Jersey Evening Post
Encyclopedia
The Jersey Evening Post is a regional newspaper
published six days a week in the Bailiwick of Jersey. It was printed in broadsheet
format for 87 years, though it is now of compact
(tabloid) size. Its motto is: "At the heart of island life".
The Post was produced sheet by sheet on a flatbed press until 1926, when Guiton oversaw the introduction and operation of the first rotary press. Guiton remained the main proprietor and editor until the following year, when his son-in-law Arthur Harrison took over. The latter stayed in both positions until he was succeeded in 1944 by his son, Arthur G. Harrison. Under the Harrisons, the newspaper, while undergoing little technical change, saw testing times as the island came under German military occupation
from 1940 to 1945. Although it was still published during these years, the Post was strictly supervised and censored by the occupying forces.
After the island's liberation in 1945, the newspaper grew and in 1957 became the main asset of a newly formed business entity called W E Guiton and Co Ltd.
Following the closure of the Morning News in 1949, the Evening Post has been without a regular English-language
competitor, and the closure of the French-language
newspaper Les Chroniques de Jersey at the end of 1959 left the Evening Post as the only newspaper of record in Jersey to publish the Jersey Gazette of official notices and promulgation of laws.
In 1967, the newspaper's name was changed from Evening Post to Jersey Evening Post.
Control of the paper passed in 1973 to Frank Walker
, who would later become Jersey's first chief minister. The Guiton Group expanded outwards from newspaper production in the late 1970s into IT, through its subsidiary company Itex. In 1998 it purchased the Guernsey Evening Press and Star. Guiton Group was then itself purchased in 2004 by Claverley Media, publishers of the Wolverhampton Express and Star.
The Jèrriais - Jersey's native language column hosts articles written in Jersey's dialect
of Norman
, Jèrriais
, accompanied by a précis and vocabulary in English.
In 1911 Philippe Le Sueur Mourant
(1848–1918) launched a new series of stories in the Morning News relating the adventures and opinions of Piteur Pain, supposedly a former country blacksmith turned foreman of the printing shop, and his family. This series of stories moved to the Evening Post between 1915 and 1916.
Following the closure of Les Chroniques de Jersey, the Ph'lip et Merrienne articles started appearing in the Evening Post from 2 January 1960. Written by Edward Le Brocq (1877–1964), who had worked for the Evening Post before becoming editor of the Morning News, they took the form of a letter to the editor supposedly written by an old farming couple from St. Ouen
commenting on personalities, events and elections laced with humorous observations on Jersey history and traditions.
Following the death of Edward Le Brocq, George Francis Le Feuvre (1891–1984) contributed a Lettre du Bouonhomme George under the pen name
George d'la Forge. Since he had emigrated to North America after the First World War and subsequently taken United States
citizenship, most of the letters had either an international flavour, commenting on life and politics in America, or nostalgia for the Jersey of Le Feuvre's boyhood.
Following the death of George d'la Forge, Sir Arthur de la Mare (1914–1994), a retired ambassador, took over the task of contributing regular columns to the newspaper. Written in the Trinity
dialect, as distinct from the St. Ouen dialect used by George d'la Forge, Sir Arthur's articles included reminiscences of his life as a diplomat, especially in the Far East, as well as comments on events and politics in Jersey.
Since Sir Arthur's death, a roster of contributors have maintained the tradition of the weekly (or fortnightly) newspaper column. Currently the writer of this feature is Geraint Jennings
.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published six days a week in the Bailiwick of Jersey. It was printed in broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
format for 87 years, though it is now of compact
Compact (newspaper)
A compact newspaper is a broadsheet-quality newspaper printed in a tabloid format, especially one in the United Kingdom. The term is used also for this size came into use in its current use when The Independent began producing a smaller format edition for London's commuters, designed to be easier...
(tabloid) size. Its motto is: "At the heart of island life".
History
The Evening Post was founded in 1890 by H.P. Butterworth, although it was acquired only a few weeks after its launch by Walter Guiton, whose business printed it.The Post was produced sheet by sheet on a flatbed press until 1926, when Guiton oversaw the introduction and operation of the first rotary press. Guiton remained the main proprietor and editor until the following year, when his son-in-law Arthur Harrison took over. The latter stayed in both positions until he was succeeded in 1944 by his son, Arthur G. Harrison. Under the Harrisons, the newspaper, while undergoing little technical change, saw testing times as the island came under German military occupation
Occupation of the Channel Islands
The Channel Islands were occupied by Nazi Germany for much of World War II, from 30 June 1940 until the liberation on 9 May 1945. The Channel Islands are two British Crown dependencies and include the bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey as well as the smaller islands of Alderney and Sark...
from 1940 to 1945. Although it was still published during these years, the Post was strictly supervised and censored by the occupying forces.
After the island's liberation in 1945, the newspaper grew and in 1957 became the main asset of a newly formed business entity called W E Guiton and Co Ltd.
Following the closure of the Morning News in 1949, the Evening Post has been without a regular English-language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
competitor, and the closure of the French-language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
newspaper Les Chroniques de Jersey at the end of 1959 left the Evening Post as the only newspaper of record in Jersey to publish the Jersey Gazette of official notices and promulgation of laws.
In 1967, the newspaper's name was changed from Evening Post to Jersey Evening Post.
Control of the paper passed in 1973 to Frank Walker
Frank Walker (Jersey politician)
Frank Harrison Walker OBE was the first Chief Minister of Jersey, 2005-2008.-Career outside politics:In 1973 Walker became managing director of the Jersey Evening Post . He later took over chairmanship of the Guiton Group, owners of both the Jersey Evening Post and Guernsey Evening Press...
, who would later become Jersey's first chief minister. The Guiton Group expanded outwards from newspaper production in the late 1970s into IT, through its subsidiary company Itex. In 1998 it purchased the Guernsey Evening Press and Star. Guiton Group was then itself purchased in 2004 by Claverley Media, publishers of the Wolverhampton Express and Star.
Today
Jèrriais
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of Norman
Norman language
Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. Norman can be classified as one of the northern Oïl languages along with Picard and Walloon...
, Jèrriais
Jèrriais
Jèrriais is the form of the Norman language spoken in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, off the coast of France. It has been in decline over the past century as English has increasingly become the language of education, commerce and administration...
, accompanied by a précis and vocabulary in English.
In 1911 Philippe Le Sueur Mourant
Philippe Le Sueur Mourant
Philippe Le Sueur Mourant was a Jersey writer who wrote in Jèrriais and French.He was born in St Saviour in 1848 and spent most of his early life working in agriculture in Newfoundland and Lorient...
(1848–1918) launched a new series of stories in the Morning News relating the adventures and opinions of Piteur Pain, supposedly a former country blacksmith turned foreman of the printing shop, and his family. This series of stories moved to the Evening Post between 1915 and 1916.
Following the closure of Les Chroniques de Jersey, the Ph'lip et Merrienne articles started appearing in the Evening Post from 2 January 1960. Written by Edward Le Brocq (1877–1964), who had worked for the Evening Post before becoming editor of the Morning News, they took the form of a letter to the editor supposedly written by an old farming couple from St. Ouen
Saint Ouen, Jersey
-Cueillettes:Unlike the other parishes of Jersey, the subdivisions of this parish are not named vingtaines, but cueillettes . Vingteniers are still elected, however, in the cueillettes.*La Petite Cueillette*La Grande Cueillette...
commenting on personalities, events and elections laced with humorous observations on Jersey history and traditions.
Following the death of Edward Le Brocq, George Francis Le Feuvre (1891–1984) contributed a Lettre du Bouonhomme George under the pen name
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
George d'la Forge. Since he had emigrated to North America after the First World War and subsequently taken United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizenship, most of the letters had either an international flavour, commenting on life and politics in America, or nostalgia for the Jersey of Le Feuvre's boyhood.
Following the death of George d'la Forge, Sir Arthur de la Mare (1914–1994), a retired ambassador, took over the task of contributing regular columns to the newspaper. Written in the Trinity
Trinity, Jersey
Trinity is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey in the Channel Islands. It is in the north east of the island.Trinity has the reputation of being the most rural of Jersey's parishes, being the third-largest parish by surface area with the third-smallest population. The parish covers 6,817 vergées...
dialect, as distinct from the St. Ouen dialect used by George d'la Forge, Sir Arthur's articles included reminiscences of his life as a diplomat, especially in the Far East, as well as comments on events and politics in Jersey.
Since Sir Arthur's death, a roster of contributors have maintained the tradition of the weekly (or fortnightly) newspaper column. Currently the writer of this feature is Geraint Jennings
Geraint Jennings
- Biography :Geraint Jennings was born in Saint Helier in 1966. He was educated at Victoria College Preparatory and Christ's Hospital. He graduated from University College, Oxford with a Master of Arts in Modern Languages. Further studies include a Licenciate Diploma in TESOL from Trinity College,...
.