Jersey - Parishes of Jersey (Definitives) 1976

Issue on 29 January 1976.

1/2 pence - The Parishes of Jersey
1 pence - Parish of Trinity & Zoological Park
5 pence - Parish of St.Mary & St.Mary's Church
6 pence - Parish of Grouville & Seymour Tower
7 pence - Parish of St.Brelade & La Corbiere Lighthouse
8 pence - Parish of St.Saviour & St.Saviour's Church
9 pence - Parish of St.Helier & Elizabeth Castle
10 pence - Parish of St.Martin & Gorey Harbour
11 pence - Parish of St.Peter & Jersey Airport
12 pence - Parish of St.Ouen & Grosnez Castle
13 pence - Parish of St.John & Bonne Nuit Harbour
14 pence - Parish of St.Clement & Le Hocq Tower
15 pence - Parish of St.Lawrence & Morel Farm

The Channel Island of Jersey is divided into twelve administrative districts or parishes. All have access to the sea and are named after the saints to whom their ancient parish churches are dedicated:

• Saint Helier (incorporating the island's capital)
• Grouville (historically Saint Martin de Grouville; incorporating Les Minquiers)
• Saint Brélade
• Saint Clement
• Saint John
• Saint Lawrence
• Saint Martin (historically Saint Martin le Vieux; incorporating Les Écréhous)
• Saint Mary
• Saint Ouen
• Saint Peter
• Saint Saviour
• Trinity

Parish emblems:

There are two stories told of the origins of the badges or emblems currently used by the parishes in Jersey. Two men are named, and the emblems could have been designed by either of them alone or, as seems more likely, by one designing and the other developing the ideas.

Alfred G Wright was an artist, working at the time as art master at Victoria College. He had previously undertaken a commission from the States. He drew up the illuminated address that was presented to King George V in 1921, and it was here that the emblems were first used.

Major N V L Rybot was acknowledged to be an authority on matters of heraldry. It has been said that he designed the emblems, and that they were published for the first time in Jersey: an Isle of romance by Blanche Elliott in 1923. Some of these designs differ in detail from those used today and Rybot is believed to have redrawn them.

Whichever account is true, the emblems were not based on any earlier designs, but were designed according to the dedication of each parish church. They date from the 1920s. It seems certain that Major Rybot developed the drawings, and his description of the emblems supports this view. The parishes later adopted the emblems formally, and they are used in many instances today.

Grouville

Grouville parish emblem
The church is dedicated to St Martin, and thus the emblem is very similar to that of the parish of St Martin. Grouville shows eight alternate bands of silver and red, including four red bands. The patron saint of Grouville is believed to be St Martin, Bishop of Tours, whose diocese included Brittany.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/g.html

Louis XI believed that the Kings of Hungary were descended from St Martin, born in Hungary. Their arms of 8 bars of red and silver were placed on the saint’s shrine in the Cathedral of Tours. Grouville’s emblem shows the full 8 bars, whilst St Martin has only 7.

St Brelade

St Brelade parish emblem
The emblem shows a silver fish on a blue background. There seems to be some confusion here between two saints. St Brendan’s symbol was the fish, as on the St Brelade emblem, and this was because of his many voyages of discovery. St Branwalader, it is said, chose St Brelade as a base for his missionary work in the island, and he is known to have founded a number of churches, which were often credited to the more famous St Brendan.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/sb.html

Legend has it that St Brelade prayed for land whilst searching for the Islands of the Blest. An island arose from the sea on which he celebrated Easter. As he departed so did the island. It was an enormous fish sent in answer to his prayers.

St Clement

St Clement parish emblem
A golden anchor on a blue background is the symbol for the patron saint of blacksmiths, and St Clement is also one of several saints attached to the sea and sailors.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/sc.html

St Clement is the Patron Saint of blacksmiths and anchorsmiths. Legend has it that he was martyred by being attached to an anchor and thrown into the Black Sea.

St Helier

St Helier parish emblem
According to tradition Helier, Jersey’s first martyr, was attacked by pirates armed with axes and murdered. He had lived on the rock now occupied by Elizabeth Castle and had protected his followers from attacks for several years, before the fatal blow. The crossed gold axes on a blue background commemorate this event.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/sh.html

The two axes commemorate the beheading by Saxon Pirates in AD 555 of St Helier, Patron saint of Jersey.

St John

St John parish emblem
The church was dedicated to St John the Baptist, but the emblem is the Maltese Cross of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. The gold cross is on a green background, as a reminder of the oak trees, which may have given the church its full name of St John of the Oaks.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/sj.html

The Maltese Cross is the emblem of the Knights of St John at Jerusalem (Knights Hospitallers). The stylised Maltese Cross is set on a green background to recognise the old name for the Parish church, St John of the Oaks, though the church was dedicated to John the Baptist.

St Lawrence

St Lawrence parish emblem
St Lawrence, Bishop of Rome, was martyred by roasting on a gridiron. His symbol is always a black gridiron, here seen on a silver shield.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/sl.html

St Lawrence, Bishop of Rome, was martyred along with six deacons and Pope Sixtus II by being roasted alive on a gridiron. The saint is always depicted by being tied to or holding a gridiron.

St Martin

St Martin parish emblem
This church is dedicated to St Martin-le-Vieux. This occasionally leads to confusion with the parish of Grouville (dedicated to St Martin, Bishop of Tours). The parish shares the red and silver bands with Grouville. However, on the St Martin parish emblem, the three (not four) red bands are noticeably broader, and there are just seven bands, rather than eight.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/smn.html

St Martin of Tours is the Patron Saint of St martin and Grouville, which is why their badges are similar. Both badges are based on the arms of the King of Hungary. It has seven bars to distinguish it from St Martin of Grouville.

St Mary

St Mary parish emblem
The lily has long been associated with the Virgin Mary, and here it appears in silver on a blue shield. The church is actually dedicated to St Mary of the Burnt Monastery, although it is unclear why.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/smy.html

The lily of the Annunciation of ‘Flwur de Lys’ has always been regarded as the special flower of the Virgin Mary.

St Ouen

St Ouen parish emblem
The patron saint of Normandy, St Ouen founded a religious centre shortly before the Viking invasions of the island. His symbol is a gold cross on a blue background, as a reminder of a vision he had of a miraculous cross.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/so.html

St Ouen, the Patron Saint of Normandy, founded a religious community on Jersey before the Viking invasions. He is said to have seen a miraculous cross, which told him to travel from Normandy to Jersey.

St Peter

St Peter parish emblem
The keys to heaven are generally associated with St Peter. Here they are silver and are crossed on a red background, surrounded by gold. The gold is a reminder of the sands that make up much of this parish.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/sp.html

The crossed keys of Heaven and Hell have always been the symbols of St eter. The Parish church was dedicated to St Pierre dans le Désert, recognised by the gold border to the crossed keys.

St Saviour

St Saviour parish emblem
The full dedication is to St Saviour of the Thorn. The symbol of a crown of thorns and some nails recall the Saviour’s suffering. These symbols are gold, on a background of red.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/ss.html

The Parish church, St Sauveur de L’Épine, was dedicated to Jesus Christ. Hence, the crown and nails of the cruxifixion though ’Épine‘ means thorn and may suggest a relic of the crown of thorns.

Trinity

Trinity parish emblem

The design for this emblem is based on an ancient symbol for the Trinity, showing a silver triangle, with three silver circles on a green background.
http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/t.html

The most curious of the Parish badges. The triangle obviously represents the Holy Trinity. God (deus) in the centre is (est) father (Parter), Son (Fillius) and Holy Ghost (Spiritus) whereas none of the members of the Trinity are of themselves (non est) God.