Marie Bartlet

Marie Bartlet

Marie Bartlet, née Mauger (1677-1741) - founder of Jersey's General Hospital, intended by her as a refuge for the island's poor

1991 stamp

Marie Bartlet (often spelt Bartlett) was born in late 1677 and baptised on 2 January the following year. She was the daughter of Capt Jean Mauger, of St Brelade. She married Englishman Francis Bartlet on 24 September 1704. Bartlet was a merchant and they settled in St Aubin, then the island's main port. He was undoubtedly one of the most successful merchants of his time and won the right to collect import duties and anchorage fees in 1725, 1726, 1728 and 1732. When he died childless in 1734, he left everything to his widow, who continued his business, which mainly involved the importation of spirits. In 1738 she was "farmer of the customs" in partnership with Thomas Pipon.

Some of the other merchants did not take kindly to her success and she became embroiled in a legal action with Jean Le Hardy, claiming that he had accused her of holding undeclared brandy in her cellars and having them sealed by the Constable, and also accusing Le Hardy of "pushing his violence so far as to raise his stick several times threatening to smash her head, and abusing her in most atrocious language". This dispute, and another involving a cargo of coal for New England, had not been resolved when she died on 24 August 1741.

Will

She died a very rich woman, worth 91,567 livres tournois, approximately £7 million at today's values. She made a number of personal bequests and gave money to the parishes to look after the poor, but the bulk of her estate - 50,000 livres tournois - was earmarked for the States to build a poorhouse.

"I bequathe to the Poore of Jersey on Honder livers Franche money to Iche Parihe to be distributed after my buriale: i give morear to the Poore of the Ilande Fifteay thousent livers turnois, taigne thousent to build them a house and forty thousent to beay a Reivenu to mantaigne the Poore that shall be Pouite in the House, wiche shall be Poore widows and Fatherlaise Childrane and Enchant Piple of the Ilande, and shale alwaise be quipe Foule; and shale the saide House be built in St. tobins, and Everything be ordred as my Execrs hear after named and the Staites of the Iland shall judge Fiting".

Perhaps not surprisingly, given the sums involved and Marie Bartlet's poor spelling, it took 24 years and numerous legal actions before work actually started on the construction of what is now Jersey's General Hospital, and another 28 years before it opened its doors to the poor of the island whom Mrs Bartlett had intended should have it as their home.

To begin with the Royal Court took three years to confirm the will "by reason of the wrong spelling thereof and many disputes among her relations". Attempts were made to overthrow it by her cousin, Jean Mauger, who had been left £10, and Philippe and Jean Shoosmith.

The committee appointed by the States to assist her executors with the project failed to find a suitable site at St Aubin and Privy Council approval had to be sought to build on land on sandhills outside St Helier offered as a gift by the Seigneur of Mélèches, Philippe Bandinel. The executors tried to have the project switched back to a field owned by Mrs Bartlett at St Aubin but the States eventually won the day and building started in 1765.

But the marvellous new building was coveted by successive military commanders to accommodate garrison troops in the absence of any barracks, and in 1779 it was requesitioned by General Conway. Four years later two-thirds of the building was demolished when gunpowder exploded and it took five years before the British Government paid the £2,000 needed to rebuild. It was not until 1793 that the poor of the island finally took possession of their rebuilt home.

Another 66 years went by before the Hospital was severely damaged by fire in 1859.

It took 57 years from Marie Bartlet's death before the poorhouse she bequeathed to the island, and which became its General Hospital, opened its doors to Jersey's poor. In 1859 there was another setback when a serious fire swept through the building

Jersey Heritage history

First hospital

The altruism of Mrs Marie Bartlett gave Jersey its first hospital on the site of the present building.

The inscription on the monument is in French. Translated, it reads:

"To the memory of Miss Marie Mauger – widow of Mr Francis Bartlett – foundress of the General Hospital. Buried in this parish 26 April 1741. She stretched out her hands to the poor, she reached forth her hands to the needy – Proverbs 31, 20"

Marie Bartlett was born in St Brelade in 1677. The daughter of Captain Jean Mauger, she married an English merchant, Francis Bartlett, in September 1704 and they settled in St Aubin – which was then Jersey’s main port.

Poor standards of hygiene and sanitation at the time made the town of St Helier in particular a very unhealthy place to live, and the lot of the poor, infirm and elderly was even more precarious.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, those who could not fend for themselves were housed in an ancient disused chapel, La Madelaine, which was located in the north-west corner of the Town Church yard.

When it fell into irrevocable disrepair, the poor were housed in a building in Seale Street, but this also became unfit for purpose. Around the same time, Mrs Bartlett was enjoying a comfortable existence as wife of one of the Island’s most successful merchants.

No children

The marriage lasted 30 years, but it was childless. When her husband died in October 1734, Mrs Bartlett inherited his fortune and spirits import business. Taking the reins she used her acumen to make the business even more successful.

She was undoubtedly a spirited character, not afraid to stand up for her rights at a time when women were rarely involved in commerce. When she died in 1741 her fortune, including investments in England, came to 91,567 livres tournois – equivalent to £7 million in today’s money. In her will she stipulated that her money was to be used to help the orphans, destitute widows and the elderly.

She made a number of personal bequests and gave money to the parishes to look after the poor, but the bulk of her estate – 50,000 livres tournois – was earmarked for the States to build a poorhouse and hospital in St Aubin.

Her wishes were frustrated by the poor composition and spelling of her final testament, which led to delays and much legal wrangling. To complicate matters further, relatives contested the will.

This extract, that eventually led to the Island having its first hospital, shows the problems her executors faced in fulfilling her wishes to provide the Island with a hospital and poor house:

"I bequathe to the poore of Jersey on honder livers Franche money to iche parihe to be distributed after my buriale. I give morear to the poore of the ilande fifteay thousent livers turnois, taigne thousent to build them a house and forty thousent to beay a reivenu to mantaigne the poore that shall be pouite in the house, wiche shall be poore widows and fatherlaise childrane and enchant piple of the ilande, and shale alwaise be quipe foule; and shale the saide souse be built in St. tobins, and everything be ordred as my execrs hear after named and the Staites of the Iland shall judge Fiting."

By 1744 the issues had been resolved and in the following year the States formed a committee to look for a suitable site in St Aubin.

The search for a site proved fruitless and when the Seigneur of Mèleches, Philip Baudinel, offered land on sand dunes to the west of the town, the committee decided to recommend the hospital and poor house be built there. As the town and St Helier Harbour was growing in prominence over St Aubin, the land in what is now Gloucester Street was deemed to be the best place for the building.

The executors of the will tried to implement her wish that the poor house be built in St Aubin, but with no success.

Work begins

Work began in 1765, 24 years after her death, and the first people were admitted in 1772, but seven years later the building was commandeered by the British Army as a garrison for troops stationed in the Island, at a time when Jersey was heavily defended.

Disaster struck in 1783, when an explosion, caused by improperly stored gunpowder, destroyed two-thirds of the structure. It took the States five years to get compensation from the military, and a further five years to reconstruct the building.

In 1793, more than 50 years after her death, Mrs Bartlett’s dream finally became reality and the old building of the General Hospital opened its doors. Until 15 years ago, portraits of Mr and Mrs Bartlett hung in the Hospital’s original entrance.

Mrs Bartlett’s name still heads the long list of benefactors whose generosity has funded the Island’s health service from the 18th century to today.

References

A Biographical Dictionary of Jersey by George Balleine