Société Jersiaise
| Formation | 1873 |
|---|---|
| Type | Learned society |
| Purpose | History, Archaeology, Natural History, Jèrriais |
| Location |
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| Membership | 2,000 (approx.) |
Activities | Research & Publications, Lectures & Events, Heritage Conservation, Exhibitions, Museum Collection |
Collections | Research Library, Paintings, Artefacts, Photographic Archive, Museum Collection |
President | Nicolette Le Quesne Westwood |
| Website | www.societe.je |
The Société Jersiaise (French pronunciation: [sɔsjete ʒɛʁsjɛz]) is a learned society in Jersey which was founded in 1873, in the manner of similar county societies in the United Kingdom and Sociétés Savantes in France for the purposes of:
- The publication of local history
- The encouragement of the use of French, the official language
- The study of the ancient local dialect
- To achieve, as far as possible, the conservation of all prehistoric and historical sites
- To found a library, mainly historical and archaeological
- To collaborate with other societies with similar aims
The Société continues to fulfill these objectives, with two important differences – because it can no longer be said that French is the official language, the encouragement of its use has been dropped and, secondly, an important addition to the aims is the study of all branches of the natural history of the island and publication of the results of fieldwork in these subjects. By 1878 a museum had been formed. In 1893 the Société moved to No. 9 Pier Rd, which continues to house the museum. The Société is a registered charity funded through subscriptions, donations and legacies.