18th February 1793
Jersey appoints its first postmaster
Charles William Le Geyt was Jersey’s first postmaster. His appointment had come without warning, and he required a certain amount of help finding his feet. Once he had done so, he held the position for 20 years, until retiring in his early 80s.
Le Geyt had previously had a successful career in the army and fought at the 1759 Battle of Minden, a decisive operation in the Seven Years’ War that saw Britain and Hannover take on forces from France and Saxony. France had invaded Hannover and attempted to impose a treaty of peace on Britain and Prussia, which was roundly rejected. Thus, Britain fought to liberate the city, and won a decisive victory in the town of Minden, after which St Helier’s Minden Place was named.
In this battle, Charles Le Geyt commanded a grenadier company of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, the Royal Hampshire Regiment and Royal Artillery – and his many years’ service in the army are recorded in several notable paintings of the man in uniform.
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Other events that occured in February
Charles II is declared king in Royal Square
- King Charles II fled to Jersey after the death of Charles I and was declared monarch in the island's Royal Square in 1649.
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The tunnel is opened beneath Fort Regent
- The 253m tunnel running beneath Fort Regent cost £450,000 to complete and was opened for traffic in February 1970.
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The States votes to flood Queen’s Valley
- The States of Jersey votes in favour of flooding Queen's Valley to create a new reservoir to meet the island's needs.
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A cargo ship sinks, killing its crew
- A 565-ton cargo ship was wrecked on Jersey's coast, and although the some of the crew mad it to the lifeboats, they were capsized.
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