SOCIÉTÉ 150 YEARS PROMO from Little River Pictures on Vimeo.
The Société Jersiaise is an organisation built on the pursuit of knowledge, across many different disciplines, to deepen our understanding about Jersey’s history, culture, language and environment. As it celebrates its milestone 150th anniversary, the Société preserves the past to help shape the Island’s present and future.
And this is the focus of the Société’s upcoming conference entitled ‘Past, Present & Future 1873 – 2023’ which covers topics from local history to Jèrriais, and archaeology to biodiversity. The conference takes place all day on 9th June and the programme is jam-packed with fascinating local and visiting experts giving talks and hosting panel discussions about their specialist areas.
I caught up with a few of the speakers to find out more about their presentations at the conference.
Dr Amy Hall, Zoologist and Ecologist
Dr Hall is a Jersey born zoologist and ecologist with more than 20 years’ experience working with small mammals and bats in the UK, South America, the Caribbean, and the Channel Island and is currently Director of Research and Training at Sangan Island Conservation.
Dr Hall will be chairing the Environment & Biodiversity Session at the SJ 150th Conference.
MM: Is there anything you’d suggest attendees to read or think about before your talk to get the most out of it?
AH: As Chair of the session, I would ask attendees to think about how Jersey sits within the international environment with respect to species and habitat protection, including trees. I would also point the attendees towards the excellent work and research coming out of the Environment and Biodiversity Sections at the Société, and I would encourage all attendees to read the most current Société Bulletin.
MM: If you could choose another topic to become an expert in (or at least more knowledgeable in) what would it be?
AH: I love history – and often find myself watching history documentaries!
Dr Matthew Pope, Professor of Paleolithic Archaeology
Dr Pope is Associate Professor at the UCL Institute of Archaeology where he teaches and leads on research about early human origins. Since 2010, his main research focus has been on the Neanderthal archaeology of Jersey. In recent years, his work has focused as much on the nature of the Ice Age archaeological record, where it is preserved and how we can find it, as it has on the lives of ancient peoples.
At the conference, Dr Pope will be speaking about the people who discovered the Ice Age record of Jersey and the personalities, networks and motivations of these pioneers of Jersey prehistory. In particular, Dr Pope will discuss their connections with the Société Jersiaise as well as their wider networks of international specialists. Tracing the story through time, he will map the changing role of the SJ in the discovery, curation and protection of the Ice Age record and think about the modern context of international research and heritage protection.
MM: Is there anything you’d suggest attendees to read or think about before your talk to get the most out of it?
MP: There are no key texts covering this subject and its very much a history still waiting to be written. I’d suggest looking at articles written by some of the people I’ll be covering: Sinel, Rybot, Marett, Burdo, and instead of reading those articles for their scientific knowledge, think of the other people they mention and the hints they give of the networks they made their discoveries in.
MM: If you could choose another topic to become an expert in (or at least more knowledgeable in) what would it be?
MP: The Palaeolithic is so huge and requires an understanding of so many sub-disciplines that there are a 100 topics I need to be more knowledgeable in to do my job. But if I could click my fingers and be expert in something else right now, it would be to be fluent in French or play a musical instrument. I’ve always struggled with languages and never mastered an instrument; I imagine proficiency in either would be wonderful.
John Pinel, Ecologist
John was Principal Ecologist for the Government of Jersey for 10 years, during which time he was responsible for the conservation of our island’s protected areas. He is currently involved in a number of local environmental groups, including the Société Jersiaise, the National Trust for Jersey and the Jersey National Park.
John will be speaking at the SJ Conference about Protected Areas in Jersey and the role they play in biodiversity conservation.
MM: Is there anything you’d suggest attendees to read or think about before your talk to get the most out of it?
JP: The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review – UK Government publication – the abridged version is still over 100 pages, but there is also a headlines document. Click here to read.
MM: If you could choose another topic to become an expert in (or at least more knowledgeable in) what would it be?
JP: I’d be an economist – Conserving nature / dealing with climate change / poverty alleviation / human rights / ecocide – all of these issues (and many more) are choices made by policy makers. We do not have to live on a warming planet where wildlife is being exterminated whilst people starve, these are choices made in order to ensure that profit keeps flowing to the wealthiest, be that governments or people. Economic policy drives that.
Philip de Jersey, States Archaeologist, Guernsey
Originally from Guernsey, Philip de Jersey completed a DPhil at Hertford College, Oxford on the Iron Age archaeology of north-west France and the Channel Islands, supervised by Professor Barry Cunliffe. From 1992 until 2007 he worked at the Institute of Archaeology in Oxford, primarily maintaining and developing the Celtic Coin Index, which aimed to record all finds of Iron Age coins in Britain. Since 2012 he has been heavily involved in the analysis of the huge Le Câtillon hoard and he currently works as the States of Guernsey Archaeologist.
Philip will be speaking at the conference about a series of enigmatic coins from the La Marquanderie hoard dubbed ‘intruders’ in a publication by Major Rybot.
MM: Is there anything you’d suggest attendees to read or think about before your talk to get the most out of it?
PDJ: If anybody does want to read up on these beforehand, they can’t do better than the Marquanderie publication – it appeared first in the Bulletin of the Société Jersiaise for 1937 which you can read here. Major Rybot published a revised and slightly expanded version as ‘Armorican Art’ in 1952.
MM: If you could choose another topic to become an expert in (or at least more knowledgeable in) what would it be?
PDJ: That’s a challenge. I’ve been quite interested in bugs and insects over the years – more recently in moths, prompted mostly by my son getting interested in them – so maybe entomology? I suppose it appeals to the same bit of my brain that enjoys identifying coins.
Marie-Yvane Daire, Archaeologist
Marie-Yvane is an archaeologist who specialises in:
- The Iron Age period especially in Western France
- Ceramic Studies
- Island and Coastal Archaeology (Atlantic and Channel Coasts of Europe but also more recently in West Indies)
Marie-Yvane currently works as a Senior Researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research CNRS and she is also Director of the Laboratory-Research Unit “CReAAH” (Centre de recherche en Archéologie, Archéosciences, Histoire) based in Rennes.
At the conference, Marie-Yvane will be speaking about Pierre-Roland Giot, his contributions to the field of island archaeology and links to the Société Jersiaise.
MM: Is there anything you’d suggest attendees to read or think about before your talk to get the most out of it?
MYD: ‘Islands and archaeological research in Western France. Summary of a very long story of romance…’
And some background info about Pierre-Roland Giot here.
MM: If you could choose another topic to become an expert in (or at least more knowledgeable in) what would it be?
MYD: In addition to travelling and island discovery (then, in some way, in geography), I’m very fond of animals, so perhaps [I have] some interest in animal biology and psychology.
Split across four sessions (History & Constitution, Archaeology, Environment & Biodiversity, and Culture & Heritage), the conference will delve into a myriad of fascinating topics presented by leading academics and specialists.
Doug Ford, Historian
In 1985, Doug Ford set up the education department of the newly created Jersey Heritage Trust and remained with that organisation in various management roles and working on all the major museum projects until his retirement in 2015. He is currently working with the former Rector of Saint Saviour on the military burials associated with Saint Saviour’s church and two personal research projects on the Island’s oyster industry in the nineteenth century and the Island’s involvement with the slave trade.
At the conference, Doug will be talking about the contributory factors that lead to the creation of the Société in 1873. He will be looking at whether the organisation has fulfilled its aspirations after 150 years, before musing on how its relationship with the Island’s past has played out and asking if there has a tendency to treat the subject of history as an intellectual comfort blanket.
MM: Is there anything you’d suggest attendees to read or think about before your talk to get the most out of it?
DF: I would suggest that people read The Many-Headed Hydra: The Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic by Peter Linebaugh & Marcus Rediker. It won’t really assist in understanding my talk, but it is a really good book.
MM: If you could choose another topic to become an expert in (or at least more knowledgeable in) what would it be?
DF: Our world is a big place and there is always something to find out, so being curious is incredibly important. If I could wave a magic wand and be good at something, then I would love to be able to read music, but I’ve been so busy playing tunes over the last 55 years I never got round to it. Then again, many of the traditional musicians I have played with over the years couldn’t read a note of it either! I also believe that had I been taught it at school then I would have ended up with an instrument that would have been totally unsuited to the type of music I play and so I would have been denied the many years of enjoyment and lasting friendships I have gained from the path I took.
Ian Ronayne, Historian
Ian Ronayne is a local-born and raised historian with a longstanding and deep interest in all aspects of Jersey’s past, but especially its military history. In recent years, he has focused that interest into extensive research, writing books and articles, giving presentations and talks and tour guiding, both locally and abroad.
At the conference, Ian will be talking about the position of the Jersey Militia 150 years ago. After centuries of steadfast service, the Island’s homespun defence force was facing one of the biggest challenges in its history. This challenge came not from a foreign adversary, but rather from Whitehall and the War Office who were determined to modernise the Militia, even at the expense of local sensitivities.
MM: Is there anything you’d suggest attendees to read or think about before your talk to get the most out of it?
IR: One of the challenges facing anyone wanting to know more about Jersey’s military history in 1873 is the absence of easily accessible written materials on the subject. Perhaps aim to explore and appreciate what the Militia and military meant to Jersey 150 years ago and how the presence of thousands of soldiers in the Island affected local life.
MM: If you could choose another topic to become an expert in (or at least more knowledgeable in) what would it be?
IR: Setting aside further areas of historical interest, I’d love to explore and master website design and building. Dabbling a few years back gave me a level of proficiency and enormous appreciation of what’s possible. But the applications being used then have been superseded by awesome new ones – all beyond my time or ability to master. Maybe one day…!
View the full schedule for the day and programme here and book your tickets here.
Written by Martha Macdonald
