The life of Sir Thomas Le Breton
Sir Thomas Le Breton
This article was first published in the Jersey Evening Post in 2011
On 8 July 1835 a future Bailiff of Jersey, Thomas Le Breton, was presented with an 'elegant' sword by 2,000 of his 'countrymen'.
Those countrymen were Jersey people and they were expressing their support for a man who had taken on authority in the shape of the Lieut-Governor and had won.
Militia colonel
As Colonel of the Town Battalion of the Jersey Militia Le Breton had, the year before, argued with the Lieut-Governor Major-General William Thornton, over the appointment of an Irish lieutenant, on half pay, as a major in his unit.
His reward was suspension from his military duties and he was reported to the Royal Court on a charge of insubordination.
The court, however, found nothing reprehensible in his conduct and he was exonerated. The sword, presented after the case, was purchased by public subscription'to commemorate his patriotic and successful defence of privileges of the island against the attempted encroachments of Major-General Thornton'.
Thornton was himself something of a character, having served in the Peninsular War and at the Battle of New Orleans, but Le Breton led an even more colourful life.
Born in 1791, the son of Sir Thomas Le Breton snr and his wife Anne, he trained for a career in law while still in his teens.
Caen University
Jersey lawyers were required to complete a course at Caen University, but this presented problems because the Napoleonic Wars meant that anyone with British connections was going to be less than welcome at a French seat of learning.
Young Thomas therefore adopted the name of David Burger, pretended to be an American, and completed his studies of the Norman Old Coutumier, the traditional law of Normandy, without his real identity being revealed.
It is recorded that he was even presented as the 'young American' to Napoleon when he visited the university.
He returned to Jersey in 1810 and became an Advocate at the age of only 19.
Three years later his father engineered his son's appointment as one of the island's two Receivers-General.
Party newspaper
In early 19th century Jersey there was no tradition of political independence among servants of the public and in 1820 Thomas jnr was among the founders of the Constitutionnel, a newspaper which became the chief mouthpiece of the conservative Laurel Party.
In the same year he was promoted to colonel, having been in the Militia since the age of 15, when he entered as a lieutenant. WHen he was promoted to colonel, Captain Aaron de Ste Croix wrote in protest to the War Office.
When Capt de Ste Croix also showed his colours by illuminating his house when Queen Caroline was acquitted on charges of adultery, he was duly attacked in the Constitutionnel in an article that he assumed Le Breton had written.
When they met in the Royal Square de Ste Croix said:'I would spit in your face, if you were worth the spittle'.
Duel
This led to a duel at Samares Marsh, during which, on the second exchange of fire, de Ste Croix was severely wounded.
Le Breton fled to Granville, but was able to return when his adversary, who had been expected to die of his wound, made a recovery.
he accused Le Breton of using a rifled pistol to secure an advantage, but the Lieut-Governor, who was later to have his own troubles with Le Breton, held an inquiry and found that the charge was false.
When Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the island in 1846, Colonel Le Breton rode at the head of the Militia.
The following year he was knighted at St James' Palace. In 1848, when Sir Jean de Veulle died, he was appointed Bailiff, a post he had long coveted.
La Nouvelle Chronique commented:"He was far from a popular man and he showed no desire to become one".
He died in 1857 and even his own paper, the COnstitutionnel noted in its obituary that he had not made a success of his term in office through a lack of firmness during an era of considerable political strife.
