The first mention of the family in Jersey appears in the Extente of 1528 when Jean de Veulle was a tenant of the Crown in the Parish of St Clement. His son Philip lived in the Rue du Hoc in 1607, and the family continued to reside in that parish for several centuries.
Normandy origins
It appears probable that the de Veulles originated in Normandy, because there are records of their existence in Seine Inferieur from the 11th to 15th century. The actual evidence of kinship has not yet been established, but the fact that they do not appear in Jersey until the beginning of the 16th century leads to the possibility of emigration from Normandy about that period.
In the 17th century a branch was established in Southampton by Aaron de Veulle, who became a merchant in that town and rose to be Sheriff in 1696, and Mayor in 1705. His elder brother John de Veulle continued the line in St Clement and was, in time, succeeded by a son Aaron, who assisted Colonel Bentinck and Thomas Pipon in the preparation of the Code of Laws of 1771. Elected a Centenier in 1770 he became Constable of St Clement 1786, remaining in office for 18 years.
In consequence of a marriage with the daughter andheiress of John Godfray, he inherited a house called Slate House, which according to tradition was s named because it was the first in St Clement to be roofed with slates.
John de Vaulle, son of Aaron, embarked on a long and useful career in the service of the island, being elected Centenier in 1794, Greffier of the Royal Court in 1795, and in 1803 replaced Philip Dumaresq as Treasurer, continuing in this office for 18 years.
Through marriage with Elizabeth Messervy, only daughter and heiress of Nicolas Messervy, in 1798 the de Veulle family eventually inherited the fiefs les Augres et Godeaux, a house in Colomberie on the site of which Pembroke House was built, the mill of les Augres, la Ferme des Augres, and lands in Mont a l’Abbe near Surville.
John de Veulle died in 1841 having ten years previously had the satisfaction of seeing his only son appointed Bailiff.
Bailiff de Veulle
John de Veulle Jnr, born in 1799, was elected Jurat, without opposition, in 1827 and four years later succeeded Sir Thomas Le Breton as Bailly. His patent dated 28 February 1831 approximately coincided with the date of his Knighthood. Sir John functioned in difficult times when the island was divided into violent political factions known as the Rose and the Laurel. He personally belonged to the Rose party, and appears to have experienced difficulty in upholding the authority of the Court against the strenuous leaders of the opposition. He was still in office when Queen Victoria came to Jersey on her first visit in 1846.
After Sir John’s death his Jersey property was sold by his sons and the branch became extinct in the next generation. The family continued through the issue of Philip de Veulle, great uncle of Sir John, who still continued to live at the family residence in the Rue du Hocq.
In the succeeding generation John, son of Aaron, moved to St Helier, but his heir John de Veulle, after retirement from the British Consulship at Le Mans, France, settled in England and founded the branch now resident in Birmingham.
The younger brother Henry Mallet de Veulle appointed Treasurer of the States in 1908, died in 1930.
Family tree
- Descendants of Philippe de Veulle - 2
- The de Veulles of St Clement, a more detailed history by J A Messervy
