Mayfield

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Historic Jersey buildings


Mayfield, Trinity


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Map showing the location of Mayfield and Rock Vale


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At the rear of Trinity Parish Hall and Youth Centre on Rue de la Petite Falaise, leading to Bouley Bay Mayfield is an attractive early 18th Century property which somehow escaped the second volume of Joan Stevens' Old Jersey Houses.

Clement Hubert

The datestone over a side entrance to the main house is inscribed CHB ♥ MGL 1727 for Clement Hubert and Marguerite Gallichan, both of Trinity and married in the parish on 11 December 1723. Architectural features of the property suggest that it is no older than this, so was probably built by or for the newly-married couple. Among the original features is a large open fireplace in the lounge with a wooden lintel, which was uncovered during late 20th century restoration.

The house passed first from the Hubert family to the Le Sueurs, and then to the Picots at some time in the mid-19th century. In 1851 John Picot and his wife Esther Hamon were living there with Esther's mother and their two young children, Esther and Anne, but Hugh Godfray's 1849 map of the island shows a J Le Sueur in residence. This was probably farmer John Le Sueur, who is shown in the 1841 census aged approximately 35, with wife Mary, children John, Mary, Charles and Clement, Mary Cabot and Elizabeth Cabot. No relationship is shown for the Cabots, and at first glance they would appear to be John Le Sueur's mother-in-law and sister-in-law, but this is disproved by the 1851 census (see below). It is possible that they were John's mother, having reverted to her maiden name, and younger sister.

By 1851 the Le Sueur family have moved to the Vingtaine of La Croiserie in Trinity. John is shown as 50 (ages were approximated in the 1841 but supposedly given accurately in 1851) with wife Mary, children John, Mary, Elizabeth and Sophie. Elizabeth is now 15, so it is a mystery why she did not appear in the 1841 census, and Charles and Clement, who would by 1851 have been 14 and 15, are not shown and may have died, or possibly moved to work on another farm. The Cabots were no longer in the household in 1851 but had been replaced by Francis Charles Ahier (82) and Elizabeth Ahier (87) who were identified in the census as the head of household's father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Victorian work

In 1881 the house had passed to a Jean Picot, son of Josué, although it is not known exactly what the family connection was between John and his ancestors. Jean was the younger of two brothers, his elder brother Josué inheriting the other nearby Picot property, Rock Vale. Jean undertook a major restoration of the house, and many internal features were covered up, as was the Victorian fashion.

The granite fireplace in the lounge mentioned above was covered at this time and replaced with a Victorian fire insert. The exterior granite walls were also rendered. A new roadside wall was built and the pillars of the smaller entrance gate giving access to the front door were engraved 18 Jn Picot Mayfield 81.

John Picot never married and after his death the property reverted to his brother's side of the family; both Mayfield and Rock Vale, which have adjoining fields, were owned in the early 20th century by Josué's son Josué Jean, and then passing his only daughter Catherine.

She married Francis Nicolle Le Breton, who inherited Les Ruettes, a row of cottages adjoining the Picot land, from his Nicolle ancestors. On their deaths all the properties passed to Francis and Catherine's daughter, and are now, through marriage, in the Bisson family.

The datestone above the side doorway, now covered by a conservatory

Large barn

Mayfield has a very large two-storey L-shaped granite barn, one of the largest in the island. The north-west end of the barn housed the farm's dairy and there are old pigsties at the south-east end. The barn is linked to the main house by a single-storey structure which became the home's kitchen. Internal alterations have created smaller rooms, but before the restructuring and restoration of the 1970s, the only habitable accommdation of the house was two large rooms on both the ground and first floors, and a small bathroom on the first floor.

Mayfield had a fine granite apple crusher which was gifted to La Société Jersiaise by the Picot family and was in the front courtyard of the Museum in St Helier.

The dated gate pillars to mark building work in 1881

1849 map

Although the property is identified on Hugh Godfray's 1849 map of Jersey, there is no mention of Mayfield in the index to that map. A possible name for the property at the time is La Fortunée, which is shown as being occupied by a Picot and, although not covered in detail in Old Jersey Houses Vol 1, is shown as having a well-head dated 1748. But La Fortunée was also a name for the area between Mayfield and Rock Vale, so the house may have had another name.

Heritage entry

The Jersey Heritage Historic Environment Record website has this description of the property:

'An early 19th century Jersey farmhouse retaining original exterior and some interior features. The house emulates the polite architecture of Georgian fashion but with a continuing local character. Datestone on side wall '17 C HB M G L 27', the initials stand for Clement Hubert and Marguerite Gallichan. Although this datestone is unlikely to be in its original location, the fireplace corbels indicate an earlier origin to the property. The frontage is probably early 19th century, with later 19th century alterations in the interior. Not on Richmond Map. The gate post reads '18 Picot' on the left and 'Mayfield 81' on the right. Group of farm buildings with main house (5 bay, 2 storey) linked with single storey infill to 2 storey farm building. House: Front (south) elevation: Slate roof. Rendered chimneys. Rendered with the ashlar quoins and quoined window surrounds picked out. Windows are 12 pane (6/6) sashes without horns. Door at centre is 6 panel, the top 4 glazed, the lower 2 fielded. Stone boundary wall with gate pillars, one set with the date 1881. Side (east) elevation: Gable end, rendered chimney. Random rubble, stone quoins. Datestone 1727. Attic window with brick jambs and stone lintel. New lean-to conservatory. Rear (north) elevation: Slate roof. Rendered chimneys. Pierre perdu render. 3 12 pane (6/6) sash windows, one 6 pane (3/3) sash over the staircase. Farm building: Front (south) elevation: Slate roof. Pierre perdu render. Stone lintels over windows. Elliptical arch over carriage gate, rendered. Windows are 12 pane (6/6) sashes. 2 room wide, single pile, central entrance. Staircase opposite entrance doglegs up to attic with half round hand rail, stick balusters and turned newel. End of handrail may be missing. Applique to side of treads. 6 panel doors. Ground floor east room has granite fireplace with two corbel stones with rim. First floor room has 19th century fireplace with simple timber surround and iron grate.
The farmyard photographed in 1911
The front garden being reclaimed when the house was renovated by the Bisson family in 1977
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