3rd December 1877

Poet and jurat Augustus Asplet Le Gros dies

Born in Jersey on 14 April 1840, Augustus Asplet Le Gros wrote in Norman French and was one of the first pupils of Victoria College. He wasn’t always a poet, and had a diverse career outside of literature throughout his short life. In 1873, aged 33, he was elected constable of St Peter, helped found the Société Jersiaise and started work on a Jersiaise dictionary. Two years later he was elected a jurat of the Royal Court, but he but died in 1877, aged just 37.

Forbidden professions

The Edinburgh Evening News of 27 April 1875 reported on his election as a jurat and explained that while any ratepayer could stand for election if they were loyal and supported the government, “the only exception is that no butcher, baker or brewer shall be eligible for the post of judge”. It didn’t explain why.

Closer to home, the 22 April issue of Guernsey’s The Star, recounted how several deputies had spoken in favour of Le Gros before “several votes were put to the meeting when there appeared a show of hands of 140 for Mr A Le Gros, about 28 for Mr Nicolle and only 4 for Mr Bisson. It will be seen by an advertisement in another column that Mr Le Gros will accept the Juratship should it be conferred on him.”