Alphonse Le Gastelois
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Alphonse Le Gastelois (14 October 1914 – 3 June 2012) was an
agricultural worker A farmworker, farmhand or agricultural worker is someone employed for labor in agriculture. In labor law, the term "farmworker" is sometimes used more narrowly, applying only to a hired worker involved in agricultural production, including harv ...
and
fisherman A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreati ...
from
Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...
who lived in self-imposed
exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
on the Écréhous reef for 14 years after being wrongly accused of a string of sexual assaults on children. Fearing for his life, Le Gastelois felt compelled to leave Jersey to live on the small island six miles to the north east of Jersey, having been treated as a criminal and
ostracised Ostracism ( el, ὀστρακισμός, ''ostrakismos'') was an Athenian democratic procedure in which any citizen could be expelled from the city-state of Athens for ten years. While some instances clearly expressed popular anger at the citi ...
by many who lived on Jersey. Ten years later, on 10 July 1971, the real criminal, Edward Paisnel, nicknamed the Beast of Jersey, was caught and on 29 November 1971, was sentenced to jail for 13 attacks; this ended an 11-year reign of terror.


Early life

Le Gastelois was born on the island of Jersey to French parents. His father was from
Besneville Besneville () is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region in northwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France ...
and his mother from Montgardon. He studied at St Martin's School.


Suspicion and arrest

In a documentary, a journalist described how Le Gastelois liked to roam the country lanes at night. Stan de la Haye of the Honorary Police described Le Gastelois as a
loner A loner is a person who does not seek out, or may actively avoid, interaction with other people. There are many potential reasons for their solitude. Intentional reasons include introversion, mysticism, spirituality, religion, or personal consid ...
who wore a dirty old raincoat tied up with a piece of rope, which matched the description of the wanted man. Unfounded grudges against Le Gastelois were formed in fear, and fueled by the local police force in Jersey not speaking out to silence gossip. As the hysteria reached fever pitch, Le Gastelois' unconventional lifestyle led him to become one of 30 suspects arrested during an investigation by
Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...
. He was released after 14 hours of questioning due to a lack of evidence. His clothes were sent for forensic examination at Scotland Yard, and on release he was issued with ill-fitting clothes. Unlike the other suspects, Le Gastelois' name was released to the public, and he became a
scapegoat In the Bible, a scapegoat is one of a pair of kid goats that is released into the wilderness, taking with it all sins and impurities, while the other is sacrificed. The concept first appears in the Book of Leviticus, in which a goat is designate ...
. The attacks of the Beast of Jersey continued unabated. Public suspicion against Le Gastelois remained so strong, however, that his cottage was burnt down in an act of
arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...
. In the documentary, Le Gastelois said that the police had searched his house 12 times in 12 months.


Exile

In 1961, Advocate Denys Richardson took Le Gastelois out to the reef in his boat, where Le Gastelois took on some work refurbishing the hut belonging to Advocate Richardson, and doing odd jobs for other hut owners. He described his life on the reef as "paradise compared to what I've been through."


Reclusive life on the reef

From May 1961 until April 1975 and despite Paisnel's capture, Le Gastelois continued to live a quiet life of
solitude Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, meaning lack of socialisation. Effects can be either positive or negative, depending on the situation. Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one may work, think, or rest without distu ...
on the islet of La Marmotière, explaining that he had become so used to it and it was his home with all his possessions there with him. His story became a
cause célèbre A cause célèbre (,''Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged'', 12th Edition, 2014. S.v. "cause célèbre". Retrieved November 30, 2018 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/cause+c%c3%a9l%c3%a8bre ,''Random House Kernerman Webs ...
and the bearded character soon established himself as the "King of the Ecréhous" and became an attraction for those visiting the reef. The huts on the reef have no running water nor electricity. During the bitterly cold winters, there would be no visitors to the islands for months at a time. To survive, he lived off the land as best he could, becoming expert at finding
lobsters Lobsters are a family (Nephropidae, synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs have claws, including the first pair, ...
in the expanse of rock pools at low tide. He collected rain water, and his diet also included seaweed and seagull eggs. Visitors to the reef would often bring him supplies and books from Jersey. He said in an interview that he did not like the fish but preferred the seaweed. To keep warm he would pull two tables together, cover them with a blanket to make a tent and then light a candle or small fire inside it.


King of the Ecréhous

Exonerated, Le Gastelois remained on the Écréhous where he formed the firm conviction based on what he had read in the law books given to him by visitors that the
archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...
could become an independent entity since they were not permanently occupied. He claimed that status pursuant to
Norman law Norman law (, , ) refers to the customary law of the Duchy of Normandy which developed between the 10th and 13th centuries and which survives today in the legal systems of Jersey and the other Channel Islands. It grew out of a mingling of Frankish ...
in force since Rollo in 911, which provides that a person can claim possession of a deserted place if he lives there for 10 years. His request was formally submitted to the Queen, not as Queen of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
but in her capacity as
Duke of Normandy In the Middle Ages, the duke of Normandy was the ruler of the Duchy of Normandy in north-western Kingdom of France, France. The duchy arose out of a grant of land to the Viking leader Rollo by the French king Charles the Simple, Charles III in ...
. His request was unsuccessful and the Écréhous remained a possession of the
Bailiwick of Jersey A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. The bailiwick is probably modelled on the ...
.


Accusation of arson

After Le Gastelois lived for 14 years as a
hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...
, in 1975 a posse of officials from Jersey went to the reef to exterminate rabbits which were said to be destroying what little vegetation existed there. As they were returning to Jersey, the biggest building on the reef, a hut belonging to Lady Trent, caught fire and was destroyed. The rabbits were a source of food for Le Gastelois, who was arrested and accused of lighting the fire as an act of revenge. He was imprisoned for three months on remand, but at his subsequent Royal Court trial he was unanimously acquitted by the 24-strong jury who took just minutes to reach their 'not guilty' verdict.


Return to Jersey

Despite saying that he had no reason to go back to Jersey, Le Gastelois did not return to the Écréhous and remained in Jersey from 1975 until his death in June 2012. He moved into a single room at the rear end of a cottage in Dumaresq Street, St. Helier owned by the
States of Jersey The States Assembly (french: Assemblée des États; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable of each of the twelve parishes. The origins of the legislature of Jersey lie in the system o ...
. He mostly kept himself locked in. He suffered severe back pain which impaired his ability to walk very far. Having received no pension he was living in extreme poverty. Later he lived at Victoria Cottage Homes for three years, then Guardian Nursing Home for another three years and then the last 18 months of his life at Palm Springs nursing home.


Interviews and documentary

Le Gastelois gave an interview to Channel Television in 1964 and to the ''
Jersey Evening Post The ''Jersey Evening Post'' (''JEP'') is a local newspaper published six days a week in the Bailiwick of Jersey. It was printed in broadsheet format for 87 years, though it is now of compact ( tabloid) size. Its strapline is: "At the heart of i ...
'' in 1966. In 1998, he was the subject of an award-winning 24-minute documentary.


Proposed compensation

In 1999, The
States of Jersey The States Assembly (french: Assemblée des États; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable of each of the twelve parishes. The origins of the legislature of Jersey lie in the system o ...
debated a proposition brought by Senator J.S. Rothwell to pay Le Gastelois £20,000 in compensation as a token of support to redress the injustice that he had suffered. In a BBC interview, he was quoted as saying "What can you do? You can't rebuild my life, you can't rebuild me. I don't want much now, only want to be left in peace." He said of the proposed compensation: "It's a bit late in life but it will help." The Finance and Economics Committee presented written comments to the States, expressing their sympathy for Le Gastelois' circumstances but in their opinion paying compensation could establish a
precedent A precedent is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts. Common-law legal systems place great valu ...
. After the States voted in favour of holding the debate '' in camera'', Rothwell withdrew his proposition.


Family

Le Gastelois never married, and he left no children. His nephew William Du Heaume and wife Valerie Du Heaume along with their family still live on the island. Valerie Du Heaume looked after him when his health failed. She has called for the States of Jersey to make a public apology, and for a memorial to him to be placed on the reef.


Memorial

Amongst the many friends that attended his funeral were 9 expert mariners from Normandy who had been amongst Le Gastelois' most frequent visitors during his exile, including Alain Blancheton, former harbourmaster of Carteret who gave the eulogy. Shortly after Le Gastelois' death, a
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
group was set up to gain public support for a suitable
memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...
. St Martin's
honorary police There is an Honorary Police ( French: Police Honorifique) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid. Honorary Police officers have ...
also expressed interest. The Facebook group has suggested "Wrongly Accused; forgive us" as a suitable
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
. A letter to the editor of the ''Jersey Evening Post'' suggested that
Jersey Heritage Jersey Heritage is an independent trust in Jersey which is responsible for the island's major historic sites, museums, and public archives. It holds collections of artefacts, works of art, documents, specimens, and information relating to Jer ...
which each year commissions a portrait of one of the Island's well known citizens should select Le Gastelois as its next subject.


Theatrical performance

Andrea Earl has written a play about Le Gastelois' life. It was performed for the first time at
Jersey Opera House The Jersey Opera House is a working theatre and opera house in La Vingtaine de la Ville, Saint Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. The theatre building is administered by the States of Jersey but is managed by Jersey Opera House Limited. The curren ...
on 28 October 2014, the month being the 100th anniversary of his birth.


Gallery

File:Valini Family Photo.jpg, Photo of Alphonse on Les Ecréhous 65-73 period by kind permission of Janine Graham


References


External links


BBC radio report by James Ingham

YouTube video of a yacht arriving at Les Ecréhous, showing Alphonse Le Gastelois on the island


* [http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xkga1z_alain-blancheton-historien-raconte-alphonse-le-gastelois-ermite-des-ecrehou_travel "Manche Libre" – Alain Blancheton, historien, raconte Alphonse Le Gastelois, ermite des Ecréhou] * {{DEFAULTSORT:Le Gastelois, Alphonse History of Jersey British hermits 1914 births 2012 deaths People from Saint Martin, Jersey