Trinity is outstanding, not only for some great parish boundary stones, but also for five vingtaine boundary stones, treasure indeed!
Both parish and vingtaine boundary stones were required by law in 1799 where roads cross from one parish into another or from one vingtaine to another. This remains current law under Article 15 of the Loi (1914) sur la Voirie. Parish boundary stones, marking which parish roads committee has responsibility for road maintenance, continue to be installed. The need for vingtaine boundary stones reflected responsibility of the different vingtaines for up to 6 days Corvée (work on the roads). During the 19th Century this was replaced by a money payment, which continued until 1938, when it was subsumed into the rates. So whilst the law still requires vingtaine boundary stones, they are rare, the preservation of those which remain important as an historical record.
A stone marking the boundary between Trinity and St Saviour on the corner of La Rue de Diélament and La Rue de la Guilleaumerie. To read it I had to do some weeding. St S stands for St Saviour.
A book style stone dated 1888 marking the boundary between Trinity and St Saviour on La Rue de la Boucterie / Victoria Village. It is outside the farm significantly called la Frontière. The stone records the names of the two Constables.
Down the hill La Commune from the last stone to another parish boundary stone again marking the boundary between Trinity and St Saviour on a bridge over a stream draining into Grands Vaux. TNt stands for Trinity
A superb boundary stone dated 1881 between Trinity and St John. The Constables are named. The road name signs show how on the boundary La Rue des Hougettes in St John becomes Rue des Haies in Trinity.
The first of the vigntaine boundary stones. Anne shows its location, where La Rue de Catel joins Rue de la Falaise and the form of the boundary stone.
On the stone RD stands for La Vingtaine du Rondin, RZ for La Vingtaine de Rozel. As should be clear (or not) photographing some of the images wasn’t easy.
The second is boundary stone marked CR for the Vingtaine de la Croiserie where La Rue de la Godillerie joins Trinity Main Road.
There are then three stones marking the vingtaine boundary marked VAV for La Vingtaine de la Ville ȧ L’Évēque and RD for La Vingtaine du Rondin.
Where La Rue Guerdain joins La Rue de la Monnaie
Where La Rue du Nord joins La Rue de Cambrai
and where La Rue de Cambrai joins La Rue des Platons.
The first vingtaine boundary stone was pointed out to us on a walk with Robert Waterhouse, the second I was excited to find myself. The next three I found, following details in F de L Bois’s “Walks for Motorists: Jersey”, published in 1979, but still in issue. In fact all the stones mentioned appear in that book, as do some others I have been unable to locate and I fear have been “lost” subsequent to the book being written.
We should all celebrate the publication this week of the Historic Environment Record (HER) for Jersey. See https://her.jerseyheritage.org/search. I checked. Of the four parish boundary stones mentioned in this post, two appear on HER and, of the five vingtaine boundary stones, only one appears on HER. With their encouragement, I shall be writing to Heritage asking that all the boundary stones mentioned in this post should be included on HER.
Of Books, Bikes & Islands 