Saumarez Papers 3

8th October 2026
    Bundle. Encl.: 28.02.1906   i. Letter from Frederick Maxted, Road Engineer, to John Le Messurier re drain under road at Saumarez crossing. 07.07.1899   ii. On tracing paper. Plan of Rue des Genats. Signed T J Guilbert States Surveyor. 2.11.1899   iii. Letter headed 43, Grosvenor Place. Instructions to buy land at Rue de Genats from W H Le Tissier. 16.08.1899   a. Guernsey. Letter signed Henry Le Tissier re land. 24.05.1903   b. Letting Port Soif field to M Billy. Building of Chapel. 20.05.1891   iv. Sale of Bunton Cottage in the Villiocq, Catel.…

St Sampson defies a queen

31st July 2026
Limestone polychromatic statue of King Childebert from the Louvre via Creative Commons license
The redoubtable Queen Ultragotha tried to murder our saint, but she paid the price. A highly entertaining story from Pitre-Chevalier, La Bretagne, p. 120 (the Library has Edgar MacCulloch's own copy). This limestone statue of the Frankish King Childebert, founder of the Abbey of St-Germain-des-Prés, is in the Louvre Museum.¹ 

The Local Marriage Law, 1907

23rd July 2026
Guernsey Evening Press and Star, Friday 01 November 1907. Letters to the Editor. 'The local marriage law.' Lackadaisical record-keeping has been a feature of parish registers since the Tudor period - it can lead to confusion and problems in researching family history even today!

The Ibex

28th May 2026
Detail of a postcard showing the SS Ibex leaving Guernsey harbour (c) Priaulx Library
Some travelling nostalgia from The Marine Engineer, London: 1893. Edn. of May 1, 1892. 'Improved passenger steamship service to and from the Channel Islands. Weymouth Route.' The modern and comfortable delights of the new Ibex steamer, with its gold Japanese wallpaper, which was contemporary with and encouraged by the launch of the Weymouth boat train in 1889. The train was an icon for Channel Island travellers for nearly a century, until its much lamented withdrawal in September 1987. It lasted considerably longer than the Ibex, which was retired and broken up in 1925. The image of the Ibex leaving St Peter Port harbour is from a postcard in the Priaulx Library collection.

Falla MSS I

19th February 2026
2 January 1620 . Letter under seal of the Court of St Michel du Valle. Pierre Careye Seneschal. Edmond Effart and Pierre Gibault, vavassours. Etienne Hamon son of Helier of the Clos du Valle sold to Thomas Falla as the guardian of Thomas Henry son of Collas (V) of a certain house in the Clos du Valle .. in the place called the Ville es Pied, between the house of Giret Perrin and the house of Pierre Henry ... Item . A small yard to the south of the said house with a small cottage to the north of the said house with a stackyard ... Thomas Henry assigned to pay rent to Jean Cheshire etc 3 May…

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