FAMILY LIVES
TALES FROM THE CENSUS
& OTHER RECORDS
JAMES JACOB TRAVERS 1849 - 1910
My Great Grand Uncle
James Jacob Travers born 1849 in Plymouth was the younger brother of my great Grandmother making him my Great Grand Uncle and he was about 10 years old when the family moved from Weymouth to Guernsey. James started work in the printing trade as a printer compositor which he did for over 20 years.
In the Guernsey Star Newspaper on 8th August 1876 a feature about the local Foresters Fete, listed James as a member of the Foresters.
The Ancient Order of Foresters was established in Rochdale Lancashire in 1834, when over 300 branches of the Royal Foresters Society formed this new Friendly Society. Their local branches are termed “Courts” rather than “Lodges” as in other organistions. The society provides it’s members with insurance policies against sickness and death and raises money for charity amongst other things. In 1874 in the USA and Canada branches seceded from the Ancient Order and set up the Independent Order of Foresters.
In 1871 the Travers family were living in Victoria Rd St Peter Port as seen in the picture on the right, then by the mid 1870’s, James married a French girl, Lize Augustine Digard and between 1878 and 1889 he and Lize had 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls.
On the 1891 census James is still listed as being a printer compositor but his wife, listed as Augustine, is shown to be a publican.
Then the following appeared in the Guernsey Star Newspaper 24 Jun 1893
“Prince of Wales Livery Stables: These handsomely finished stables with the latest hygienic improvements, recently acquired and refitted by James J Travers are a credit to our town and will well repay a visit. The stables are now occupied by Mr W Butt”
During 1897 the town was raising funds for a new statue of the Queen and on 8th June the Guernsey Star featured a list showing contributors which included
James J Travers £1 and James L Travers 1s 8d
(in 2013 these would equate to about £100 & £10 respectively)
A few days later on the 12th June 1897 an announcement appeared in the Guernsey Star Newspaper:
“New Restaurant: James J Travers announces he intends opening his new Prince of Wales Restaurant at the top of Smith Street, St Peter Port on Saturday next June 19th”.
James was listed as a Licensed Victualler in Smith Street on the 1891 census. His eldest daughter Louisa was working in the business and his son James Le Patourel Travers was listed as a victuallers assistant (barman).
James Jacob Travers died on 12 Sep 1910 but the business continued under the management of his son James Lawrence Travers.
JAMES LAWRENCE TRAVERS 1881 - 1986
My 1st Cousin twice removed
James Lawrence Travers or James L (as I shall call him) had married Alice in 1906 and they had 4 children between 1907 – 1919.
It seems things went well because by the 1911 census James L was listed as running a hotel employing 12 people and was also still running the restaurant now called the Prince of Wales Royal Restaurant. It was during the next 15 years or so that his reputation increased and he became known as “The Champion Caterer of the World”.
The photo shows people enjoying a picnic at the races at L’ancresse Common, Guernsey it’s described as follows:
“Picnics on the grass were the order of the day and James Travers of the Prince of Wales Royal Restaurant, the well known “Champion Caterer of the World” was serving lobster lunches for 2/6d in a specially fitted marquee”
(the 2/6d then would be worth about £4.50 in 2013)
We are not sure yet what happened to his wife Alice, but in 1931 James L married Florence M Banks in Southampton Hampshire.
James L continued in the pub trade for 53 years, until he retired in 1963, when his son Henri took over the licence. His retirement was a news story in the Guernsey Morning Advertiser on 4th March 1963. It was also a newspaper story when James Le Patourel Travers died on 8 April 1986 at the grand age of 105. The newspaper reported that James Le Patourel Travers used to run the Coal Hole Bar in the Prince of Wales Pub and later La Fontaine in Clair Hill St Peter Port.
As a point of interest in subsequent years the Prince of Wales reverted to a pub but in 2010 the Prince of Wales Restaurant and the Coal Hole Bar re opened for business now run by Randall’s Brewery.
The archway was set up at the foot of Victoria Rd on 10th March 1888 and said "God save Albert & Alexandria" referring to Prince Albert & his Princess. This area looks nothing like this today
An old postcard showing Smith Street
The Prince of Wales top of Smith Street taken during our visit to Guernsey in 2001
The Coal Hole Bar re opened in 2010
TOP: Header of the old Guernsey Star Newspaper
ABOVE LEFT: Ancient Order of Foresters Penant
ABOVE RIGHT: Statue of Queen Victoria in Candie
Gardens St Peter Port Guernsey