Historic Jersey buildings
If you own this property, have ancestors who lived here, or can provide any further information and photographs, please contact us through editorial@jerripedia.org |
Property name
Languedoc
Location
Rue Laurens, St Clement
Type of property
19th century farmhouse
Valuations
No recent transactions
Families associated with the property
- Le Neveu
- Gruchy: Languedoc was sold to Pierre Gruchy in 1859 by the Rev Thomas Le Neveu.
By the time of the 1901 census, the farm was run by Pierre’s son, Walter Godfray Gruchy, aged 35. The household included Walter’s wife, Eliza Jane Dolbel, and their children, Walter John and Lilian, as well as two servants, Jeanne and Jean. When Walter died in the early 1900s, Eliza married John Edward Hocquard. His 1944 will shows that he had 27 shares in the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company in America, which he intended to leave to his niece.
During the First World War, John and Walter John, continued farming at Languedoc. They were aided by farm hands, including teenager Peter Blandin. In 1917, Walter John, now aged 25, and 18-year-old Peter were both called up to serve in the armed forces. John Hocquard intervened on their behalf, citing the importance of both men to him as agricultural labourers. Walter John’s appeal was successful but Peter’s proved more difficult.
Papers relating to his appeals before the Military Service Tribunal include details supplied by both himself and John to support the application to postpone his military service.
Peter recalled being 'sent away from home' at the age of 12, after which time he began to earn a living as a farm hand. As a toddler, he lived with his widowed mother in Grouville. By the age of 13 he was a servant living with his uncle’s family, who farmed in St. Saviour. He argued that he was just as useful in his employment helping to raise food as in any other branch of the national service.
John, as Peter’s employer, provided evidence in support of the application. He told the Tribunal: 'I depend entirely on my stepson with the help of Blandin to cultivate the land'. The application was unsuccessful, leading to a second attempt by John to intercede on the younger man’s behalf. This time he provided further insight into the difficulties associated with farming at Languedoc.
He explained that he cultivated 38 vergées land, but due to poor health 'for the last four years I have been unable to perform any arduous manual labour on the farm and have had to restrict my duties to supervising. As the holding is very difficult to work, I cannot possibly carry on my farming operations with less adult male labour than I now employ'.
Despite this, Peter’s exemption was refused and he served as a private in the Army until 1918. He returned to live in Jersey and remained in the Pontac area with his family.
Walter John’s exemption was extended until the end of 1917, and he died in St Clement in November 1918, at the age of 25 years and seven months. His cause of death, three days before the end of the First World War, was influenza pneumonia, not unlike others who died in the parish around the same time. His widow, Dorothy Ahier, had given birth to the couple’s son, a second Walter John, in June 1906. When he was baptised at St Clement’s Church, his godparents included his paternal step-grandfather, John, and his father’s sister, Lilian.
Lilian lived at Languedoc throughout the Second World War, along with her husband, Adolphus Blampied, and their children. While living there with his aunt in May 1940, and, echoing the acts of his father, Walter John junior applied for a postponement of military service. The application was completed in conjunction with Adolphus, himself a farmer. He said that Walter John was 'required for help on the farm, especially for tractor and lorry driving and help in care of potato and tomato crops'.
The arrival of the German occupying forces in July 1940 ensured that he remained in the island until May 1945. During this time he continued to farm and married his wife, Hazel May Renouf.
- Blampied: In 1941 Adolphus Joshua Blampied (1896- ) was living here with his wife Lilian Eliza, nee Gruchy (1899- ) and their daughters Anne Elizabeth and Lilian Margaret. Lilian Eliza Blampied had been left the property in the 1939 will of Eliza Jane Hocquard, nee Dolbel. Adolphus Blampied was still living here when he made his will in 1971
Datestones
TF ♥ EM 1768 - For Thomas Filleul and Elizabeth Monamy [1]
Historic Environment Record entry
Listed building
Early 19th century farmhouse retaining historic character and some original features, with notable ashlar facade. The house emulates Georgian fashion but with a continuing local character.
Former associated farm buildings to rear converted to residential.
Notes and references
- ↑ The stone was originally from the door lintel at Runnymede, Samarès, and gives a false impression of the age of this property. Runnymede was demolished in 1986 and the stone was moved to the garage of Languedoc by the developer of both properties
