FOCUS: Who is the former Constable "honoured" to have new health site named after her?

Wednesday 01 March 2023

A popular and long-serving Constable who was instrumental in bringing upgrades to the former Les Quennevais School has said it is an "honour" to have the new health centre being built there named after her.

The Minister for Infrastructure announced yesterday that the planned healthcare facility at Les Quennevais will be known as the Enid Quenault Health and Wellbeing Centre.

Mrs Quenault told Express she "couldn't believe it" when she found out. 

"It's such an honour - not just for me but for all those who helped me along the way," she said. 

Now in her 90s, Mrs Quenault served as a States Deputy and later Constable of St. Brelade from 1975 to 1999.

She was born in Trinity, before moving to St. Ouen when she was two. Her father, Arthur Quérée, was a farmer who grew crops and flowers. 

Pictured: Enid Quenault in 2012.

In the early part of her life, she lived through the German Occupation. Mrs Quenault recalls how she and her brother used to go down and watch the sea wall being built by Russian slave workers and to scavenge for firewood. 

When the war was over, she attended the States Intermediate School (now Hautlieu School) and eventually took up a job in Midland Bank. In 1953, she moved with her husband, Ernest, to a house in St. Brelade on La Rue du Conet where she has lived ever since. 

In 1975, she was approached by Constable John Chévalier, who suggested she run as Deputy for the newly-created St. Brelade Number 2 district. She took up the challenge, and became the eighth woman to be elected to the States Assembly.

Of her time as a States Member, Mrs Quenault said: "I really enjoyed it and I had such a wonderful team around me who were able to do so many things at that time... It was a very happy time.

"It was an honour to serve the Parish." 

Pictured: The opening of Coronation Park, Millbrook, in 1981. Deputy Enid Quenault is the furthest on the right. 

One of her notable achievements in her career in the States came in 1982, when she was President of the Broadcasting Committee.

The States had finally decided that the BBC would provide a local radio service, and Mrs Quenault was responsible for travelling to Broadcasting House to sign a special charter for the BBC to commence operations in Jersey.

She remembers: "I had never been to Broadcasting House before, it was a great big building. We went to a Christmas lunch when we were there and it was full of all these celebrities." 

Pictured: Enid Quenault at a Health meeting at Les Quennevais school in 2014. 

As well as politics, she followed her father's footsteps in being a Methodist lay preacher. She has been actively preaching for 63 years. She is also an author, having co-written 'St. Brelade Jersey: A Portrait of the Twentieth Century', which is a history of the Parish complete with photos and archival material. 

Her daughter, Anne Pryke, previously served as the Deputy for Trinity, and went on to become the island's Health Minister.

Of the new name, Mrs Quenault said: "It really is an honour and it's a tribute to all those who have supported me. My husband, my family and all the staff at the Parish."  

Pictured top: Enid Quenault speaking at The Standing Conference of Women’s Organisations in 2005.