It is believed that most if not all the photographs were taken in the 1930s which is of course prior to the occupation of Sark by the German military. The notes were annotated pre-war and post-war.
It is shown from the front piece inscription that the lady who owned the book (P??????? Shaw) was a close friend of a Miss Pattie Hale (now known to be Hannah, the sister of Laura Eliza, the editor of the book).
By kind investigation by residents of Sark, it has been found that Hannah, Laura's sister, also went by the name of Pattie. Laura died in 1929, Samuel in March 1941 at Vieux Clos and Hannah (Pattie) in December 1945. In the front piece of the book, Hannah ( Pattie) is listed as dying during the occupation, when in fact it was just after in December 1945 at New Place, now Vieux Normand on Rue Lucas.
The father and mother of Laura E Hale had 8 children, Edmund, John, Laura Eliza, Hannah Martha (Pattie), Matthew, Frederick, Jessica and Samuel. Jessica died aged 4
In the 1901 Census Laura E. Hale (aged 36) is the Head of Petit Dixcart and is also living with her sister Hannah M Hale, (aged 33). Also in the house is a Domestic General Servant and Ethel Cheeswright (Visitor) (aged 25), (miniature painter Sculp), who is understood to have come to live Sark in 1892 and stayed there for the rest of her life.
Miss Cheeswright eventually had a studio at Rose Cottage and painted many views of Sark. Though born in Brixton London, she went to school in Guernsey. During the Occupation she was sent to Biberach in Germany.
Marked in book:- This is in ruins. Deterioration during the Occupation could not be repaired and many old cottages crumbled.
According to Wikipedia:-
Sark Windmill was built in 1571 at the seigneur's expense. It is situated on the highest point on Sark (114 metres or 374 feet above sea level), called Le Moulin after the windmill. It is a three-storey tower mill with an ogee cap. In the early 19th century the mill was burned by Sark tenants protesting against the seigneurial system there, but it was later refitted with new machinery and heightened. It was working by wind until 1917 although the sails were removed during World War I. It was used as an observation tower during the German occupation. The mill had four double patent sails, and was winded by a fantail. The mill featured on the 1971 and 1977 2p coins issued by Guernsey.
Ref: 2025-03-02-0015-
Location: Sark
