Origin of Surname
Derived from the French word maitre, which was spelt maistre in early times, this surname has the general meaning of 'master'. However, this covers a variety of possible origins, including master of a workshop, doctor, schoolmaster, sorcerer, judicial officer and possibly 'master of a farm'.
Early records
This family name appears in Jersey from the early 14th century. In the Extente of 1331, one finds the names of Guilbert and Colinus [Colin] Le Maistre of St Peter. We have been unable to substantiate the apparent insistence by Payne (see below) that there were two entirely distinct Le Maistre families, one present in Jersey from at least the 14th century and the other arriving in the late 16th century. It seems to have been a Victorian misconception.
The first Jersey baptisms on record are in St Saviour in the mid-16th century, the keeping of registers having not been compulsory before that period. The name, however, appears in deeds and official records well before that date, principally in the north-western parishes of St Peter and St Ouen.
The 'separate' family to which Payne refers, who seem to be concerned with tracing their ancestry back to French aristocracy and distancing themselves from older Jersey Le Maistre families, lived originally in St Ouen, for which, as a result of the loss of early registers, there are no Le Maistre records before 1635.
Variants
- Le Maistre, 1528
- Le Maitre
- Le Maestre 1331
- Le Maistre dit Gatain
Payne's Armorial of Jersey
The family of this name is of very ancient settlement in the island, and although, in the opinion of the best-informed of its existing members, it has no connection with an aboriginal house of Le Maistre, one of whose representatives, Colin Le Maistre, appears as a land owner of the parish of St Peter, in the Extente of 1331, its founder is supposed to have migrated from France so early as the latter part of the 16th century. For deeds, dated 1526, relating to the property of one Peter Le Maistre, are still extant.
To the famous family of Montl'herri is given the credit of producing the father of the Jersey stock — a family whose founder was Gautier Le Maistre, prevost of Paris in 1245, and to which belonged the celebrated Gilles le Maistre, president of the parliament, and de Saci, the French translator of the Bible. Des Bois speaks of the sons of Jacques le Maistre, brother of this Gilles, as among the earliest French Reformers, and of their consequent persecution by their powerful relative. One of the brothers migrated to Provence, and there founded the family, which, upon its elevation to a Marquisate, assumed the name of "De" Maistre.
The Mercure de France of August 1773 says of this house that it is of "ancienne Noblesse de Robe," and one that has ever retained its fidelity to the Crown, even in the midst of the greatest revolutions. The same publication records the list of its worthies, during the reigns of 22 Monarchs, and among the men we find those of high rank, in law, statecraft, and the army, while the women shine in the only career then open for them, religion.
Félibien speaks of several other members of this family, who, taking an active part in the civil and religious struggles which convulsed their native country, were compelled to emigrate, and so were entirely lost sight of From some of these, we may reasonably suppose the English families of Maister and Master derive their origin. The opinion that the insular branch derives its descent from the same source is much strengthened by the fact that other sections of the same family, found in several of the then separate provinces of France, bear arms almost identical with those borne by Le Maistre of Jersey.
On the occasion of Her Majesty's visit to Jersey in 1846, Miss Mary Le Maistre, daughter of the then Seigneur of St Ouen, had the honour of being appointed, as his representative, by a Committee of the States of Jersey, to receive the Queen on her landing.
The career of the house in the island has been a prosperous one; members of it have, at various periods, been Seigneurs of St Ouen, La Hougue Boete, and Quetivel.
Family records
Family trees
- Descendants of Francis Le Maistre and Margaret Gardener
- Descendants of Silvester Le Maistre
- Descendants of Elie Le Maistre
- Descendants of Francois Le Maistre
- Descendants of Philip Le Maistre
- Descendants of Thomas Le Maistre
- Descendants of Thomas Le Maistre - 2 Another version of the tree above, from a different source
- Descendants of Jean Le Maistre
- Descendants of Jean Le Maistre - 2
- Descendants of Jean Le Maistre - 3 Added 2022 St Peter
- Descendants of Jean Le Maistre & Esther Collas
- Descendants of Edouard Le Maistre
- Descendants of Louis Le Maistre Added 2017
- Descendants of Pierre Le Maistre Added 2022 St Peter
- Descendants of Michel Le Maistre Added 2022 St Peter
Church records
- Le Maistre baptisms in Jersey
- Le Maistre marriages in Jersey (groom)
- Le Maistre marriages in Jersey (bride)
- Le Maistre burials in Jersey
Family histories
- Abraham Le Maistre, emigrant to America, now thought unlikely to have come from Jersey. Our article has been deleted
- Frank Le Maistre
- Francis Le Maistre, artist
Newspaper records
Société Jersiaise Library records
- Bertram records in La Société Jersiaise Library, including references to members of the Le Maistre family Added 2018
Great War service
- Le Maistre family members who served in World War 1
- Octave Le Maitre, a Guernseyman with a Jersey family
Family wills
Burial records
Family businesses
- Mary Ann Le Maistre was a draper at 6 King Street in 1871, followed by her son Philip in 1880
- Louis Le Maistre was a patissier at 46 King Street in the early 1880s
- Draper P Le Maistre was at 16 Queen Street in the 1880s and '90s
- Haircutter Jean Amidee Le Maistre was at 26 Queen Street in the 1860s
F J Le Maistre's wines and spirits business was at 3 Morier Lane in the mid-19th century. Today this is part of Halkett Place, but the business has long disappeared
Le Maistre, couriers and agents
Jean Le Maistre, auctioneer of St Ouen
Electric lighting from Hodgetts and Le Maistre of David Place
1905
1862
1875
1875
1875
Ken Le Maistre, Coca Cola delivery driver
1881 advert
1887 advert from L'Almanach de la Gazette de Jersey
1887 advert from L'Almanach de la Gazette de Jersey
Sale of stock of Dumaresq and Le Maistre in 1866
The Vicar of St Aubin, George John Le Maistre ran a school in the village in 1866 with his elder brother William
Family homes
- La Maletiere, Grouville
- Bras de Fer, Trinity
- L'Aleval, St Peter
- St Ouen's Manor
- Maison Le Maistre
- St John's Manor
Family album
B Le Maistre, probably the same as to left
B Le Maistre duplication, as to left
Sydney, Alma, Kenneth and Mavis Le Maistre in 1926
Le Maistre family
Edward Louis Le Maistre (1898-1977) and his wife Florence, nee James (1907-1975)
Sheila May Le Maistre
A Mr Le Maistre photographed by Ernest Baudoux
The 1915 wedding of Joseph de la Haye and Ada Le Maistre, daughter of Adolphus and Harriet, nee Picket
Ernest John Le Breton (1892-1972), born in Jersey, the son of Charles John (1857-1933) and Elise Esther, nee Dolbel (1857-1937), and Lylia Le Maistre (1889-1967) whom he married in 1918. They emigrated to the USA in 1920 and had four children
Clarence Le Maistre, born in St Ouen in 1892, the son of Adolphus (1853-1932) and Harriet Clara, nee Picket (1863- ) with his wife Olivia, nee Le Mottee, (1886-1963) and their children Edna and Olga
Clarence John Trachy, born in St Mary in 1884, the son of Philippe, son of Jean; and Louisa Mary, nee Horman, (1857- ) daughter of Nicolas, with his wife Florence, nee Le Maistre (1886- ) and unnamed daughter. Clarence served in the Great War as a Rifleman in the King's Royal Rifles
Sydney Le Maistre (1895-1968) (St O) son of Adolphus and Harriet Picket, served in the Royal Field Artillery during the Great War and married Alma Jubilee Le Feuvre at St Helier in 1916. After having a stillborn son in 1917, and daughter in 1919, the couple emigrated to Pennsylvania, where they had another stillborn son in 1921, and then a daughter, Mavis, in 1923. She lived to the age of 79. Two sons, Kenneth and Roy followed in 1925 and 1927. The family had by then anglicised its name to Masters.
Elizabeth Le Maistre (1799-1856) daughter of Francois (1774- ) and Elizabeth le Boutillier (1776- ), married to Philippe Le Brocq (1797-1858) in St Mary in 1821
Philippe Le Maistre (1770- ) - Painting at St Ouen's Manor
Charles Le Maistre (1769- ) - Painting at St Ouen's Manor
Jeanne Le Maistre (1764- ) wife of Revd. Amice Bisson - Painting at St Ouen's Manor
Capt Edward le Maistre (1819-1890) - painting at Maritime Museum
Raymond Le Maistre
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Siblings Elsie, Eddie and Edith Le Maistre in uniform ...
... and after the war
Family gravestones
Click on any image to see a larger version. See the Jerripedia gravestone image collection page for more information about our gravestone photographs
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Les Quennevais cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
St Mary’s Church cemetery
St Mary’s Church cemetery
St Mary’s Church cemetery
St Mary’s Church cemetery
St John’s Church cemetery
St John’s Church cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Peter parish cemetery
St Peter parish cemetery
St Brelade Church cemetery
St Brelade Church cemetery
St Brelade Church cemetery
Surville Cemetery
Surville Cemetery
St Lawrence
St Lawrence
St Lawrence
St Lawrence
St Lawrence
St Lawrence
St Saviour
Charles Winter Le Maistre, Hooge Crater Cemetery, Ieper
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