Saint Helier
Encyclopedia
Saint Helier is one of the twelve parishes
of Jersey
, the largest of the Channel Islands
in the English Channel
. St. Helier has a population of about 28,000, roughly 31.2% of the total population of Jersey
, and is the capital of the Island (although Government House
is situated in St. Saviour
). The urban area of the parish of St. Helier makes up most of the largest town in Jersey, although some of the town area is situated in adjacent St. Saviour, with suburbs sprawling into St. Lawrence
and St. Clement
. The greater part of St. Helier is predominantly rural.
The parish covers a surface area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), being 9% of the total land area of the Island (this includes reclaimed land
area of 494 acres (2 km²) or 200 ha
).
The parish crest is two crossed gold axes on a blue background, symbolising the martyr
dom of Helier and the sea.
It is thought that the site of St. Helier was settled at the time of the Roman control of Gaul.
The medieval hagiographies of Helier
, the patron saint
martyred in Jersey and after whom the parish and town are named, suggest a picture of a small fishing village on the dunes between the marshy land behind and the high-water mark.
Although the Parish Church of St Helier
is now some considerable distance from the sea, at the time of its original construction it was on the edge of the dunes at the closest practical point to the offshore islet
called the Hermitage (site of Helier's witness and martyrdom). Before land reclamation and port construction started, boats could be tied up to the churchyard wall on the seaward side.
An Abbey
of St. Helier was founded in 1155 on L'Islet, a tidal island
adjacent to the Hermitage. Closed at the Reformation, the site of the abbey was fortified to create the castle that replaced Mont Orgueil as the Island's major fortress. The new Elizabeth Castle
was named after the Queen by the Governor of Jersey 1600-1603, Sir Walter Raleigh
.
Until the end of the 18th century, the town consisted chiefly of a string of houses, shops and warehouses stretching along the coastal dunes either side of the Church of St. Helier and the adjacent marketplace (since 1751, Royal Square). La Cohue (a Norman
word for courthouse) stood on one side of the square, now rebuilt as the Royal Court and States Chamber (called collectively the States Building). The market cross
in the centre of the square was pulled down at the Reformation
, and the iron cage for holding prisoners was replaced by a prison gatehouse at the western edge of town.
George II
gave £200 towards the construction of a new harbour - previously boats would be beached on a falling tide and unloaded by cart across the sands. A statue of the king (by John Cheere
) was erected in the square in 1751 in gratitude, and the market place was renamed Royal Square, although the name has remained Lé Vièr Marchi (the old market) to this day in Jèrriais
. Many of St. Helier's road names and street names are bilingual English/French or English/Jèrriais, some having only one name though, although the names in the various languages are not usually translations: distinct naming traditions survive alongside each other.
The Royal Square was also the scene of the Battle of Jersey
on January 6, 1781, the last attempt by French forces to seize Jersey. John Singleton Copley
's epic painting The Death of Major Pierson captures an imaginative version of the scene.
As harbour construction moved development seaward, a growth in population meant that marshland and pasture north of the ribbon of urban activity was built on speculatively. Settlement by English immigrants added quarters of colonial-style town houses to the traditional building stock.
Continuing military threats from France spurred the construction of a citadel fortress, Fort Regent, on the Mont de la Ville, the crag dominating the shallow basin of St. Helier.
Military roads linking coastal defences around the island with St. Helier harbour had the effect of enabling farmers to exploits Jersey's temperate micro-climate and get their crops onto new fast sailing ships and then steamships to get their produce into the markets of London
and Paris
before the competition. This was the start of Jersey's agricultural prosperity in the 19th century.
From the 1820s, peace with France and better communications enabled by steamships and railways to coastal ports encouraged an influx of English-speaking residents. Speculative development covered the marshy basin north of the central coastal strip as far as the hills within a period of about 40 years, providing the town with terraces of elegant town houses.
In the second half of the 19th century, the need to facilitate access to the harbour for hundreds of trucks laden with potato
es and other produce for export prompted a programme of road-widening which swept away many of the ancient buildings of the town centre. Pressure for redevelopment has meant that very few buildings remain in urban St. Helier which date to before the 19th century, giving the town primarily a Regency or Victorian character.
Pierre Le Sueur, reforming Constable
of St. Helier, was responsible for installing sewerage and provision of clean water in St. Helier following outbreaks of cholera
in the 1830s. An obelisk
with fountain in the town centre was raised to his memory following his premature death in office from overwork.
In the 1970s, a programme of pedestrianisation of the central streets was undertaken.
In 1995, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jersey being liberated from Nazi occupation
, and thus 50 years of peace, a sculpture was erected in what is now called Liberation Square, in front of the Pomme d'Or Hotel, the focal point for the celebrations when the island was originally liberated.
The sculpture was originally to depict islanders releasing doves of peace, but this came under fierce criticism, with some islanders remarking that had any doves been on the island during the occupation, they would have been eaten by starving German soldiers. Therefore the sculpture was revised to show islanders raising the British flag, as they had done on the day of liberation 50 years previous.
Liberation Square is now a focal point in the town - the former terminus of the Jersey Railway
housed the Jersey Tourism office until 2007.
In 2006, it was reported that the Connétable, with the backing of the Chief Minister of Jersey
, was to seek city status
for St. Helier.
Now a much-contested waterside development area around the harbour is in the making, which will take this neglected area up market, with new hotels, office and apartment blocks and shopping arcades.
Saint Helier is the most populated of Jersey's parishes, with 28,310 residents as of 2001.
The parish is divided into vingtaine
s for administrative purposes:
For electoral purposes, the parish is divided into 4 districts.
The Parish also has its own responsibilities and elections to the Municipality
of St Helier take place to elect honorary officials who fulfill a variety of roles for Parishioners under the overall control of the Constable, two Procureurs du Bien Public
and the Parish Assembly
.
Five members of the Roads Committee
and ten Roads Inspector
s are also elected by parishioners and ensure that the roads of the parish are kept in good repair.
The Assessment Committee are elected to agree the rate chargeable to each property in the Parish.
The Accounts Committee
are elected to ensure that the accounts of the Parish represent a 'true and fair view' of the state of the Parish finances in order that the Parish Assembly may rely upon the information to set the Parish Rate
.
Elected officials are supported by a paid administration within the Parish.
; 16 Constable's Officers, 10 Vingteniers and 12 Centeniers. The Honorary Police work alongside the States of Jersey Police
(also referred to as the Paid Police) and Centeniers undertake the charging and prosecution of all suspects in the criminal justice system of Jersey
.
The Honorary Police
form an integral part of the Parish of St Helier. They work closely with the Constable of St Helier, the States of Jersey Police
and the Parishioners, and consequently provide a service that is unique to the British Isles.
St Helier Honorary Police consists of 10 Centeniers, 11 Vingteniers and 33 Constable's Officers, all of whom work entirely on an unpaid voluntary basis.
The elected term of office for all Police ranks is three years, with Centeniers, Vingteniers and Constable's Officers being elected by the whole Parish.
Members of the St Helier Honorary Police (as at June 2011) are:
Each Centenier, after appropriate training, undertakes a duty week approximately every ten weeks. The duty week may involve the following:
The Vingtenier is required to attend the two Visites du Branchage
each year, and the Visit Royale every six years.
The Constable's Officers undertake a number of duties similar to the Vingteniers listed above, and form the Honorary Police workforce.
Saint Helier is named for Helier
(or Helerius), a 6th century ascetic hermit. The traditional date of his martyrdom is AD
555. His feast day, marked by an annual municipal and ecumenical pilgrimage
to the Hermitage, is on July 16.
Many places in St. Helier have been formally listed as Sites of Special Interest by the Planning and Environment department of Jersey. Not all are mentioned on this page, only those which are most prominent.
including cast iron
structures, and an ornamental fountain
in the centre. The market comprises stalls selling flowers, fruit, and vegetables, as well as small shops and cafés.
Beresford Market is a separate building next to the Central Market, and specialises in fish mongery.
, the Jersey Arts Centre, the performance venue of St James, the sports and entertainment facilities at Fort Regent, the Jersey Library and the library of La Société Jersiaise
.
Sports facilities include Springfield Stadium
, swimming pools, pétanque
pitches, and badminton. Motor sports events take place on roads in the Parish as well as an annual Town Criterium
, and the start and finish of the Jersey Marathon
.
with: Avranches
in France
Bad Wurzach
in Germany
Funchal
in Madeira
Parishes of Jersey
The Channel Island of Jersey is divided into twelve administrative districts or parishes. All have access to the sea and are named after the saints to whom their ancient parish churches are dedicated.:* Saint Helier...
of Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, the largest of the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. St. Helier has a population of about 28,000, roughly 31.2% of the total population of Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, and is the capital of the Island (although Government House
Government House
Government House is the name of many of the residences of Governors-General, Governors and Lieutenant-Governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. It serves as the venue for the Governor's official business, as well as the many receptions and functions hosted by...
is situated in St. Saviour
Saint Saviour, Jersey
-Notable sites:*Highlands College*De La Salle College*St. Michael's Preparatory School*Hautlieu School*Grainville Cricket Ground*Grainville School*Jersey Evening Post offices and printing works-External links:**...
). The urban area of the parish of St. Helier makes up most of the largest town in Jersey, although some of the town area is situated in adjacent St. Saviour, with suburbs sprawling into St. Lawrence
Saint Lawrence, Jersey
Saint Lawrence is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey in the Channel Islands. The parish covers 5,258 vergées and occupies the centre of the Island....
and St. Clement
Saint Clement, Jersey
Saint Clement is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey in the Channel Islands. It is in the south east of the Island, and contains some of the suburbs of Saint Helier. It is the smallest parish by surface area, but the second most densely populated. St...
. The greater part of St. Helier is predominantly rural.
The parish covers a surface area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), being 9% of the total land area of the Island (this includes reclaimed land
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
area of 494 acres (2 km²) or 200 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
).
The parish crest is two crossed gold axes on a blue background, symbolising the martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
dom of Helier and the sea.
History
The medieval hagiographies of Helier
Helier
Saint Helier, a 6th century ascetic hermit, is patron saint of Jersey in the Channel Islands, and in particular of the town and parish of Saint Helier, the island’s capital...
, the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
martyred in Jersey and after whom the parish and town are named, suggest a picture of a small fishing village on the dunes between the marshy land behind and the high-water mark.
Although the Parish Church of St Helier
Parish Church of St Helier
The Parish Church of St Helier is the parish church of the parish of Saint Helier, Jersey. It is one of the twelve 'Ancient Parish Churches' of Jersey, and serves as the Island's civic church and Pro-Cathedral.-Dedication:...
is now some considerable distance from the sea, at the time of its original construction it was on the edge of the dunes at the closest practical point to the offshore islet
Islet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
called the Hermitage (site of Helier's witness and martyrdom). Before land reclamation and port construction started, boats could be tied up to the churchyard wall on the seaward side.
An Abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of St. Helier was founded in 1155 on L'Islet, a tidal island
Tidal island
A tidal island is a piece of land that is connected to the mainland by a natural or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide. Because of the mystique surrounding tidal islands many of them have been sites of religious worship, such as Mont Saint Michel with its...
adjacent to the Hermitage. Closed at the Reformation, the site of the abbey was fortified to create the castle that replaced Mont Orgueil as the Island's major fortress. The new Elizabeth Castle
Elizabeth Castle
Elizabeth Castle is a castle in Saint Helier, Jersey. Construction was started in the 16th century when the power of cannon meant that the existing stronghold at Mont Orgueil was insufficient to defend the Island and the port of St. Helier was vulnerable to attack by ships armed with...
was named after the Queen by the Governor of Jersey 1600-1603, Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
.
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...
word for courthouse) stood on one side of the square, now rebuilt as the Royal Court and States Chamber (called collectively the States Building). The market cross
Market cross
A market cross is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in most...
in the centre of the square was pulled down at the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, and the iron cage for holding prisoners was replaced by a prison gatehouse at the western edge of town.
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
gave £200 towards the construction of a new harbour - previously boats would be beached on a falling tide and unloaded by cart across the sands. A statue of the king (by John Cheere
John Cheere
John Cheere was an English sculptor, born in London. Brother of the sculptor Sir Henry Cheere, he was originally apprenticed as a haberdasher from 1725 to 1732.-Life:...
) was erected in the square in 1751 in gratitude, and the market place was renamed Royal Square, although the name has remained Lé Vièr Marchi (the old market) to this day in 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...
. Many of St. Helier's road names and street names are bilingual English/French or English/Jèrriais, some having only one name though, although the names in the various languages are not usually translations: distinct naming traditions survive alongside each other.
The Royal Square was also the scene of the Battle of Jersey
Battle of Jersey
The Battle of Jersey was an attempt by France to invade Jersey and remove the threat the island posed to American shipping in the American War of Independence. Jersey was used as a base for privateering by the British, and France, engaged in the war as an ally of the United States, sent an...
on January 6, 1781, the last attempt by French forces to seize Jersey. John Singleton Copley
John Singleton Copley
John Singleton Copley was an American painter, born presumably in Boston, Massachusetts, and a son of Richard and Mary Singleton Copley, both Irish. He is famous for his portrait paintings of important figures in colonial New England, depicting in particular middle-class subjects...
's epic painting The Death of Major Pierson captures an imaginative version of the scene.
As harbour construction moved development seaward, a growth in population meant that marshland and pasture north of the ribbon of urban activity was built on speculatively. Settlement by English immigrants added quarters of colonial-style town houses to the traditional building stock.
Continuing military threats from France spurred the construction of a citadel fortress, Fort Regent, on the Mont de la Ville, the crag dominating the shallow basin of St. Helier.
Military roads linking coastal defences around the island with St. Helier harbour had the effect of enabling farmers to exploits Jersey's temperate micro-climate and get their crops onto new fast sailing ships and then steamships to get their produce into the markets of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
before the competition. This was the start of Jersey's agricultural prosperity in the 19th century.
In the second half of the 19th century, the need to facilitate access to the harbour for hundreds of trucks laden with potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es and other produce for export prompted a programme of road-widening which swept away many of the ancient buildings of the town centre. Pressure for redevelopment has meant that very few buildings remain in urban St. Helier which date to before the 19th century, giving the town primarily a Regency or Victorian character.
Pierre Le Sueur, reforming Constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
of St. Helier, was responsible for installing sewerage and provision of clean water in St. Helier following outbreaks of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
in the 1830s. An obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
with fountain in the town centre was raised to his memory following his premature death in office from overwork.
In the 1970s, a programme of pedestrianisation of the central streets was undertaken.
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...
, and thus 50 years of peace, a sculpture was erected in what is now called Liberation Square, in front of the Pomme d'Or Hotel, the focal point for the celebrations when the island was originally liberated.
The sculpture was originally to depict islanders releasing doves of peace, but this came under fierce criticism, with some islanders remarking that had any doves been on the island during the occupation, they would have been eaten by starving German soldiers. Therefore the sculpture was revised to show islanders raising the British flag, as they had done on the day of liberation 50 years previous.
Liberation Square is now a focal point in the town - the former terminus of the Jersey Railway
Jersey Railway
The Jersey Railway was opened in 1870 and was originally a standard gauge railway, long, in Jersey in the Channel Islands. Converted to narrow gauge in 1884 and extended, the line closed in 1936. It is not to be confused with the Jersey Eastern Railway....
housed the Jersey Tourism office until 2007.
In 2006, it was reported that the Connétable, with the backing of the Chief Minister of Jersey
Chief Minister of Jersey
The Chief Minister of Jersey is the head of government of Jersey. The head of government is not directly elected by the people but rather by the legislature ....
, was to seek city status
City status
City status is the national recognition of an area as a city. Specifically, "city status" may refer to:*City rights in the Low Countries*City status in Ireland*City status in the United Kingdom*City status in the United States of America...
for St. Helier.
Now a much-contested waterside development area around the harbour is in the making, which will take this neglected area up market, with new hotels, office and apartment blocks and shopping arcades.
Demographics
Subdivisions
Vingtaine
A vingtaine is a political subdivision of Jersey. They are subdivisions of the various parishes of Jersey, and one, La Vingtaine de la Ville , in Saint Helier is further divided into two cantons.St...
s for administrative purposes:
- La Vingtaine de la VilleVingtaine de la VilleThe Vingtaine de la Ville is one of the six vingtaines of Saint Helier in Jersey, and roughly corresponds to the historic town centre and harbours...
- Canton de Bas de la Vingtaine de la Ville
- Canton de Haut de la Vingtaine de la Ville
- La Vingtaine du Rouge BouillonVingtaine du Rouge BouillonThe Vingtaine du Rouge Bouillon is one of the six vingtaines of St. Helier Parish on the Channel Island of Jersey.-National Elections:With the Vingtaine du Mont à l'Abbé and the Vingtaine du Mont Cochon this vingtaine forms St Helier electoral districts 3&4 which return four Deputies to the States...
- La Vingtaine de Bas du Mont au PrêtreVingtaine de Bas du Mont au PrêtreVingtaine de Bas du Mont au Pretre is one of the five vingtaines of St. Helier Parish on the Channel Island of Jersey.The Roads Inspectors for this Vingtaine are Mr. Paul Huelin and Mr. Daren O'Toole...
- La Vingtaine de Haut du Mont au PrêtreVingtaine de Haut du Mont au PrêtreVingtaine de Haut du Mont au Pretre is one of the five vingtaines of St. Helier Parish on the Channel Island of Jersey....
- La Vingtaine du Mont à l'AbbéVingtaine du Mont à l'AbbéThe Vingtaine du Mont à l'Abbé is one of six vingtaines of the Parish of Saint Helier in the Channel Island of Jersey.-Elected Officials:Two Vingteniers, three Constable's Officers and two Roads Inspectors are elected for three years term to represent this Vingtaine.Current serving Vingteniers are...
- La Vingtaine du Mont CochonVingtaine du Mont CochonVingtaine du Mont Cochon is one of the six vingtaines of the Parish of St. Helier, in the Channel Island of Jersey.-National Elections:This vingtaine forms St Helier Electoral District no.4....
For electoral purposes, the parish is divided into 4 districts.
- St. Helier No. 1 (comprising the Vingtaine de la Ville) elects 3 Deputies
- St. Helier No. 2 (comprising the Vingtaine de Bas du Mont au Prêtre and Vingtaine de Haut du Mont au Prêtre) elects 3 Deputies
- St. Helier No. 3 (comprising the Vingtaine du Rouge Bouillon and Vingtaine du Mont à l'Abbé)
- St. Helier No. 4 (comprising the Vingtaine du Mont Cochon)
- votes from polling stations in Nos. 3 and 4 are combined into one district electing 4 Deputies. This district is the largest constituency in the Island.
Politics
With the Constable, the parish therefore has 11 representatives in the States of Jersey (out of 53 elected members).The Parish also has its own responsibilities and elections to the Municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of St Helier take place to elect honorary officials who fulfill a variety of roles for Parishioners under the overall control of the Constable, two Procureurs du Bien Public
Procureur du Bien Public
A Procureur du Bien Public is the legal and financial representative of a parish in Jersey. Procureurs are elected for a term of three years....
and the Parish Assembly
Parish Assembly
Parish Assembly may refer to:* Parish Assembly , the assembly of local government in Jersey* Freguesia, a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal...
.
Five members of the Roads Committee
Roads Committee
In Jersey, the Roads Committee is the highway authority for Parish roads in each Parish. In accordance with the Loi sur la Voirie it superintends the repair and maintenance of by-roads in the Parish, establishes boundary stones, issues Choses Publiques licenses, examines planning applications...
and ten Roads Inspector
Roads Inspector
A Roads Inspector is a statutory office in Jersey responsible for the maintenance of public highways.The Parish Assembly elects two Roads Inspectors for each Vingtaine [or Cueillette in St Ouen] for a three-year term of office in accordance with the Loi sur la Voirie...
s are also elected by parishioners and ensure that the roads of the parish are kept in good repair.
The Assessment Committee are elected to agree the rate chargeable to each property in the Parish.
The Accounts Committee
Accounts Committee
The Accounts Committee of each Parish in Jersey is responsible for ensuring that appropriate accounting methodologies are employed in the preparation of the annual Constable's accounts in order that the Parish Assembly can rely on the information provided in order to set the Parish Rate....
are elected to ensure that the accounts of the Parish represent a 'true and fair view' of the state of the Parish finances in order that the Parish Assembly may rely upon the information to set the Parish Rate
Rates (tax)
Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government...
.
Elected officials are supported by a paid administration within the Parish.
St Helier Honorary Police
The Administration Civile includes elected Honorary PoliceHonorary Police
There is an Honorary Police force in each of the 12 parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid....
; 16 Constable's Officers, 10 Vingteniers and 12 Centeniers. The Honorary Police work alongside the States of Jersey Police
States of Jersey Police
The States of Jersey Police is the professional police service of Jersey. It was established in its current form by the Police Force Law, 1974 and consists of around 240 officers....
(also referred to as the Paid Police) and Centeniers undertake the charging and prosecution of all suspects in the criminal justice system of Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
.
The Honorary Police
Honorary Police
There is an Honorary Police force in each of the 12 parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid....
form an integral part of the Parish of St Helier. They work closely with the Constable of St Helier, the States of Jersey Police
States of Jersey Police
The States of Jersey Police is the professional police service of Jersey. It was established in its current form by the Police Force Law, 1974 and consists of around 240 officers....
and the Parishioners, and consequently provide a service that is unique to the British Isles.
St Helier Honorary Police consists of 10 Centeniers, 11 Vingteniers and 33 Constable's Officers, all of whom work entirely on an unpaid voluntary basis.
The elected term of office for all Police ranks is three years, with Centeniers, Vingteniers and Constable's Officers being elected by the whole Parish.
Members of the St Helier Honorary Police (as at June 2011) are:
Centeniers and their Role
- Tony Batho
- Philip Coffey
- Peter Garrett
- Pat Gibaut
- Simon Harman
- Paul Huelin
- Dean Ludlow
- David Rothband
- Daniel Scaife (Chef de Police)
- David Webber
Each Centenier, after appropriate training, undertakes a duty week approximately every ten weeks. The duty week may involve the following:
- Charge and set bail for offenders who have been arrested or reported for offences within the Parish;
- Attend Parish Hall Enquiries 4 or 5 nights a week to meet persons reported for offences within the Parish;
- Present cases in the Magistrate's Court;
- Attend sudden deaths within the Parish;
- Remain on-call to assist Parishioners.
Vingteniers and their Role
- Paul Atkinson
- Richard Calderia
- Mitch Couriard, MBE
- Isuara De Castro
- Robert Williams
- Joe De Castro
- John Keane
- Liana Le Rossignol
- Kaye Temple
The Vingtenier is required to attend the two Visites du Branchage
Visite du Branchage
A Visite du Branchage is an inspection of roads in Jersey and Guernsey to ensure property owners have complied with the laws against vegetation encroaching on the highway.-Jersey:...
each year, and the Visit Royale every six years.
- A Vingtenier is on duty each week to support the Centenier.
- Liaising with the Centenier on issues such as parking, curfews, licensed premises visits and other letters that have come to the notice of the Constable with regards to policing within the Parish.
- Undertake duties such as enquiries, patrols, events, and responding to call-outs.
- Attend a monthly meeting of the Parish Honorary Police.
Constable's Officers and their Role
- Ann Buss
- Marta Fontes
- Christophe Kalinauckas
- Bruno Melim
- Mary Osmond
- Ben Wheaton
The Constable's Officers undertake a number of duties similar to the Vingteniers listed above, and form the Honorary Police workforce.
Saint
Helier
Saint Helier, a 6th century ascetic hermit, is patron saint of Jersey in the Channel Islands, and in particular of the town and parish of Saint Helier, the island’s capital...
(or Helerius), a 6th century ascetic hermit. The traditional date of his martyrdom is AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
555. His feast day, marked by an annual municipal and ecumenical pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to the Hermitage, is on July 16.
Sites of Special Interest
Central Market & Beresford Market
The Central Market, in Beresford Street, St. Helier, is an indoor market which was opened in 1882. It is an official Site of Special Interest, and is popular with tourists and locals. It features Victorian architectureVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
including cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
structures, and an ornamental fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
in the centre. The market comprises stalls selling flowers, fruit, and vegetables, as well as small shops and cafés.
Beresford Market is a separate building next to the Central Market, and specialises in fish mongery.
Culture
Saint Helier contains cultural facilities at the Jersey Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Jersey Opera HouseJersey Opera House
The Jersey Opera House is a working theatre and opera house in La Vingtaine de la Ville, Saint Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. The theatre building is administered by the States of Jersey but is managed by Jersey Opera House Limited...
, the Jersey Arts Centre, the performance venue of St James, the sports and entertainment facilities at Fort Regent, the Jersey Library and the library of La Société Jersiaise
Société Jersiaise
La Société Jersiaise is a scholarly society in Jersey which was founded in 1873, it promotes and encourages:* The study of the history, the archaeology, the natural history, the language and many other subjects of interest in the Island of Jersey...
.
Sports facilities include Springfield Stadium
Springfield Stadium
Springfield Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Helier, Jersey, set in a public park.Springfield was formerly the headquarters of the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society and was the venue for Jersey cattle shows, as well as social and sporting events, including the Battle of...
, swimming pools, pétanque
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
pitches, and badminton. Motor sports events take place on roads in the Parish as well as an annual Town Criterium
Criterium
A criterium, or crit, is a bike race held on a short course , often run on closed-off city center streets....
, and the start and finish of the Jersey Marathon
Jersey Marathon
The Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon is an annual marathon staged in Jersey, Channel Islands. The inaugural event on 8 October 2006 was the first marathon staged in Jersey for 20 years....
.
Twin towns
Saint Helier is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Avranches
Avranches
Avranches is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called Avranchinais.-History:...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Bad Wurzach
Bad Wurzach
Bad Wurzach is a small town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is a well known health-resort destination, and home to the oldest moor-spa in Baden-Württemberg, as well as one of the biggest connected high-moor areas in Europe. It is situated 25 km northeast of...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Funchal
Funchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
in Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
Climate
St Helier has mild, wet winters and cool summer with moderate rainfall. January is the coldest month with an average high of 8 C (46 F), and a low of 4 C (39 F). August is the warmest month, with an average high of 22 C (72 F), and a low of 14 C (57 F). December is the wettest month with 111 mm (4.37 in) of rain, and July is the dryest month with 37 mm (1.46 in) of rain. Snow is rare.See also
- Ivy St. HelierIvy St. HelierIvy St. Helier was a British stage actress, composer and lyricist.On the stage, St. Helier played Manon la Crevette in the original production of Noel Coward's operetta Bitter Sweet , a role she reprised in the 1933 film version...
- Victoria College, JerseyVictoria College, JerseyVictoria College is a fee paying States of Jersey-provided school in membership of the HMC, in St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. The castellated neo-gothic architecture is a landmark overlooking the town.-History:In the 1590s, Laurens Baudains - a wealthy farmer from St...