Doyle Monument Explained

The Doyle Monument is located in Jerbourg Point in the southeastern point of the Bailiwick of Guernsey within St Martin Parish. It was built to honor Sir John Doyle (1756-1834), Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey 1803-1816, by the people of the island.[1]

Monuments

Original

The original monument, built in 1820, was 96feet in height. It was built of granite and a staircase inside wound up to its summit.[2] It had the simple inscription, "Doyle - Gratitude".[3]

A coloured engraving of the monument appears in the book Festung Guernsey which was created by the German occupiers to document their defences of the island.[4] The monument was demolished by German engineers in 1944 during the Occupation as Batterie Strassburg was built close to the site and it blocked the 360-degree angle of fire, photographs showing the demolition were taken.[5]

Replacement

A second smaller monument, a granite column, was built in the same location, a small hill, at a cost of £1,400, and was completed in 1953.[6] [7]

References

49.4269°N -2.5342°W

Notes and References

  1. Book: Voice of masonry and tidings from the craft. 1 July 2011. 1868. 353–.
  2. Book: A Companion to the Island of Guernsey ... compiled from the best authors ... With a map of the island . Collins, 1835 . 120.
  3. Book: The Annual biography and obituary. 1 July 2011. 1835. Longman.. 256–.
  4. Book: Strappini, Richard . St Martin, Guernsey, Channel Islands, a parish history from 1204 . 2004 . 133.
  5. Book: Strappini, Richard . St Martin, Guernsey, Channel Islands, a parish history from 1204 . 2004 . 145.
  6. News: Doyle Monument The monument to the former Lieutenant Governor who was responsible for building much of the island's defences is the second one to be built in his memory.. March 12, 2009. BBC. 1 July 2011.
  7. Book: Lemprière, Raoul. Customs, ceremonies and traditions of the Channel Islands. 1 July 2011. 1976. Hale. 34.