Historic Jersey buildings
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Property name
Le Catel
Other names
- Le Catel Kennels
Location
Rue de La Falaise, Trinity
Type of property
17th century farm group
Families associated with the property
Datestones
Historic Environment Record entry
Listed building
A 17th century farm group, retaining some original features from this period and of developments in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Property appears on Richmond Map.
Main farmhouse, four-bay, two-storey, with two-bay, two-storey wing to the east and farm outbuilding to the north. [2]
History
Named after the nearby castel or câtel, this property is a little unusual in that the house lies within the Vingtaine de Rozel, as does a small part of its farm land, on a north to south axis, comprising about 100 metres in each of three fields adjoining La Rue de la Falaise, with the remainder, being most of the land, lying in the Vingtaine du Rondin. House and land, however, lie within the Fief de Gruchy.
This property was typical of those built in the early to mid-17th century for a minor landholder or for a younger son of a larger landowner. Jean de Gruchy, who had it built, fell into neither category, as his great-grandfather, Matthieu de Gruchy, as well as his grandfather, Bernabey de Gruchy of La Chasse and his father, Robin de Gruchy, eldest son of the said Bernabey, all pursued a claim against their cousins Guerdain, that had already almost ruined the family and led to Bernabey being imprisonned for debt in Mont Orgueil Castle! The Royal Court in 1593 forbade any `partage,` or division, of Bernabey`s estate until all his creditors had been satisfied. This was evidently a difficult task, as the `partage` had to wait until 1616, twenty-two years after Bernabey`s death! It does, however, give an approximate date for the construction of this house, as Jean married in that same year, 1616 and his father, Robin, died in 1618.
Jean de Gruchy inherited from his father about 25 vergées, all of which lay to the west of La Rue de la Falaise, and had been a part of the La Chasse land. To this, there seems to have been added a further field, at a later date. Jean married the above Sara Le Masurier. Their descendants, in successive generations, farmed the land until 1806, when their then representative, Thomas de Gruchy (1737-1806) died without surviving male issue. His eldest daughter, Susanne, inherited. Her husband was, however, another de Gruchy, having been born into the family that had previously owned La Profonde Rue, nearby. Her husband, Jean de Gruchy, farmed the land, as did their son, Jean (1786-c.1847). His son, however, sold the house and land after his father`s death, on 16th October 1847, to Jean Noel, whose name appears alongside the house on Hugh Godfray`s 1849 Map of the Island of Jersey.
A later owner, in the 20th century, very well-known in the Island, was Roselle Godeaux, who ran for many years a Boarding Kennel from the farm outhouse.
Unlike many houses, this Le Câtel property [3] has changed little, if at all, since it was built.
Notes and references
- ↑ Shown in Old Jersey Houses as 17 IDG ILP 44
- ↑ There is an interesting external stone staircase which gave access to the first floor
- ↑ There were four others bearing the name, in Rozel Vingtaine alone, although not all named after the same "câtel" but after the nearest to each, of two earthworks within the parish
