The first two months of the year have been particularly busy at the Lord Coutanche Library, with several group visits providing welcome opportunities to showcase the breadth and richness of our collections.
In January, we were delighted to welcome 34 members of the U3A (University of the Third Age) to the Société Jersiaise and the Lord Coutanche Library.
The group spent time exploring a selection of materials from our collections and were greatly impressed by the variety and depth of items held at the Library. Among the materials displayed were rare books, historic maps, postcards, family trees, prints and other fascinating archival items. It was a pleasure to share these resources with such an engaged and appreciative audience.
In February, the Library welcomed 14 art students and their teacher from Highlands College. The students were at the early stages of their final projects, working on the themes of ‘out of the ordinary’, ‘surrealism’, and ‘nature and the environment’.
To support their research and creative development, the Library staff presented a range of relevant materials from the collections. These included entomology specimens, pressed flowers and seaweed from the Herbarium, drawings of insects and birds, books on local painters, sketchers and photographers, scrapbooks relating to local theatre, as well as maps, postcards and photographs.
The visit lasted almost two hours, during which the students spent time seated in the Library sketching and making notes, drawing direct inspiration from the original materials. It was a pleasure to see them engaging so thoughtfully and creatively with Jersey’s rich natural and cultural heritage.
Also in February, we had the distinct honour of welcoming the Bailiff of Jersey, one of the esteemed Patrons of the Société Jersiaise, to our headquarters at Pier Road.
Robert MacRae, a long-standing member of the Société, was accompanied by his Chief Officer, Steve Cartwright MBE. The Librarian was delighted to present a selection of treasures from the Lord Coutanche Library’s collections.
Among the items displayed were:
- Le Grand Coustumier du Pays et Duché de Normandie (Laurens Hostingue, Caen, 1510).
- Commentaires du droict civil, tant public que privé, observé au pays & Duché de Normandie by Guillaume Terrien (Paris, 1574).
- The Safety of Jersey: being a familiar illustration of the forms, practice, and privileges of the Royal Court showing how this island was miraculously preserved and the plot discovered (Russell, 1841).
- Letter to the Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey, Major Moses Corbett, regarding repairs to the Royal Court House and associated costs submitted by Fall and Pipon, dated 16 April 1776.
- A Collection of the several petitions, representations and answers of the States and of the Royal Court of Jersey, relative to political differences comprehending Transactions from the year 1779 to 1788.
The Bailiff and his Chief Officer showed great interest in the collections and in the remarkable documentary heritage preserved within the Library.
We look forward to welcoming many more visitors throughout the year and continuing to share the unique resources of the Lord Coutanche Library with the wider community.
