A history of La Rocque

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What's your street's story? - La Rocque


LaRocqueFishermen.jpg
La Rocque fishermen


This article is based on a Jersey Archive Street Story presentation

Farmers and fishermen

Vingtaine de la Rocque has long been home to farmers and fishermen. It has seen the building of churches to cater to the faith of the local population, the railway to develop links with St Helier, the harbour to shelter the fishing fleet and the network of Martello towers to protect the coast from invasion.

The Vingtaine stretches from Fauvic in the north to the Grouville - St Clement border in the west with the coastline on the east and to the south. The Vingtaine also administers the Minquiers.

La Rocque has strong links with the sea. Early States of Jersey minutes from 1602 mention a Jean du Parc as the supervisor for the harbour and fisheries of La Rocque. The 1795 Duke of Richmond map shows some fortifications in place near the current harbour but no man-made structures to protect the boats of the fishing fleet.

The States of Jersey developed the harbours at St Aubin, Gorey and St Helier during the 18th and 19th centuries and by 1825 the inhabitants of Grouville decided that development also needed to take place at La Rocque.

LaRocqueFishermen2.jpg

Petition

The parishioners sent a petition to the States pointing out that the 40 or more boats that were moored at La Rocque were subject to southerly gales. The petition asked that a wall be built between the rocks Le Groznet and La Grande Sambiere. The Harbours Committee recommended the plan to the States in 1825 and on 7th October 1826 they approved that a Harbour be built at a cost of not more than £500. The contract for works was awarded to Abraham de la Mare.

In 1873 a petition signed by a large number of La Rocque fishermen was presented to the States asking for a breakwater to be built. The States established a Committee to look into the costs of the work. The Committee took some time to explore different options before presenting an act to the States calling for the establishment of a breakwater in February 1881.

The Archive holds a letter from the Attorney-General to the Lieut-Governor dated 9 June 1881. which advises Her Majesty to confirm the Act of the States to build a ‘shelter pier’ at La Rocque. Royal approval must have been granted as finally Frederick Benest was appointed to carry out the works for the sum of £3,850 in November 1881.

The fishing fleet was a vital part of life at La Rocque and the fishermen were vocal in their views of any changes to legislation that effected their livelihood. A petition to the States of Jersey dated January 1898 from the fishermen of La Rocque and Rozel concerns the proposed Law on Fishing presented to the States by Deputy E B Renouf. The petition concerns the use of dragnets and rakes as means of fishing and the effects of these on the young fish around the Island.

The petition gives us the names of the La Rocque fishermen of the late 19th century with the following individuals signing; Nicolas de Ste Croix, Thomas Gallichan, Joe Le Clercq, P Marin, Edward Mallet, George Mourant, G Marie, Charles de St Croix, Elie Jarvis, Philippe Vivian, W Gray, Elie Gallichan, F G Gallichan, J Lequer, J P Watton, E Gallichan, A Ahier, C Gallichan, Elie Le Clercq, Frank Mallet, Thomas Gallichan, Charles Le Riche.

Les Minquiers

The 19th century fishing fleet had established strong links with the Minquiers. Traditionally the fleet would leave La Rocque for Maîtresse Ile on a Monday staying to catch fish until the Friday. The fleet would then return to the mainland on a Friday with the weeks catch which would be sold locally or to merchants. Left over fish would be taken to St Helier by horse and cart or by the railway and it was then sold and shipped to either England or St Malo.

The importance of the sea to the inhabitants of the Vingtaine is reflected in the establishment of two shipbuilding yards in the area. Firstly the yard of John Filleul and Thomas de la Mare operating at La Rocque from 1836 – 1837 and secondly that of Daniel Le Sueur operating from 1858 – 1884. Le Sueur’s yard built over 30 vessels.

New churches

In the 19th century the religious lives of the community were enhanced by the building of two new churches – the La Rocque Methodist Chapel and the Church of St Peter La Rocque. The Methodist Chapel was the first to be built and the influence of Methodism in the area can be seen as early as 1808 when services were held in the house of Moise Gibaut. Moises’ house was burned down and replaced by Beechwood.

Services moved to Gorey in the 1820s but as the popularity of Methodism in the Island increased meetings began to be held at La Rocque again in 1833. Initially meetings were held in a room in La Rocque Villa which was rented from François Mallet. Services then took place at Shirley Villa, the property of Mrs Philip Labey.

A site for a chapel was purchased in October 1837 with the funds being raised by subscription from the local worshippers. The foundation stone of the Chapel was laid in June 1838 and the Chapel was formerly opened for Divine Service on 4th November 1838.

La Rocque Methodist Chapel

The growth in Methodism at La Rocque prompted, Abraham Le Sueur, Rector of Grouville for much of the second half of the 19th century, to initiate the building of a new Church of England church in the area – St Peter La Rocque.

The minutes of the Ecclesiastical Assembly of Grouville record the date of the laying of the foundation stone of the Chapel of St Peter La Rocque. The entry for 6th January 1852 states that the foundation stone was laid by Lieutenant-General Touzel assisted by the Rector of the Parish, Abraham Le Sueur, Rectors from other parishes and many other principals in the Parish of Grouville.

Inns

Entertainment in the Vingtaine has been and continues to be provided at Seymour. La Rocque Inn, or Mary Janes as it was known, is still remembered in the area. The Inn was located opposite what is now the Seymour Inn in the car park used by visitors to Seymour Tower.

Philip Ahier’s book, Historical and Topographical Hotels and Inns in Jersey includes some memories of the establishment

‘Mary Jane had the reputation of being a martinet: she permitted no unseemly behaviour in her establishment and soon ejected any male who became cantankerous. My father used to recall how many a fisherman’s wife or farmer’s wife could call to the inn to ascertain whether their husbands were imbibing not too freely and not too well and then would proceed to bring them home!’

Mary Jane was Mary Jane Le Vesconte who was born in 1864. Her father Charles is first listed as living at La Rocque Inn in the 1881 census with Mary Jane, her sister Jane Mary and mother - also Jane Mary. By 1901 Mary Jane is listed as the Hotel Keeper at La Rocque Inn with Lizzie Bertram living on site as a bar worker. The Inn was eventually inherited by Mary Jane’s great niece who sold the property to Ann Street Brewery in 1958.

Services were also an important part of the area. La Rocque post office was established in 1891 by the Postmaster General in London with George H Le Geyt as the first Sub-Postmaster with a salary of £5 10s per year. George was a grocer who lived at Seymour Place, 36, Beach Road with his wife Isabella.

French invasion

No picture of La Rocque would be complete without a mention of the area’s military history. Famously known as the landing point for de Rullecourt’s invasion of the Island in January 1781, which led to the Battle of Jersey, the area has a number of military fortifications.

Records dating from as early as 1539 show the importance of defending La Rocque. On 13th May 1539 the parishioners of Grouville including Jacques Amy, Philippe Jutize, Thomas Baudains, Johan Jutize, Richard Amy, Philippe Amy, Francois Amy, Johan Payn and Blaise Laffoley promised the Lieutenant Governor that they would start to build a defensive works at the bays between La Rocque and Mont Orgueil.

Jean Chevalier in 1646 records that Prince Charles and his council examined the coasts to see which points were vulnerable to enemy attack. They directed the building of a fortress at La Rocque. Apparently when the building began they unearthed evidence of an earlier structure – possibly the 1539 fortifications.

Henry Seymour Conway, Governor of Jersey in the late 18th century, obtained approval for his plans to construct coastal towers around in the Island in 1778. A significant number of Conway towers can be seen on the coast of the Vingtaine de la Rocque today.

On 28 January 1780 just a year before the de Rullecourt landing the Constable of Grouville was ordered by the States of Jersey to place a store and magazine at La Rocque and Rocque-Platte. Platte Rocque Tower itself was built after the Battle of Jersey and replaced a guard house which had stood on the spot.

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