De Caen descendants visit the Island in search of relatives

Jacqueline Sharp, (née de Caen), who is aged 86, and her daughters Lesley Lowe and Gillian Walker, will be staying at the Golden Sands Hotel, St Brelade’s Bay, from Saturday until Tuesday.

Lesley has written to us to appeal to any relatives of their family, or those with memories of their ancestors, to get in touch.

She explained that her mother was born in England on 1 April 1924, to Jersey parents Edward de Caen, who had lived previously at Roselands, Petite Rue d’Elysée, St Peter, and Vera Foney (née Burgoyne), who had lived in the High Street, St Aubin.

Edward de Caen was born on 29 January, 1894, the son of Edouard de Caen and Louisa Vautier, and went to Oxenford House School.

He sold his family home, Roselands, in the 1920s following his marriage to Alice Jarvis in Hampstead, London on 18 March 1913, when he was 19 and she was 36.

Alice had been working as a housemaid to Col and Mrs Philip Giband, Bon Air Road, Sous L’eglise, St Saviour’s, Guernsey, although she and Mrs Giband were both from Essex.

Vera lived with her parents, John Burgoyne and Elise Bailhache Burgoyne (née Vautier), brother Colin and sisters Olga and Sutherland in what is now the Sabots d’Or Guest House, at the foot of the High Street, St Aubin. Her father, a tailor, had a tiny workshop next door.

Olga married William Barnes (whose brother Bert had garage/s in St Helier) and on 12 November 1916, Vera married Phillip Edward Florent Foney, whose family, Lesley believes, came from France.

‘Vera and Philip had a daughter Vera Odette, who was my mother’s half-sister although they never met,’ she said. ‘Odette (as she was known) married Donald Ross MacCulloch of St Lawrence, but born in Inverness, Scotland, at what is now St Columba’s church, on 13 March 1939, and we think they lived in Inverness until she died around 1990.’

The family have been helped with their research by the Channel Islands Family History Society, but are hoping that more people will come forward with snippets or memories, which would be kept confidential, if that was desired.

If anyone can help, Lesley’s mobile for when in Jersey is 07919 542593, her Hereford number is 01981 540366 and her e-mail is Lesleylowe50@aol.com