Making the news… 30, 75, 100 years ago

Wednesday 04 January 2017

The release of more than 150 previously secret documents from the vaults of the Jersey Archive are helping shed light on what life was like in the Island 30, 75 and 100 years ago.

For legal reasons many of the documents held by the Archive are ‘closed’ for a set period of time – which means the public can’t read them.

The number of years depends upon what’s in the documents and who wrote them. But, as soon as the date expires the Archive makes them public.

According to Linda Romeril, Archives and Collections Director at Jersey Heritage, “We are currently at a point in time where records closed for 100 years date from the First World War period and records closed for 75 years date from the Second World War period. These two global conflicts had a significant impact on Jersey people and their lives and many of the records released this year can help shed light on the activities and events of those challenging times.”

One of the 100-year-old documents released contains a letter from the Viscount to the Under Secretary of State. In it he says: “this day by a unanimous vote, [the States] tabled a one clause bill abolishing public executions and directing in future that they should be carried out within the prison.”

Another document from 100 years ago details the running of what was known as the Mental Asylum – St Saviour’s Hospital. In September 1906 there were 113 women and 80 men detained.

A more gruesome document – this time from 75 years ago - is the findings of an inquest into the death of Bienaime Vrac. It was 19 June 1940, and a busy time at the airport, with many French planes coming to refuel in the Island on their way to England fleeing the oncoming German troops. Mr Vrac was working at the airport and accidentally walked into the propellers of a plane preparing to take-off.

A free talk about these newly released documents is being held at the Archive at 10:00 on 21 January.