This was 19 years before the opening of Victoria College in 1852 and at a time when the main educational establishments in the island were St Mannelier and St Anastase, the two ‘grammar schools’.
Church schools
The country parishes had their own schools, run by the Church of England, which held a virtual monopoly until the 1780s, when schoolmasters were permitted to open their own schools. In the town of St Helier there were already a small number of independent schools, but once the island’s – and particularly the town’s – population was swelled by an influx of English immigrants in the early 19th century, demand for private education grew rapidly.
There were no controls concerning the establishment or running of these schools, which although often run by dedicated teachers, were very much commercial concerns. Standards varied enormously, and because the 35 schools listed below would have paid to be listed in the Strangers Guide, it must be assumed that there were many more operating in addition to these.
It is noteworthy that several of the schools took boarders as well as day pupils, catering both for those newcomers who did not expect to be full-time residents, and also for others who saw the attraction of sending their children to be educated away from the UK mainland.
(B) signifies that the establishments took boarders
- Philip Ahier, Sand Street
- Misses Bluck, 7 Upper Don Street
- P Chevalier, 23 Queen Street
- W Cloke, 29 Ann Street (B)
- Misses de Gruchy, 11 Hue Street
- John de la Croix, Vauxhall
- M K Denziloe, Church Street (B)
- Miss Durell, 42 Don Street
- Rachel Fiot, Portland Place
- S Foot, 20 Don Street
- C and J Grey, Vauxhall (B)
- Thomas Griffiths, Uppder Don Street
- Ann Harris, Goergetown (B)
- W Helmore, 25 Gloucester Street
- Maria Hill, 29 Halkett Place (B)
- Charles Horlock, La Motte House (B)
- Misses Jane, 11 Don Street
- La Cloche, Beresford Street (B)
- E Le Gros, 4 Simon Place
- Le Maistre, St Aubin (B)
- Misses Lys, 26 La Motte Street (B)
- Mrs McArthur, Providence Street (B)
- George McDonald, 9 Old Street
- Mc Mahon, La Motte Street (B)
- Mrs Malfilatre, Hemery Place (B)
- Madame Malfilatre, Corinthian Hall, New Street (B)
- Misses Malin and Napier, 10 Sligo Street
- J Nicholls, Vauxhall (B)
- Elias Neel, Longueville (B)
- Joshua Picot, 26 Queen Street
- Postlewaite, 10 Belmont Road
- George Sinel, Zion Place
- Misses Stoyle and Howe, 27 Bath Street (B)
- Miss Willement, 29 Colomberie
- Samuel Wright, 36 King Street
