4th May 2016
The Occupation Tapestry is completed
The Occupation Tapestry celebrates the 50th anniversary of Jersey’s liberation at the end of the Second World War. Featuring 12 panels and more than 7.5m stitches, it depicts events that occurred both locally under the German administration, and in the wider world.
The first panel depicts Neville Chamberlain declaring peace in our time as he holds aloft the piece of paper he’d brought back to Britain after his meeting with Hitler, surrounded by images of Jersey’s evacuation and the approach of German forces.
The tapestry, which took 950 locals from each of Jersey’s 12 parishes 30,000 hours to stitch, is housed in the Maritime Museum at St Helier harbour. The last stitch was made by the Lieutenant Governor’s wife, Lady Gene McColl.
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Other events that occured in May
Jersey historian Philip Falle dies
- Philip Falle produced a definitive history of Jersey, found favour as an advisor to the king, and was ordained a priest.
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Father commits suicide by slashing his own throat
- John Moignard was determined to kill himself. He drank a bottle of ammonia before slashing his throat with a razor blade.
- Read more…
Lillie Langtry and the Prince of Wales begin their affair
- Lillie Langtry first met King Edward VII at a dinner. He was still plain Bertie, then and had specifically asked that she sit with him.
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A marriage mix-up means marrying twice
- When the registrar recorded that a marriage had happened in the wrong church it was declared void and had to be repeated.
- Read more…