Historic Jersey buildings
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Property name
Le Taillis
Other names
- Le Taillis Farm - The name in the HER report and recent almanacs [1]
- Blackberry Cottage - Postal address listed under Le Taillis
Location
Rue de La Maitrerie, St Martin
Type of property
Historic five-bay house with possibly the oldest dower wing in the island
Valuations
No recent transactions
Families associated with the property
- Baudains
- Payn
- Rondel - in 1941 Clement Stafford Rondel (1911- ) and his wife Doris Mary Ann, nee de Gruchy (1908- ) were living here
Datestones
- CB 1588 - For Collas Baudains. One of the oldest datestones in Jersey
- EP ENC 1751 - For Edouard Payn and Elizabeth Nicolle
Historic Environment Record entry
Listed building
A good example of a historic house with possible 16th century origins, retaining interesting architectural features. Shown on the Richmond Map of 1795.
House with early origins - includes rare 16th century dated stone. OJH suggests this is the earliest dated dower wing to a house in Jersey, 1751. Two-storey, 5-bays in total, including two-bay dower. Rear doorway with inscribed stone, one of the oldest datestones in Jersey. Adjoining wing to right, extended in 20th century, partly covered by lean-to conservatory. Within the conservatory is another datestone.
Extensions at rear. Granite wellhead adjoins. Outbuilding adjoins at left of house, projects forward at right angles.Old Jersey Houses records a tourelle staircase with granite chamfered doorways to the main bedrooms; and a granite fireplace with two hiding places.
Old Jersey Houses
It seems likely that Le Taillis has the earliest dated dower wing on a house - 1751. There is also here a 16th century dated stone with initials, which is sufficiently rare to make the property notable on that account alone.
The property passed from Laurens Baudains to the descendants of his brothers and sisters, represented by the Payns of Le Taillis through Laurence, the niece of Colas Baudain, whose initials are on the early datestone.
A fireplace in the internal wall has two pautes - hiding places - one within the recess of the hearth and the other in the wall on the right. In each case there is a rounded pot at less than the length of a forearm. The first pot contained a clay pipe of the period 1700-1770, with the initials RB. The maker may have been Richard Bryant, who was active in England in 1733. The pot in the second paute was found broken but was mended by Société Jersiaise archaeologists who recognised it as Normandy ware of any date from the late 16th to the 18th century.
An early oak window with four upright members, found in the north wall of the west room, was saved and preserved behind glass. There is a tourelle, the steps turning to the left. A low doorway exists which would have served as a loading bay. The landing is in stone, with granite chamfered doorways to the main bedrooms.
The facade appears to be older than the 1751 stone on the dower wing, yet certainly not as old as the 1588 stone.
The property is No 6 in the lists of Chefs in the Appairiement de sa Majeste 1701. It was then held by Michel Payn (1635- ), grandfather of the Edouard on the datestone.
Notes and references
- ↑ The property does not appear to have been a working farm in recent times
