John Piquet (baptised Jean) (1825-1912), was a botanist, the son of tobacconist Jean Piquet who married Elizabeth Le Marquand, probably the daughter of Nicolas and Marguerite Helleur, in 1922. We have not yet been able to establish Jean’s further ancestry.
He was apprenticed, when 12 years old, to John Ereaut, chemist in St Helier, and after five years apprenticeship, stayed on as assistant for another five, his hours being from 6.30 am to 11 pm, the whole ten years without a holiday.
In 1847 he opened a chemist's shop of his own, and this business continued until his death.
Hobby
His chief hobby was botany. Between 1855 and 1865 he made a collection of Jersey seaweeds, which he presented to Dr Henri Van Heurck of Antwerp, when the latter was writing his Prodome de la Flore des Algues Marines des Iles Anglo-Normandes .
He became the recognized authority on local flowering plants and ferns, accompanying English botanists when they visited the island. In 1896 La Société Jersiaise published his Phanerogamous Plants and Ferns of Jersey , a list of 721 species, exclusive of varieties, which was followed by a supplement in 1898 of 24 more species. All had been collected by himself.
He was one of the Founders of the Jersey Swimming Club, and continued to bathe in the open sea in summer until he was 86.
Jean had elder sisters Mary Ann and Elizabeth. He married Ann Phillips and they had seven children, Frederick George (1853- ), John Charles (1854- ), Ernest Francis (1857- ), Jessie Louisa (1859- ), Maud May (1860- ), George Alexander (1865- ) and Emily (1868- ).
