La Place, St O
Historic Jersey buildings
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Property name
La Place
Location
Route de Plemont, St Ouen
Type of property
Farm with 16th century origins
Families associated with the property
Census - The 1851 census shows John Arthur (1816- ) as proprietor, farming a substantial 45 acres. He lived there with his wife Rachel, nee Le Masurier (1816- ) and their newborn daughter Rachel. Jean's father (see datestone below) had died in 1848. His widow Marie, nee Le Vesconte, born in Trinity in 1789, the daughter of Philip and Marie, nee Marett, was living at La Place in a separate family unit with John's sisters Marie (1816- ), Nancy (1819- ), Elizabeth (1822- ) their brother Charles (1824- ) and two grandchildren Elise (1843- ) and John (1844- ). John was still farming at La Place in 1861 and 1871, but by then the area of land involved had fallen to 5 acres. Ten years later his daughter Rachel had married Philip Le Boutillier (1852- ), who was named in the 1881 census as head of household at La Place, and was farming 20 acres. Jean, described as 'helping in the farm' was still living there with his wife Rachel, and Philip and Rachel's two children Dora Rachel and Philip Le Boutillier. Their father's sister Aimee was governess to the two children.
What happened next is a little uncertain, but in 1883 Philip and Rachel had another son, Arthur. By the 1891 census Philip was widowed. He was still living at La Place, presumably the owner now through his late wife's ineritance. Arthur was recorded in the census but there was no mention of the two earlier children, Dora and Philip. Philip's sister Aimee was still in the household, together with another sister Helen, and three servants. In 1901 Philip had married again, to an unknown Elizabeth, and they were living at La Place with Arthur.
The property remained in the family and was inherited by Florence Ellen Le Boutillier, who left it to her sister Marjorie in her 1959 will. Florence, Marjorie and Kathleen were daughters of Adolphus Carcaud Le Boutillier but we have been unable to establish how they were related to Philip. Florence must have farmed at La Place because her will not only left the property to Marjorie, but also 'all my farm effects, farm stock and cattle'. She was not living at La Place when she made her will, however, but at another family property, Elmfield, St Ouen.
Datestones
Historic Environment Record entry
Listed building
A farm group with circa 16th century origins, retaining historic character and features of interest from various phases of development. Shown on the Richmond Map of 1795.
Early 16th century origins with 19th century additions. To the northwest of the house is a long range of granite rubble outbuildings. These include a former house with some enlarged chamfered window surrounds and a chamfered arch with an outer row of voussoirs. House is unusually built into a bank and appears never to have had a tourelle staircase.
Old Jersey Houses
- "This is an instance of a house which took its name, in an altered form, from the family which owned it. According to Payne the house was bought by the Rev Pierre de la Place, a Huguenot refugee, and one of the many French Protestant pastors who fled to our shores. His descendants became Rectors of several parishes in the Island, and were noteworthy for their staunch Calvinism, which was sometimes very outspoken. The family became extinct after about a century.
- "The present house, which is mid-19th century, has descended through Arthurs to Le Boutilliers. Parts may be older than at first appears, as the gable ends are of great thickness, and the granite corbels of a fireplace appearing in the room on the west are certainly older than the marriage stone, which has 18 JAT♥♥MLVC 41 for Arthur and Le Vesconte. [2]
- "Facing east, in the outbuildings, is a round arch with rather large double voussoirs. They are akin to the Guernsey type and probably date from a time before the two islands had developed their distinctive techniques. There are also four fine chamfered windows, one of which has been converted into a door.
- "Inside there are the remains of at least two fireplaces. It seems that there was a straight stone stairway leading to a door on the first floor, and the back of the building, and these must have been the only stairs, as there is no sign of a tourelle. The house is built right up against the hill.
- "The stream here marks the boundary between the fiefs of Vinchelez de Haut and Vinchelez de Bas, and a fixing of boundaries in 1605 suggests that this property then belonged to Edouard Hacquoil, and had previously belonged to Jehannet Petor."
Notes and references
- ↑ Most stones for names beginning with 'J' are inscribed 'I', but contrary to what is stated in the Datestone Register, this is an exception
- ↑ The author is guilty of the common error of calling a house datestone a marriage stone, and clearly made no attempt to research the Arthur ancestry. Jean Arthur and Marie Le Vesconte did not marry in 1841, but much earlier, in 1810. 1841 was the year when Jean's father, also Jean, died and Jean inherited La Place and moved in with his wife and nine children. He was only there for seven years because he died in 1848, the year his son Jean married and took over La Place
