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Société Jersiaise was founded in 1873 for the study of Jersey archaeology, history, natural history

06/11/2026

🎨 Société Jersiaise Lunchtime Talks 🎨

📆Wednesday 11th November 2026
⏰1:10pm - Société Members' Room

Join us for an intriguing lunchtime talk exploring the Jersey connections of one of the most influential artists of the nineteenth century.

James McNeill Whistler: Links with Jersey
Presented by Diane Moore

In 1881, renowned artist James McNeill Whistler visited Jersey, producing works that captured the island during a fascinating period of its history. In this talk, Diane Moore will explore Whistler's time in Jersey, his wider connections with the Channel Islands, and the artistic circles in which he moved.

The talk will also compare Whistler's Jersey artworks with those of other contemporary artists who visited and painted the island around the same time, offering a unique insight into Jersey through the eyes of some of the era's most celebrated painters.

Whether you're interested in art, history, or Jersey's cultural heritage, this promises to be a fascinating journey into the island's artistic past.

🎟️ Please reserve your tickets by clicking the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/james-mcneill-whistler-links-with-jersey-tickets-2001179787615

03/11/2026

A natural arch on Jersey's coastline over 100 years ago

Following our recent post featuring climbers on Jersey's north coast, this photograph from Album 58 in the Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive collection shows the natural rock bridge known as
Pont de la Moie.

The album contains numerous views of Jersey's caves, inlets and coastal formations, including several photographs of this distinctive feature and the surrounding coastline. To find out more about the album and its contents, read

🔗Photo Album Review: https://societe.je/sjpa-review-album-58/

🌐 Explore our website to discover exhibitions, articles and resources that bring Jersey's rich history to life.

📖 Discover more stories: https://societe.je/blog-series/

31/10/2026

📜 On This Day: The Expulsion of Victor Hugo from Jersey

On 31 October 1855, the celebrated French writer Victor Hugo and his family left Jersey, following an order expelling him from the Island.

The affair began when Félix Pyat, a French political exile living in London, wrote a highly critical letter to Queen Victoria. The letter was reproduced in
L'Homme, a newspaper published by French political exiles in Jersey. Three men associated with the newspaper, Charles Ribeyrolles, Colonel Pianciani and Thomas, were subsequently ordered to leave the Island.

Victor Hugo strongly protested against their expulsion. In a declaration signed by Hugo and fellow exiles on 17 October, he denounced the authorities' decision and expressed solidarity with those who had been expelled.

The authorities responded by ordering Hugo and the other signatories to leave Jersey. Although given until 2 November to depart, Hugo chose to leave earlier, sailing for Guernsey with his family on 31 October.

To discover the full and fascinating story of Hugo’s years in Jersey and the circumstances surrounding his expulsion, read
Victor Hugo in Jersey, published by the Société Jersiaise in both English and French.

📖 Available from the Société Jersiaise.

📸 Images

• Article in L'Homme, 17 November 1855 (Lord Coutanche Library newspaper collection).

• Portrait of Victor Hugo, 1853 (SJPA/002535).

30/10/2026

🦇 Lunchtime Talk: What Drives Bat Activity in Jersey?

Join Hannah Le Morvan, recipient of the Société Jersiaise Nigel Quérée Environment Award, as she shares the findings from her fascinating research into Jersey's bat populations.

Using a year of acoustic monitoring data from across the Island, Hannah explores how bat activity changes throughout the seasons and how factors such as weather and landscape influence their behaviour. Her work provides valuable insights into bat conservation and helps establish an important baseline for future research in Jersey.

📅 Wednesday 4th November
🕐 1.10pm
📍 Members' Room, Société Jersiaise

Please book your tickets in advance. Our lunchtime talks are becoming increasingly popular, and to guarantee your seat we recommend booking via the link below.

🔗https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-year-with-jerseys-bats-what-acoustic-monitoring-revealed-tickets-2001174515847

We look forward to seeing you there!

🦇

29/10/2026

This photograph, from Album 58 in the Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive collection, shows a group of climbers making their way up Jersey's north coast. The album documents the island's coastline and caves, with several
pages dedicated to rock-climbing excursions.

The album was recently featured in a blog article by our Photographic Archive team, exploring its contents and what they reveal about Jersey's coastal landscape. To find out more, visit our website and read:

🔗https://societe.je/sjpa-review-album-58/

🌐 Love local history?

📷 Follow us for more stories from Jersey's history.

26/10/2026

🍂 Our Lunchtime Talk Series continues on Wednesday with - 'Planning Policy: Reconciling Preserving the Past with Preparing for the Future' with Sir Mark Boleat🍂

Planning is one of the most important and often debated issues facing Jersey today. How do we preserve the Island's unique heritage and environment whilst ensuring it can meet future housing and economic needs?

In this thought-provoking talk, Sir Mark will explore how the planning system seeks to balance these competing demands, preserving the best of the past while preparing for the future. A longstanding member of the Société Jersiaise and respected author on Jersey's history and economy, he brings a wealth of experience and insight to this important topic.

📅 Wednesday 28th October 2026
🕐 1.10pm - 1.50pm
📍 Members' Room, Société Jersiaise

🎟️ Booking is essential. Please reserve your place via the link below.

🔗 https://www.eventbrite.com/events/2001173440631/dashboard/?eid=2001173440631

We look forward to welcoming you.

25/10/2026

🚂 25 October 1870

On this day in 1870, the first train journey took place from St Helier to St Aubin, marking an important moment in the history of Jersey’s railway.

This fascinating historic postcard captures the early days of the island’s railway, showing a steam locomotive and carriages carrying passengers across a raised railway bridge. It offers a glimpse into a time when the arrival of the railway brought a new chapter to transport and travel in Jersey.

📸 Postcard from the Lord Coutanche Library’s collection.

23/10/2026

📚 Book Launch, Signing & Talk: On Sorrowful Tides

Join us at the Société Jersiaise for the launch of On Sorrowful Tides, the latest book by Jersey historian, author and Société Vice-President Ian Ronayne.

Coinciding with the anniversary of 23 October 1943, the day HMS Charybdis and HMS Limbourne were lost in the English Channel, this event offers an opportunity to reflect on their enduring legacy and the impact their loss had on Jersey and the Channel Islands.

Discover the remarkable story behind one of Jersey's most poignant Occupation landmarks, the wooden-cross war cemetery in Howard Davis Park, and learn about the men lost following the sinking of HMS Charybdis and HMS Limbourne in 1943.

Ian will give a short talk about the research behind the book, followed by a book signing.

📅 Thursday 29 October
🕠 5.30pm
📍 Members' Room, Société Jersiaise

Open to all. Please book your free place via Eventbrite:

🔗 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-launch-signing-talk-on-sorrowful-tides-tickets-2003760344129?aff=oddtdtcreator

Copies of On Sorrowful Tides will be available on the evening for £14.95, with 10% off for Société Jersiaise members. The book will also be available to purchase in our onsite bookshop, open Monday-Friday, 9am-2pm.

We look forward to welcoming you.

22/10/2026

📜 On This Day in 1772, Henry Seymour Conway was appointed Governor of Jersey.

Conway remained Governor for 23 years, until his death in 1795. During his tenure, French forces made a short-lived attempt to seize Jersey during the Battle of Jersey in 1781. In the years that followed, a network of coastal defence towers was built around the Island to help guard against future invasions. One of these, Seymour Tower on Jersey's south-east coast, was named in his honour.

📸 Pictured here is a photographic copy of a portrait of Henry Seymour Conway from the Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive (SJPA/013489). The original oil painting was created by renowned artist Thomas Gainsborough.

🔍 Fascinated by Jersey's history? Explore thousands of records, photographs, maps, and documents in our online catalogues and uncover more stories
from the Island's past.

👉Explore the shared catalogue here:
catalogue.jerseyheritage.org
👉 For access to digital newspapers, photographic albums, and recorded talks, click here: collections.societe.je

21/10/2026

🌟 A Full House for the First Lunchtime Talk of the Series! 🌟

What a fantastic start to our Autumn/Winter Lunchtime Talk Series! Today we welcomed a full house to the Société's Members' Room for our opening talk, with a wonderful turnout from members and guests alike.

A huge thank you to Karen Blampied for her fascinating presentation, The 12 Parish Saints of Jersey, which was extremely well received by all in attendance.

This was the first of nine talks in the series, with eight more lunchtime talks still to come, featuring a fantastic variety of Jersey-related topics.

📅 Our Lunchtime Talks take place every Wednesday from 1.10pm to 1.50pm in the Members' Room.

To find out more about upcoming talks and reserve your seat, visit our events page:

🔗 https://societe.je/events/

We look forward to welcoming you to the next talk!

Address

7 Pier Road
St. Helier
JE24XW

Website

http://www.societe.je/

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