Saint Brélade, Jersey
Encyclopedia
Saint Brélade is one of the twelve parish
es of the Bailiwick of Jersey
. Its population is around 9,560, and it occupies the southwestern part of the island. It is the only parish to border only one other parish, St. Peter
. The parish is the second-largest parish by surface area, covering 7,103 vergée
s (3,157 acre
s or 12.78 km²), which is 11% of the total land surface of the island.
"wandering saint
" named Saint Branwalader or Saint Brelade
(also Branwallder, Broladre, Brelodre, Brélade), who is said to have been the son of the Cornish
king, Kenen. He is also said to have been a disciple of Samson of Dol
, and worked with this churchman in Cornwall
and the Channel Islands
.
is situated at the end of St. Brélade's Bay, an unusual situation being comparatively distant from historic centres of population. The small Fisherman's Chapel
alongside contains mediaeval fresco
es which survived the iconoclasm
of the Reformation
. According to folklore
, the reason for the siting of the parish church is that originally the St. Bréladais intended to build the church inland, much nearer to the homes of the congregation. However les p'tits faîtchieaux (the little people) who had their temple in a nearby dolmen
were disturbed by the construction of the foundations and, every night, would undo the construction work and magically transport all the tools and materials down to the shoreline. Eventually the humans gave up and built the church where the fairies
had indicated.
was originally a fishing port facing St. Helier on the opposite side of St. Aubin's Bay. St Aubin was historically the main centre of population in the parish, but residential development at Les Quennevais
has shifted that centre of population.
Jersey's prison
is situated at La Moye
, and the island's desalination
plant is also sited in the parish.
The lighthouse
at La Corbière
features on the Jersey £5 note (see Jersey pound
) and the Jersey 20-pence piece (see coins of the Jersey pound)
The traditional nickname
for St. Bréladais (inhabitants of St. Brelade) is carpéleuses (caterpillars).
s for administrative purposes as follows:
St. Brélade is divided into two electoral districts:
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es of the Bailiwick 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...
. Its population is around 9,560, and it occupies the southwestern part of the island. It is the only parish to border only one other parish, St. Peter
Saint Peter, Jersey
Saint Peter is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey in the Channel Islands. It is in the west central part of the island. It is the only parish with two separate coastlines, stretching from St. Ouen's Bay in the west to St. Aubin's Bay in the south, and thereby cutting St. Brelade off from other...
. The parish is the second-largest parish by surface area, covering 7,103 vergée
Vergée
A vergée, or vergee, is a unit of area, a quarter of the French acre. Other spellings include vergie and vrégie. It is not an SI unit. The SI unit of area is the square metre.The term derives from Latin virga...
s (3,157 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s or 12.78 km²), which is 11% of the total land surface of the island.
History
Its name is derived from a 6th century Celtic or WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
"wandering saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
" named Saint Branwalader or Saint Brelade
Brelade
Branwalator or Breward, also referred to as Branwalader, was a British saint saint whose relics lay at Milton Abbas in Dorset and Branscombe in Devon. Believed to come from Brittany, he also gives his name to the parish of Saint Brélade, Jersey. "Brelade" is a corruption of "Branwalader"...
(also Branwallder, Broladre, Brelodre, Brélade), who is said to have been the son of the Cornish
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
king, Kenen. He is also said to have been a disciple of Samson of Dol
Samson of Dol
Saint Samson of Dol was a Christian religious figure who is counted among the seven founder saints of Brittany. Born in southern Wales, he died in Dol-de-Bretagne, a small town in north Brittany.-Life:...
, and worked with this churchman in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and 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...
.
Church
St Brelade's ChurchSt Brelade's Church
St Brelade's Church is one of the twelve ancient parish churches in the island of Jersey; it is sited on the west of the island in the parish of St Brelade, in the south-west corner of St Brelade's Bay...
is situated at the end of St. Brélade's Bay, an unusual situation being comparatively distant from historic centres of population. The small Fisherman's Chapel
Fisherman's Chapel
The Fisherman's Chapel is a small chapel located beside St Brelade's Church in St Brelade, Jersey, by the shore at the western end of St Brelade's Bay.-History:...
alongside contains mediaeval fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es which survived the iconoclasm
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
of 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...
. According to folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, the reason for the siting of the parish church is that originally the St. Bréladais intended to build the church inland, much nearer to the homes of the congregation. However les p'tits faîtchieaux (the little people) who had their temple in a nearby dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
were disturbed by the construction of the foundations and, every night, would undo the construction work and magically transport all the tools and materials down to the shoreline. Eventually the humans gave up and built the church where the fairies
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
had indicated.
Geography
St. Brélade has some of the most popular bays in Jersey, with St. Brélade's Bay, Ouaisné, Portelet and parts of both St. Ouen's Bay and St. Aubin's Bay falling within the parish boundaries. The village (or town) of Saint AubinSaint Aubin, Jersey
Saint Aubin is a port in the Channel Island of Jersey. It opens out to a bay of the Gulf of Saint-Malo.Originally a fishing village at the opposite end of Saint Aubin's Bay from the town of Saint Helier, Saint Aubin is now the hub of the parish of St. Brelade. Its name refers to Saint Aubin of...
was originally a fishing port facing St. Helier on the opposite side of St. Aubin's Bay. St Aubin was historically the main centre of population in the parish, but residential development at Les Quennevais
Vingtaine des Quennevais
Vingtaine des Quennevais is one of the four vingtaines of St. Brélade Parish on the Channel Island of Jersey.Together with Vingtaine de la Moye it forms part of "St. Brélade No. 2 district" and elects two Deputies....
has shifted that centre of population.
Jersey's prison
La Moye (HM Prison)
HM Prison La Moye is a mixed-use prison in the island of Jersey. La Moye is currently Jersey's only Prison, and is situated within the boundaries of the Vingtaine de la Moye. It is operated by the Jersey Prison Service, part of the Department of Home Affairs....
is situated at La Moye
Vingtaine de la Moye
Vingtaine de la Moye is one of the four vingtaines of the Parish of St. Brélade in Jersey in the Channel Islands....
, and the island's desalination
Desalination
Desalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove some amount of salt and other minerals from saline water...
plant is also sited in the parish.
The lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
at La Corbière
La Corbière
La Corbière is the extreme south-western point of Jersey in St. Brelade. The name means "a place where crows gather", deriving from the word corbîn meaning crow...
features on the Jersey £5 note (see Jersey pound
Jersey pound
The pound is the currency of Jersey. Jersey is in currency union with the United Kingdom, and the Jersey pound is not a separate currency but is an issue of banknotes and coins by the States of Jersey denominated in pound sterling, in a similar way to the banknotes issued in Scotland and Northern...
) and the Jersey 20-pence piece (see coins of the Jersey pound)
The traditional nickname
Blason populaire
Blason populaire is an umbrella genre in the field of folkloristics used to designate any item of any genre which makes use of stereotypes, usually, but not always, negative stereotypes, of a particular group....
for St. Bréladais (inhabitants of St. Brelade) is carpéleuses (caterpillars).
Subdivisions
The parish is divided into vingtaineVingtaine
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 as follows:
- La Vingtaine de NoirmontVingtaine de NoirmontVingtaine de Noirmont is one of the four vingtaines of St. Brélade Parish on the Channel Island of Jersey.Together with Vingtaine du Coin, it forms "St.Brélade No. 1 district" and elects one Deputy....
- La Vingtaine du CoinVingtaine du CoinVingtaine du Coin is one of the four vingtaines of St. Brélade Parish on the Channel Island of Jersey.Together with Vingtaine de Noirmont, it forms "St.Brélade No. 1 district" and elects one Deputy....
- La Vingtaine des QuennevaisVingtaine des QuennevaisVingtaine des Quennevais is one of the four vingtaines of St. Brélade Parish on the Channel Island of Jersey.Together with Vingtaine de la Moye it forms part of "St. Brélade No. 2 district" and elects two Deputies....
- La Vingtaine de la MoyeVingtaine de la MoyeVingtaine de la Moye is one of the four vingtaines of the Parish of St. Brélade in Jersey in the Channel Islands....
St. Brélade is divided into two electoral districts:
- St. Brélade No. 1 district (Vingtaines de Noirmont and du Coin) elects one Deputy
- St. Brélade No. 2 district (Vingtaines des Quennevais and de la Moye) elects two Deputies.
Notable residents
- Isaac LeVesconteIsaac LeVesconteIsaac LeVesconte was a Nova Scotia businessman and political figure. He represented Richmond in the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative member from 1869 to 1874....
(August 12, 1822 – October 26, 1879), Nova Scotia businessman and political figure. - Steve Pallett is the current chairman of the Jersey Democratic AllianceJersey Democratic AllianceThe Jersey Democratic Alliance is Jersey's only registered political party. JDA candidates contested general elections in 2005 and 2008 but announced in August 2011 that it would not be fielding candidates in the October 2011 elections....
, a political party in Jersey. - Charles RobinCharles RobinCharles Robin was an entrepreneur from the Isle of Jersey.He was born in Saint Brélade, Jersey in 1743. By 1763, he was the captain of a ship working in the Newfoundland cod trade. In 1765, with his two brothers and two others, they formed a firm which developed fishing grounds off Cape Breton...
- Robert Pipon MarettRobert Pipon MarettSir Robert Pipon Marett was a lawyer, journalist, poet, politician, and Bailiff of Jersey from 1880 until his death.He was born in St. Peter on 20 November 1820 and studied at the University of Caen and the Sorbonne...
, of La Haule Manor - Claude CahunClaude CahunClaude Cahun was a French artist, photographer and writer. Her work was both political and personal, and often played with the concepts of gender and sexuality.-Early life:...
- André GideAndré GideAndré Paul Guillaume Gide was a French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1947. Gide's career ranged from its beginnings in the symbolist movement, to the advent of anticolonialism between the two World Wars.Known for his fiction as well as his autobiographical works, Gide...