Historic Jersey buildings
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Property name
Ivy House
Other names
Ivy Cottage
Location
Mont du Boulevard, St Aubin
Type of property
Townhouse with 17th century and earlier origins
Valuations
The property was sold in 2006 for £445,000
Families associated with the property
Datestones
Carved kneelers
- AG
- IGW
- AGF - For Abraham Giffard
- MSW - For Marie Seward
Historic Environment Record entry
Listed building
An exceptionally fine townhouse, with 17th century and earlier origins, retaining many original features of architectural and historic interest on both the interior and exterior. Shown on the Richmond Map of 1795.
A three-bay house ostensibly late 17th century, but considerably older. Chamfered square headed doorway in back walling and red quoins prove this, the quoins heightened in purple in circa 1690. Early phase arrangement not known as fireplaces were all changed in 17th century, with single convex corbels without separate shoulder stones above so the lintels rested straight on them.
The stair arrangement typical of St Aubin at this time, though some partitions have been removed. Closet windows in gable end of first floor and possibly the attic. Two storeys plus attic and basement. Three bays. Tile roof, stone copings with carved kneelers, substantial granite end stacks with dripstones.
Several 17th century fireplaces, with single convex corbels without separate shoulder stones, closet windows in gable end, basement with small fireplace.
Property is built into bank and located on hill. Thus interior is on four floors, on east front reached via either flights of curved stone steps (possibly reused from tourelle once existing at rear, to ground floor, to basement under ground floor steps or in west rear, via back door.
Basement has 18th century fireplace with granite lintel and narrow depth, corbels supporting replacement beams, blocked niche in north wall with granite lintel. 17th century staircase rising up through building. Stairwell lined with painted wide boards with beading.
Wide late 17th century fireplaces with granite hoods supported by granite lintels on corbels, the one to east with corbels brought forward. Niches. Evier in south wall. Chamfered beam. First floor has two late 17th century granite fireplaces with convex corbels. Niches in rear walls of fireplaces. Closet windows in gable ends at first floor and attic.
Old Jersey Houses
Sometimes claimed to be the oldest house in St Aubin, this accolade is open to question, says Joan Stevens, who nevertheless places the house in the first volume, without attributing any date, or even period, to it.
She makes reference to a gable stone inscribed AGP, another MSV or MSW, at the front, and another AGP at the rear. The Jersey Datestone Register confirms MSW, AGF rather than AGP, and, at the rear, interprets the stone as reading AGF MSW, for Abraham Giffard and Marie Seward, who were marred in St Brelade on 15 July 1685.
Marie, who was born in 1666 and not yet 19 when she married, was the daughter of William Seward.
The Giffards of St Brelade were nowhere near as numerous a family as branches in other parishes. They can be traced back to Edouard (1629- ) who married Rachel Le Filliastre in 1641. Quite which branch of the family Edouard came from is unknown, but there are church records for Giffards back to the middle of the 16th century.
