A bit of local knowledge of St. Helier required

[Penholder]

When my 2 x great grandfather died in 1871 the British Press and Jersey Times said he was living at South Hill, Havre des Pas whereas the Chronique de Jersey said he was living at "le fort du Petit-mont de la Ville".

Are these both names for the same place, one the English name and the other the French, or is the French account being more specific?

Also, again from the Chronique de Jersey, my 2 x great grandfather fell into a ditch called "Sally-port" from the ramparts of Fort Regent and was killed.

When I come to Jersey in the Spring I would very much like to see if I can find these places.   Does the ditch called Sally Port still exist and might there still be some small cottages in the vicinity of South Hill/Petit Mont de la Ville?

Any help or suggestions on how to identify these places would be much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance,

Diana

[Hill]

Hi Diane

I'm pretty sure that the two places mentioned are one and the same, but I will check on an old map next week.

A Sally Port is in fact a back-door and was akin to an escape hatch. If the fort was taken over, troops could escape via the back door. There is an area at the fort called The Ditch and is where they had a fairground until recently. The area is still visible.

I'll get back to you on the road names.

Stewart

[Penholder]

Hi Stewart

Thank you very much for that information on Sally Port.   The clue's in the name I suppose!

I will look forward to hearing from you again.   Your help is much appreciated as ever.

Regards,

Diana

[Hill]

Hi
Diana

I'm currently in the Societe library and have just spoken to one of the senior historians. He believes the two locations you mention are one and the same place and on the site of the South Hill Battery. This could be confirmed by digging out old maps from their store but he is pretty confident.

See you in the spring(?) - hope it warms up!

Stewart

[Penholder]

Hi Stewart

It was so kind of you to go and check that out for me.   I'm slowly piecing together what happened to Patrick and what became of the family after he died.   I now think the reason they don't appear in the 1871 census must be because their cottage was inside the grounds of the Fort but only the soldiers and their families were recorded there.

The plan is still to come to Jersey in the Spring, but we haven't settled on a date yet.   My list of places to visit with family connections is getting longer, which is good, although I hope there will be time for a bit of normal sight-seeing as well.

I certainly hope it will be considerably warmer by then!

With very grateful thanks and best wishes,

Diana