Jersey’s first female Greffier of the States honoured with room in States building
States Assembly
29 October 2024
A room in the States building has been officially named after Mary Newcombe, the first female Greffier of the States, as part of celebrations to mark 500 years since records of States meetings were first recorded.Catherine Mary Newcombe joined the States Greffe in 1968 as a Committee Clerk, producing the official records of the meetings of a number of bodies, including the Policy and Resources Committee which was established in 1989. She was appointed as Deputy Greffier of the States in 1991 and as the Greffier of the States in 2000. The Greffier has a legal responsibility to act as keeper of the official records of the States.
The Privileges and Procedures Committee agreed to dedicate a room in the States building to Miss Newcombe as part of the celebrations to mark 500 years since the first Minutes of a States Meeting were recorded.
The Mary Newcombe Room was officially opened by the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee, Connétable Karen Shenton-Stone, who said: ‘I had the opportunity to get to know Miss Newcombe through my late father, who worked with her throughout his political career, as well as in my own right. My father spoke about her with much admiration and respect, as did many of his colleagues, and as our own relationship grew, I found her to be a truly inspirational woman. The Mary Newcombe Room will be used by the States Greffe team as a place to create content aimed at engaging the public with the work of the Assembly, and it feels very appropriate that a room with such a modern role is named after someone who herself was something of a pioneer at a time when politics was dominated by men.’
The Connétable was joined by past and present members of the States Greffe team who worked with Miss Newcombe during her career, including the current Greffier of the States, Lisa Hart, who joined the Greffe in 2000, the same year Miss Newcombe became Greffier. Two members of Miss Newcombe’s family were also present for the dedication, which was held on Monday 28 October, Miss Newcombe’s birthday.
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