24th May 1850
Victoria College’s foundation stone is laid
The foundation stone of the boys’ school that took Queen Victoria’s name was laid on her birthday in 1850. The idea of building a school in her honour had come about after her 1846 visit. High ground was purchased in St Helier and John Hayward was engaged to design the medieval-style building.
Contemporary reports of the foundation stone’s laying describe a day on which most of St Helier’s shops closed and more than 12,000 people turned out to watch a military parade. The Bailiff and Lieutenant-Governor presided over the event, with the Bailiff initially putting down a time capsule, which the Lieutenant-Governor capped with a stone carved with Masonic symbols.
Time capsule contents
The time capsule, which will not be opened until (or if) the building is demolished, contained several mementoes relevant to the royal visit, including silver and bronze medals depicting the Queen and her husband, a copper plate, several Jersey coins and copies of the Acts of the States that authorised the building of the college.
The school was ready to accept its first pupils a little over two years later. On 29 September 1852, 98 students enrolled for classes which were, unusually, in English. French had until then been the norm.
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Other events that occured in May
An Occupation escape attempt goes wrong
- Three Jersey men were captured when their wartime escape attempt failed. They were sent to mainland Europe where Maurice Gould died.
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Jersey court fines man three months’ pay for swearing
- The Jersey court fined a man almost three months' pay for uttering a single swear word at his boss in 1891.
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Channel Television fights for the right to continue broadcasting
- The biggest ever shake-up in the British commercial television industry saw several ITV franchise holders lose their licenses in 1992.
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St Brelade’s Church is consecrated
- Although the church at St Brelade was consecrated in the 12th century, evidence suggests a building had resided on that spot for some time.
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