The de Veulles of St Clement
The de Veulles of
St Clement
By J A Messervy, historian and genealogist at the end of the 19th and early 20 centuries, translated from French by Mike Bisson
This family has for several centuries been settled in the Parish of St Clement, Jersey. Some branches more recently took up their residence in St Helier, and in both of these parishes they have had a good standing, several of their members having at various times held municipal and public offices of trust.
Derivation of surname
Nothing is known about the origin of the name. In documents of the 16th and 17th centuries it was spelt in many ways: Veusles, Veules, Veuslet, Veulet, de Veulet, Desveulles, de Veulles, etc. (The spelling of surnames, as is well known, was in those times most variable.) The family might have come from France: there is in Seine-Inferieure, Normandy, a village called Veules, situated about 20 miles north of Yvetot. But it is equally possible that the name might have been taken up in the island itself; it might even have been a variation of Le Veslet. Pierre Le Veslet was in 1525 Constable of St Lawrence, and in 1531, Greffier of the Royal Court.
However this may be, the name of de Veulle appears neither in the Extentes or Rent Rolls of 1274 and 1331, nor in the Assize Roll of 1309. The first Extente in which we find it is that of 1528. In this document we read that John de Veulles owed to the Crown (for the Alyauntis londis) 20 cabots of wheat rente. He also owed 12 cabots of barley to the Priory of St Clement.
John de Veulle mentioned in then Extente of 1528 is certainly identical with John de Veulle mentioned in the Records of the Royal Court, Catel, 1524 and Heritage, 1526.
John de Veulle
In 1559 Clement de Veulle, grandson of this John, was one of the chief inhabitants of St Clement, as appears by the following copy of an Act of the Royal Court:
- ”Sire Richard Baudains, Michel Herault, Anthoine Jambart, Perryn Averty, Clement Deveulles et Claude Fauvel avecqs le procureur du Roy et les curé et Constable de la paroesse de St Clement. Lesdits six hommes ont prins serment de voer et indifferentement apprecier selon leur capacité les lapidations de la meson presbiteralle dudit St Clement – ensemble utancilles appartenant audit presbitaire.”
Philip de Veulle, son of the above named Clement, was living in 1607 in Rue du Hoc. One of his younger sons, another Philip, married on 5 October 1636, at Grouville, Marie Le Febvre, granddaughter of Jean Girard, a wealthy goldsmith, a native of Montrouge, near Paris, who had taken refuge in Jersey during the persecutions. The second son of this Jean Girard had an only daughter and heiress, who married Amice de Carteret, Seigneur of Trinity, Jurat of the Royal Court, etc.
Aaron de Veulle
Philip de Veulle and Mary Le Febvre had several sons; of John de Veulle, the eldest, we will speak later. Aaron, the youngest, was destined to fill distinguished offices in England. He was baptised in St Clement’s Church on 27 March 1652 and had as sponsors Josue Pallot, Rector of St Clement 1643-51 and Martha Noe (or Noel) wife of John Le Jeune. It is probable that he left the island at an early age in order to make a position for himself.
He married in or before 1678, probably in England, a daughter of Richard du Heaume, a Jerseyman who had settled in Southampton as a merchant, and it is no doubt in consequence of this marriage that he established himself in business in that town. On 9 April 1681 Aaron de Veulle appointed Raulin Robin his Attorney in Jersey. In this deed he is called Aaron de Veusles.
In 1696, when only 44 years of age, he rose to the office of Sheriff of Southampton, and nine years later, in 1705, he became Mayor of that town and county. In 1702 he was one of the Elders of the French Church of Southampton, an office which had also been held by his father-in-law.
Let us now revert to John de Vaulle (eldest brother of Aaron, of Southampton) who continued the line in St Clement. He was baptised at St Clement on 14 September 1637, having for his sponsors Jean Girard, of Rennes, and Anne, wife of the Rev Richard Mollet, Rector of St Clement. He died at the comparatively early age of 51, leaving an only son, Philip, whose only son, another Philkip, was sowrn one of the procureurs du bien public of St Clement on 1 September 1770, and filled this office until his death in 1781.
He had married Elizabeth Godfray, who belonged to one of the chief families of St Clement, and they had issue, four sons. The youngest of these, baptised on 27 December 1741, was named Aaron, very probably in order to honour the memory of his great great uncle, Aaron de Veulle, Mayor of Southampton. Like his namesake, the second Aaron de Veulle had a long and distinguished career. On 29 January 1770 he was sworn Centenier of St Clement, an office which he held for nine years. At an early age, probably about 1762, he had been appointed one of the Solicitors of the Royal Court.
Code of Laws
In an Act of the States of 1770 Aaron de Veulle is named as one of those gentlemen who assisted Colonel Bentink and Thomas Pipon in the preparation of the Code of Laws of 1771. In 1786 he was elected Constable of St Clement and took the oath in that capacity on 11 March 1786. He remained in office for 18 years. In 1807 he was a candidates for a vacant Juratship. On 18 November 1815 he became Senechal of the King’s fiefs in the place of Edward Nicolle, by Commission of the Earl of Chatham, Governor of Jersey. He was for some time Advocate of the Ecclesiastical Court, and later Avocat ‘’Promoteur’’ or Proctor of the same Court, in 1815, in place of the late Edward Nicolle.
Aaron de Veulle had married in 1765 the daughter and heiress of John Godfray, Constable of St Clement, a representative of the chief branch of that family which had given several Constables to the parish. In consequence of this marriage, this branch of the de Veulles inherited the house now called Slate House, situated near St Clement's Chruch. According to tradition this house was the first in the parish which was covered with slate; hence its name.
Aaron de Veulle died in May 1821 at the ripe age of 80 years. The following is copied from the obituary notice which appeared in the Gazette de Jersey of 12 May 1821:
- ”Aaron de Veulle mourut jeudi dernier, sur les deux heures du matin, dans la 81eme annee de son age. It etait le doyen des gens de loi de ce pays, dont il exerca la profession pendant l’espace de 60 ans, avec la plus grande distinction. Une austère probité, jointe a de vastes et profondes connaissances de nos lois et de notre jurisprudence, lui avaient mérité, dans le cours de sa longue et honorable carrière, le respect, l’esime et l’affection de ses concitoyens don’t il emporte les regrets. La cérémonie de ses funérailles aura lieu aujourd’hui dams le cimetière de la paroissee de St Clement.”
John de Vaulle, only son of Aaron, was baptised privately on 1 Janury 1767 and was presented at church on the 18th of the same month, his sponsors being his maternal grandparents, John Godfray and Jane Amy.
Three offices
Like his father, he had a long and useful career, spent in the service of his native island. When he was only 21 in 1788 he was apppointe notaire public. He was for a short time Centenier of St Clement 1794-97, and on 20 May 1795 he was sown in as Greffier of the Royal Court and Registrar of Contracts in place of Philip de Carteret, who had resigned. On 22 January 1803 he replaced Philip Dumaresq as Treasurer of the Impot on Wines and Spirits, an office which was then tantamount to that of Treasurer of the States.
For several years he held these three offices conjointly, but in 1812 he was compelled by ill health to relinquish that of Greffier. The Act of the Court relating to his resignation is worthy of being quoted in full:
- ”18 Avril 1812: Messire Jean Dumaresq Chevalier, Lieutenant-Bailly a informé Messieurs de Justice qu’il a recu une lettre de Jean de Veulle, Greffier da la Cour Royale, qui lui annonce que l’état de sa santé ne lui permet pas de continuer les fonctions de l’office de Greffier, et qu’il se trouve dans la nécessité de la résigner. La Cour recoit avec beaucoup de regret la résignation de Monsieur le Greffier, et crois devoir rendre témoignage dans un acte public aux attentions assidues, au zèle infatigable, a l’exactitude et aux lumières que Jean de Veulle a constamment manifestées pendant l’espace d’environ 17 ans en remplissant les devoirs laborieux et importants de l’office de Greffier de la Cour Royale.”
He was succeeded in the office of Greffier by Francis Godfray, son of Philip.
John de Veulle remained Registrar of Contracts for two years longer, until 1814. The Court, in an Act of 23 May 1814, also expressed its appreciation of Mr de Vaulle’s services as Registrar of Contracts. Seven years later, in 1821, he gave up the office of Treasurer of the Impot under the administration of the States. He had held this office for a little more than 18 years.
In July 1798 John de Veulle had married Elizabeth Messervy, only daughter and eventual heiress of Nicholas, Seigneur of Les Augrees, Jurat of the Royal Court, Lieut-Bailiff, Judge Delegate, etc, and his wife Elizabeth Patriarche.
Family properties
In consequence of this marriage the following properties, among others, eventually passed into the hands of this branch of the de Veulle family: the fiefs of Les Augrés and ès Godeaux; the mill of Les Augrés; a house in Colomberie where Nicholas Messervy lived for a long time (and where he died), and on the site of which Pembroke House was built for Sir John de Veulle; a house and lands in Trinity called la Ferme des Augrés, in which also Nicholas Messervy had resided for several years; a house and lands at Mont-a-l’Abbé (not far from Surville), which house was the ancestral home of Nicholas Messervy’s father.
John de Veulle succeeded in 1808 his father-in-law as Colonel of the East Regiment of Jersey Militia. He was also one of the chief partners of the Commercial Bank, which he helped to found. His wife had predeceased him in January 1836 and she was buried in Green Street cemetery.
John de Veulle died in 1841 having ten years previously had the satisfaction of seeing his only son appointed Bailly of the island. He was born in 1799, baptised at home on 25 April 1799 and presented at church on 13 September. His two grandfathers Nicolas Messervy and Aaron de Veulle and, Jeanne Marguerite de Veulle, his grandmother, were godparents.
Sir John de Veulle
He received part of his education at Caen and at the age of 20 was appointed one of the Advocates of the Royal Court, taking the oath on 27 April 1819. He soon became popular with all ranks of society and was widely esteemed for his moral and social qualities. In 1827 there was a vacancy on the Judicial Bench following the death of Thomas Anley. At a meeting held to choose candidates for the vacant Juratship, Advocate de Veulle was proposed in a flattering speech by John William Dupre as a Jerseyman most competent to fill this important office. The proposition was unanimously agreed to and a deputation sent to Mr de Veulle, who consented to become a candidate. He was elected without opposition and took the oath of office on 10 September 1827.
He was a Jurat for four years, and in 1831, on the resignation of Sir Thomas Le Breton, he succeeded him as Bailiff at the age of only 32. His Patent, dated 38 February 1831, was registered in Jersey on 12 March, on which day he took the oath of office and received the honour of Knighthood.
He was Bailiff in difficult times. The island was divided into political parties known as the Rose and the Laurel. He belonged to the Rose Party and experienced much difficulty in upholding the authority of the Court against the strenuous opposition of the leaders of the Laurel Party, who took advantage of his lack of firmness and too peaceful disposition.
He was several times, for example in January 1835, appointed Deputy of the States to represent them in England, and he was still Bailiff when Queen Victoria came to Jersey on her first visit in 1846.
In November 1829 he had married Ann Eliza Tindal, of Aylesbury (a niece of the Lord Chief Justice of that name), by whom he had a numerous family. He died at his father-in-law’s home in Aylesbury in 1848 at the comparatively early age of 49. After his death his Jersey property was sold by his sons. The fiefs of Les Augrés and ès Godeaux, for instance, were conveyed by William Ernest de Veulle to R H Tew, who sold them in about 1863 to H E Grant Cookson.
Le Hocq properties
We now revert to the eldest branch, that is to the descendants of Philip de Veulle, great uncle of Sir John. John de Veulle, one of his sons, filled various municipal offices in his native parish. He was sworn in as Centenier of St Clement on 10 May 1806 and as a procureur du bien public on 7 January 1815. He was born in the ancestral home of the de Veulles in Rue du Hocq, probably near the house called Hamptonne, but he seems to have built a house which bears his and his wife’s initials: IDV and ENM (Jean de Veulle and Elizabeth Norman) and the date 1815. This house stands on the main road near Les Tours Chapel and now belongs to Mr A A Durell.
Aaron de Veulle, younger brother of John, settled at Le Hocq near the beach, at a house which he built and which bears his initials and those of his wife Marguerite le Neveu – ADV:MLN – and the date 1806. It now belongs to Mr F P Roissier.
Aaron de Veulle’s younger son Aaron settled in St Helier, where he died in 1880 leaving several sons. The eldest, John de Veulle, was for several years British Consul at Le Mans, France. Henry Marett de Veulle, the youngest son, was in March 1908 appointed Treasurer of the States of Jersey.
