Ross Le Marquand tells us why there’s more to some houses than bricks and Mortar.
Maybe it’s because of Guernsey’s diverse and fascinating history that Estate Agency can be so deeply interesting at times. It is always a welcome pleasure when we are asked to list a house that has a rich history, something tangible, like the patina on an antique table, so that as you run your fingers over the old timber beams or stone plinths, it brings the past to life. No less than at 17 Hauteville known as Le Lievre House, so named after the former owner until his death reported in the Guernsey Star 19th February1878. This house helps define the story of a remarkable local painter who not only left a rich legacy of fine water colours but who also achieved so much in his life for the benefit of the community as a whole, being widely accomplished in everything from natural history and archaeology to business and his service in the militia.
As referred to by Rona Cole in, “Peter Le Lievre 1812-1878” this three-storied town house built in the early 1800’s had part of the ground floor that was evidently used as a shop. Peter’s father Pierre had sold various paints, turpentine and linseed oil from these premises which he ran together with a lead business located nearby. It was at this house that Peter Le Lievre lived his entire life, educated at Elizabeth College he no doubt took a keen interest in painting there though little of that is known until his leaving, when he first published works for a series of prints as part of a commission to record Channel Island views. By this time he had joined the family business demonstrating good business acumen and had started developing his own progressive ideas.
This popular local figure never sought publication or display of his work, unlike his contemporary Paul Naftel, preferring to keep much of it to himself with only a few of his personal friends that knew of his painting, this went a long way to explain his relative obscurity at the time in England and wider afield. Having been a Constable of St Peter Port in 1846 and 1847 he was far better known for his role in public administration being elected to the St Peter Port Douzaine, a position he held for some thirty years. During this time as a member of the States Committees throughout the construction of the Town Markets and new Harbour which grew from 8 acres to over 80 acres for which he was acknowledged to have designed the two lighthouses at the ends of the new piers. Having gazed over the intricate designs on the Town Church organ pipes, I thought it particularly interesting that his attention had even extended to that when he became Churchwarden of the Town Church in 1856. His extensive achievements were none the less in the local militia in which he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant at nineteen and swiftly rose through the ranks to finally reach Lieutenant-Colonel in command of the Royal Guernsey Artillery Regiment 1868.
Few captured with his skill and delicacy life in nineteenth century Guernsey, in particular the scenic coastline often within walking distance of his home but including some notable west coast scenes including vraic gatherers in Rocquaine Bay and sketches of “Oneida” wrecked in 1849 which depicts the salvage of cargo. He is also noted for images of the Island characters of the time and the iconic Cow Lane that seems to illustrate the age so well.
Today we are fascinated by this historic link that connects Le Lievre house so vividly with the past and with the current house that is now presented in such magnificent splendour. So much of the original charm still remains and yet the rooms are well appointed with all the convenience of modern materials and design including the large Drawing Room, that was known to have been his studio, bathed in daylight through a feature roof light. The former shop is now a large garage and the beautiful walled gardens still include a towering brick folly that provides a sensational view across the town roofs to the harbour pool and beyond to the neighbouring Islands. This house is offered for sale at £1.75M a snip for art aficionados or romantic townies like me; it has even been implied that certain artefacts relating to this former owner could also become part of the sale?
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Ross Le Marquand tells us why there’s more to some houses than bricks and Mortar. >>
