What's your home's story? A grocery with several names

Friday 17 November 2023

Close to the heart of St Peter’s Village is a property called ‘Eskdale’ built more than 170 years ago, which holds the stories of a number of islanders living in the parish – including the three women who first owned it and ran a grocer’s shop there.

Also known as ‘Central Place’ and ‘Content Place’ since it was constructed, the house is located at Croix au Lion, across the road from the Methodist Manse on Rue de la Pointe.

In the latest instalment of Jersey Archive's 'Your Home, Your Story' series, Senior Archivist Stuart Nicolle shares his research about the property and the characters that lived within...

On 3 June 1837, Rachel Le Maistre had purchased the land on which it was to be built from Philippe Le Marquand in the Fief des Niemes, St Peter. By the time the 1849 Godfray map was drawn up, there was house at the location, suggesting that it had been erected sometime in the previous 12 years.

Pictured: 1837 contract of Rachel Le Maistre buying from Philippe Le Marquand the land on which 'Eskdale' was to be built (Jersey Heritage).

The name ‘de la Perrelle’ was attached to the property. Although a husband is not named in the contract, it would seem that Rachel was married. There was a marriage between Jean de la Perrelle and Rachel Le Maistre in St Ouen on 16 May 1824, meaning de la Perrelle was her married name.

On 7 January 1865, Rachel sold the property to Harriet Elizabeth Conner, who was born in St Helier in the late 1820s. Her parents, William Conner, of St Brelade and Rachel Langlois, of St Ouen, had been married at the Town Church on 2 February 1822. Her older sister, also called Rachel, was born in St Brelade in 1823, with a brother, William, following two years later. By 1830, the family had moved to St Peter. Unfortunately, Harriet’s father died and was buried at the Parish Church on 18 March of that year.

Pictured: 'Eskdale' is over the road from the Methodist Residence and marked 'M de la Perrelle' (Jersey Heritage).

Rachel senior remarried at St Peter’s Church on 22 January 1833 to Thomas Le Mosquet, a native of France. They had two children together, Thomas, who was baptised at St Peter’s Church on 15 December 1833, and Ann Sarah, who was baptised on 10 October 1835.

Sadly, the family endured another tragedy soon after with Thomas senior dying and being buried at St Peter at the age of just 32 on 13 December 1836. Rachel had lost two husbands within six years.

Rachel can be found as a widow in the 1841 census living in St Peter and running a grocery shop. Ten years later, she was in St Lawrence pursuing the same profession. Harriet was living with her mother at the time of both censuses, with her occupation listed as seamstress.

The family moved back to St Peter in 1861 and Rachel was registered as a merchant. She died on 2 January 1863 and was buried at St Peter’s Church a few days later.

Pictured: Occupation Registration Card of Peter Charles Holley (Jersey Heritage). 

Possibly prompted by the death of her mother, Harriet bought the house that was to later become known as ‘Eskdale’ in 1865. Having seen first-hand how to run a shop, she went into business for herself. In the 1871 census, Harriet can be found in-situ, although the house was referred to as ‘Central Place’, with her brother, Thomas, listed as a shoemaker and sister, Ann, as a laundress.

Ten years later, the property had been renamed ‘Content Place’ and Harriet was still living there with her siblings. She sold the house and business to Ann Vibert, daughter of Jean, on 17 September 1898. Just a couple of weeks later on 2 October, she passed away at the age of 71. The cause of death in the church register was listed as bronchitis.

Ann Vibert continued the business that Harriet had established. It seems that it was also at this time that the house acquired the name ‘Eskdale’. The first recorded use of the name is found within the Grande Vingtaine rates schedules of 1904. The origin of the name is difficult to pin down, with a number of towns in the UK of that name but no obvious link to the family.

The 1901 census shows Ann as a shopkeeper living with her granddaughters, Lilian Le Masurier, aged 11 and Eva Le Masurier, aged 8. She was 68 at that time.

Pictured: Peter Holley tribunal (Jersey Heritage). 

Despite still owning the property ten years later, it is not the name of Vibert that was attached to the grocers. Instead it’s a man by the name of Harold Weekes, who was living with his wife, Mary. They were 37 and 38 years old respectively. He was born in Greenwich, London and she was from Camberwell, London. Interestingly, it notes that the house consisted of seven rooms at this particular time giving you an idea of the size of the property.

It looks like they took over the tenancy of the shop from Ann sometime in 1909. The licence allowing alcohol to be sold from the premises was issued to Ann on 18 December 1908 but by December 1909 it had been changed to the name of Weekes.

They still appeared in 1913 but by 1914, the name of Peter Holley was attached to the licence. He was there throughout World War One and was called up to serve in 1917.

Peter appealed his enlistment to the Military Tribunal. He was initially granted a draft exemption on the grounds of needing to harvest his crop of potatoes on his smallholding of six vergees. He was then granted a further exemption by the Western Tribunal because he was working a few days a week as a casual labourer for two local farmers, Trachy and Maillard.

The Military appealed against this decision claiming that he deliberately found the work in order to evade being drafted and that his wife was perfectly capable of running his grocery business.

Pictured: Rates Schedule on which 'Eskdale' was first named, 1904 (Jersey Heritage). 

The military representative in the appeal wrote: “It is contended that it is of more national importance that this man should serve in His Majesty’s Forces, than to continue in his present form of occupation, being 29 years of age and Category A.”

Fortunately for Holley and unfortunately for the Military, the appeal fell on deaf ears and he was allowed to stay in the Island and continue with his employment.

In December 1920, Wilfred Nicholas Le Bailly Renouf was listed as the new licence holder. Then on 29 January 1921, Ann Vibert permanently transferred ‘Eskdale’ by selling it to Wilfred and his wife, Louisa Michel, for the sum of £800.

LEARN MORE...

This article, put together by Senior Archivist Stuart Nicolle, only touches on some of the research into the St Peter's Vilage area for the ‘Your Home, Your Story’ series.

Jersey Archive will be hosting a free talk this Saturday (18 November) at 10:00. Although the talk is fully booked, a recording will be put online after the event for those wanting to learn more about the property. It can be viewed here. 

You can also uncover more stories by searching Jersey Archive's online catalogue here.