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Independent Islands => Alderney, Guernsey, Jersey, Sark => Channel Islands Lookup Requests => Topic started by: Perth on Tuesday 18 September 12 12:16 BST (UK)
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I will be visiting Jersey from Australia in October & if possible would like to find the graves of my 5 x g grandparents who died in 1835 & 1855 respectively. At the time of their death they both lived in St Helier so I assume it likely that they are buried in The St Helier cemetery. Would there be any surviving grave records for this period & if so where would I be able to search them?
Just one other thought as my 5 x grandfather was in the Royal Marines would he perhaps be buried in a naval/military cemetery (if there is one of course)?
Perth
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This page may be of assistance?
http://www.sthelier.je/cemeteries/
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Thank you for that website suggestion, unfortunately the records kept for these cemeteries are later than I need.
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Have you tried Jersey Archives?
http://search.jerseyheritage.org/default.aspx
I can't find the article now, but I did read that gravestones from the old Town Church graveyard have been used as paving stones?
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Thank you, yes I have tried the Jersey Archives - unsuccessfully unfortunately, however, I will definitely try to visit in person, perhaps someone there may have some suggestions of where to look.
Perhaps I just need to keep my head down and inspect each paving stone? lol!
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The Jersey Archive has transcribed records of burials in the St Helier Town Church cemetery from at least 1700. All they will give you is a name and a date although occasionally you might get a 'son of' or a 'widow of'. They do not tell you where individuals were buried and it is unlikely that the graves still exist - unless they were buried either inside or close to the church.
The next oldest St Helier burial ground is Green Street cemetery, I know the memorial inscription records have been transcribed and I think (although I'm not sure) that other records have recently been added.
The Archive staff and volunteers are all extremely helpful, make it your first port of call and they'll be able to tell you if you're wasting your time inspecting paving stones!
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Many thanks for your advice. I will certainly make the Archives my first port of call.
I am looking forward to exploring your lovely island.
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On a recent visit to the archives I found the bare minimum of info in the index books.
Ringrise
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If the Archives prove disappointing I will have to make do with trying to locate the streets they lived in, even though I do not have definte street numbers. At various times they lived:
Gloucester St, St Helier
3 Belmont Cottage, Belmont St, St Helier
Belmont Place, St Helier
Meadow View, Beaumont, St Helier
Looking at Google maps, most of these streets (although quite long streets) still exist.
I may have a little more luck researching another member of the family: Charles William Herbert Connolly, who between 1900-1908 was a Church of England minister & lived at the Vicarage, St Martin, Jersey with his wife and 3 children.
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At the end of our visit to Jersey we went ti the Jersey Museum and quite by chance saw next door the Societie Jersiase.I had not made an appointment but was lucky that someone was free to help.They did have burial records in books ,sometimes with inscriptions.
If you aren't in Jersey it may be worthwhile paying for them to do lookups for you.....cheaper than fare over .They charge £5 an hour for members of the Family History Society of Jersey ....double for non members.
The staff were so helpful....their records better than the Archives which ai found most disappointing.At the Archives they have a catalogue. on line which was in e process of being changed.I had used the old version at home many months ago and found that they still used this old version at the archives.i was able to find 3 wills which I wad able to view and have copies made to be sent to me at home art 50 p each.
their new catalogue which is the only one we can view at home isn't good and the willsI wanted weren't on it.
Go to the Societie Jersiaise for your research and if you visit do pre book.
Ringrosr
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On one of my many weekend visits to Jersey, I had time free on the Monday.
So I visited Societe Jersiaise - as you said very helpful!
Found my (mis-transcribed) family on the 1841 census by reading the original forms!
The Archive was closed (closed every Monday, I think?), so I never did go there. So I can't comment about them.
And I have used the Channel Islands FHS, who did some look ups for me. Very efficient, and worth every penny!
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The Jersey Archive does have several volumes of burial records, the same ones as the Soc J. There are records from all of the parish churches from the earliest records up until 1842.
There are St Helier burial records from Almorah and Mont a l'Abbe cemeteries plus memorial inscriptions from Green Street and St Peter's cemeteries. I believe St Clement burial records are on-line.
The Archive also holds an amazingly useful collection of funeral directors records. They are a reasonably new acquisition and are in the process of being indexed although many have already been done. These hold a wealth of information including date of death, address, place of burial and in some cases family members.
The Livres de Remarques from the funeral directors will give such information as burial number, name of person buried, relatives, age, date of death, cause of death etc etc - these are also at the Archive.
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This wasn't mentioned to me at the archives but the Societie Jersiase do have the funeral directors records too.
Ringrose
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Many thanks everyone for all your useful tips.
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I agree that the new Archive website is not as good as the old one. I find it a lot harder to find information. Although you can't do any research online a Societe Jersiaise, their web site is interesting and has some lovely old photos of Jersey, so worth a look www.societe-Jersiaise.org
Good luck with research