banker’s Clerk at the Capital and Counties Bank in St. Helier, whilst Robert
was shortly to leave for University College London.
10
The education of all three Le Rossignol sons followed a familiar pattern
viz., that of their father’s at Victoria College.
18 In August 1847 the States of
Jersey decided to purchase grounds from W. Le Breton, Esq. for £5,070 to
erect a building capable of accommodating 300 pupils, using a financial
provenance that dated back to Charles II who left land to Exeter, Pembroke,
and Jesus Colleges at Oxford for the benefit of scholars from the Channel
Islands. Victoria College (for boys only) opened on 29 September 1852 with
the school motto Amat Victoria Curam (loosely, ‘Victory favours those who
take pains’). Augustin, then aged 10, entered as part of the first intake of 109
pupils, with the Victoria College ‘index number’ (VC i ) of 73—a number
through which all previous pupil’s provenance can still be traced.
18 Although
French was the official language in Jersey, the new college was consciously
patterned on the English public schools. Anglicisation of the Island was an
objection raised to the building of the college, but the Bailiff of Jersey at the
prize day on 31 July 1901 stated unequivocally, ‘Well it has anglicised the
Island, and in doing so it has done an excellent thing!’. From the beginning
Plate 1.2 A magnificent photograph of Robert’s father, Jurat Augustin Le Rossignol,
circa 1903. Photograph courtesy of the Société Jersiaise.
15
1 Robert Le Rossignol
9
was shortly to leave for University College London.
10
The education of all three Le Rossignol sons followed a familiar pattern
viz., that of their father’s at Victoria College.
18 In August 1847 the States of
Jersey decided to purchase grounds from W. Le Breton, Esq. for £5,070 to
erect a building capable of accommodating 300 pupils, using a financial
provenance that dated back to Charles II who left land to Exeter, Pembroke,
and Jesus Colleges at Oxford for the benefit of scholars from the Channel
Islands. Victoria College (for boys only) opened on 29 September 1852 with
the school motto Amat Victoria Curam (loosely, ‘Victory favours those who
take pains’). Augustin, then aged 10, entered as part of the first intake of 109
pupils, with the Victoria College ‘index number’ (VC i ) of 73—a number
through which all previous pupil’s provenance can still be traced.
18 Although
French was the official language in Jersey, the new college was consciously
patterned on the English public schools. Anglicisation of the Island was an
objection raised to the building of the college, but the Bailiff of Jersey at the
prize day on 31 July 1901 stated unequivocally, ‘Well it has anglicised the
Island, and in doing so it has done an excellent thing!’. From the beginning
Plate 1.2 A magnificent photograph of Robert’s father, Jurat Augustin Le Rossignol,
circa 1903. Photograph courtesy of the Société Jersiaise.
15
1 Robert Le Rossignol
9