquand, comprised of a different set of photographs, is mentioned in an exhibition catalogue of 1955. If you have any idea of its whereabouts please get in touch with the Priaulx Library.
Anne Seebeck donated facsimile commemorative editions of The Guernsey Press, dated 31.7.1897, 19.6.1940, & 2.6.1953, togther with Liberation day commemorative issues.
Richard Hocart donated a beautiful 19th-century 'Sacred Album' of religious words and imagery, (which may have come into his family via the Angel family, early Methodists originally from Bridport), as well as a very different but equally interesting set of books and documents: The American Guernsey Cattle Club 1877-1927 / Auction Catalogue New York 1903 / Private Catalogue, Pedigree Guernsey Herd 1931 / Royal Guernsey Catalogue 1939 and 1949 / English Guernsey Cattle Society 1934 / Annual Reports 1940 to 63 (not a complete run) / a selection of South Show, West Show, North Show Programmes of various dates from 1962 to 1981. Mr Hocart also presented us with a copy of his extremely useful and well-researched book, just published, The Country people of Guernsey and their agriculture 1640-1840.
S Tolcher gave the Library two Tourist Maps of Guernsey from the 1930s.
An unusual but welcome donation came from Richard White, who presented us with 25 Ciné films, c. 1959-1965. [Strongroom: Lobby (maps rolled)]
M J Thoraval gave us a copy of Isolated Island by V V Cortvriend.
Oddfellows, St Peter Port, found amongst their records the Minute Book of the Summer Evening Bands Committee 1902-8 and kindly donated it to us.
Ruth Mollet donated letters written by Eve Mollett to her daughter Jean, who was an evacuee in England (1940-5).
HENRY – LE MAITRE COLLECTION. Mathew Henry and Y Le Maitre donated a substantial number of old documents, title deeds, photos and rentbooks.
JAMES DUQUEMIN COLLECTION. Mary Sales donated important material, some if not all by the States' Surveyor, the engineer James Duquemin, including the magnificent 9ft Valette Chart of 1867. Other plans include: Coloured plan of Brock Road; plan of (unknown) roads; trace plan Fermain Bay (JD 1873); plan proposed new road and Fosse André (JD 1874); trace drawing of Trinity Square (JD 1874); trace drawing of Hougue à la Perre, Vrangue, Longstore; plan of road 'by Belvue House and Mr Brock's field;' plan of bottom of Vauvert Road (JD 1860); plan of Caniche[r]s shrubbery (JD 1866); drawing of the water pump New Road, Grange to Harbour; long plan of Brock Road; drawing of granite water pump; plan of Fountain Street, Cornet Street; plan of Doyle Road, Brock Road; trace plan unknown road (JD 23.4.1870); drawing 3 stone pillars; drawing 2 stone pillars; drawing of part plan Hauteville, commercial bank (JD 8.12.1870); plan hospital and new road (now St Julians Avenue) (JD 25.10.1872); Envelope addressed to Treasurer and Supervisor of the States embossed by St Peter Port constables.
Rachel Rabey donated photographs of Girls Grammar School school plays 1976 - 1984. [Strongroom]
John Vokes donated a 1949 Liberation Day Programme. [Strongroom LF940.53]
Chris Dyer gave us a Map of a Militia Encampment, Beaucamp.
Andy Eborall, via Shaun Shackleton of The Guernsey Press, donated a photograph album of mainly local interest covering the years 1920 - 1956, beautifully assembled by Norman Bowdidge (who died in 2015). This lovingly created piece of handiwork by a man who was obviously gifted in the art of photography was found at a reclamation facility. It is labelled Volume 1, so there are perhaps other albums somewhere waiting to be found. Many thanks indeed to Andy whose thoughtfulness saved it.
Guernsey Arts Commission. A most interesting donation came from the Guernsey Arts Commission, who had amassed 17 copies of the immensely popular novel of 2008 by Mary Ann Shaffer, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, for an exhibition in 2014 — the particular interest in these volumes being that each is translated into a different language. [Strong Room]
David Beer gave us some miscellaneous items of ephemera, including a coloured cardboard printed advertisement for Vautier’s, a Guernsey dog licence, and papers from building firm of Duquemin.
LACEY COLLECTION. A real box of delights. Mary Lacey donated a large number of assorted ephemera, dating esp. 1940s-1960s. These include Liberation Day programmes; Lyric & Little Theatre Programmes (a very extensive collection); Cigarette cards; Clifton Preparatory School certificates; other theatrical production programmes; Christmas cards (Occupation & post war); Guernsey Occupation Intermediate School photograph; a postcard album and more. [Strong Room]
Fred Gallienne donated to us copies of his new local novel, The Harassment of Mr De Bré.
From Sue Veillard came a book on the history of the United Reformed Church.
Juliet Campbell of Oxford donated One small island and two world wars: the life & times of Maj Gen Wilfred d'A Collings.
Jenny Tasker donated Women in Guernsey at the turn of the millennium from Soroptimist International. [Strongroom]
Caroline Timms gave us a first edition of Victor Hugo's essay on the Channel Islands, L'Archipel de la manche, published in Paris in 1883 following the author's death.
A substantial amount of material, including several of her books with dedications, was donated to the Library concerning Florence Ayscough, the early 20th-century photographer and socialite, archaeologist and expert on Chinese culture. An extraordinary personality, she was a resident of Guernsey before WWII, during which time she took important photographs and became friendly with the historian Edith Carey.
Gregory Stevens Cox presented us with a 'droll' print by Matthias Finucane, Sack, Cloth and Ashes, published in 1797.
Tony Jehan presented us with copies of his new work on the history of the Ironstores.
Sylvia Jopson of Brentwood, Essex donated a Pringle Family History.
Burton Sandra, acting for Stanley Le Tocq, gave us a collection of fifteen volumes on religious subjects (including a Baptist Bible). Recueil de cantiques, imprimé par H Brouard; Nouveau Testament; La Sainte Bible (1864); La Sainte Bible, transl. David Martin; Recueil de Cantiques (1878); Recueil de Cantiques (1855) & (1868); Contes à ma jeune famille; Cantiques à l'usage des écoles du dimanche (1866); Recueil de cantiques à l'usage des églises Baptistes de Guernesey et Jersey (1839); Notes explicatives et pratiques sur les actes des apôtres, 1858; La Sainte Bible (David Martin) (1866); La Chine, Charles Piton; La Sainte Bible (Sunday school prize presented to Thomas Girard, son of Daniel Girard.)
GJC Bois of Jersey gave us a copy of his illustrated Jersey Superstitions in etching & poetry (2nd ed. & extended edition).
Janet Harbottle donated two copies of Channel Islands occupied (video recordings) by Tomahawk Films.
Gordon Dawes on behalf of the Guernsey Bar donated Paris 1259 : Guernsey : Guernsey Bar, 2016, of which he was the editor. It comprises papers delivered at a conference held in St Peter Port commemorating the Treaty of that year which was of considerable importance to Anglo-Norman relations. A companion volume to an earlier publication by the Guernsey Bar, Commise 1204, it will be of interest to medievalists and anyone concerned with Anglo-Norman history and law.
Jane Johnson of Fareham, Hants gave us The History of Grace Keates (Tostevin) (2 folders) collated by Barbara Tostevin.
From Rose Naftel came a copy of Common Seaweeds by Guernsey's own Victorian female polymath, Louisa Lane Clarke.
Mark Lamerton of Jersey gave us a postcard and three negatives of the Little Chapel.
Local historian Graham Guille donated some family history research: The life and times of Henry Mahy; Notes on the Guille family; The riddle of the sun dial: Monamy.
Geoffrey Gale of Aylsham in Norfolk thought of us when perusing a bookseller's catalogue and very kindly sent us a copy of the invaluable Pedestrian Tour by William Walmsley.
Local author and researcher Peter Niven gave us two of his books: the comprehensive history, St James the Less, and Samuel le Page Raddar: from Guernsey to Park City, Utah.
We received a major donation in 2015, consisting of the library of the historian and author, the Hon. Giles St Aubyn, who had always been a stalwart supporter of the Library, and for whom the St Aubyn Room in the Library is named. The several thousand books on social history follow a previous donation of books by St Aubyn, who generously willed that the Priaulx Library should receive his personal library. We also received a charming portrait of Giles as a young man, in oils, painted by Princess Marina of Kent.