Public Records (Jersey) Law 2002: report of the Jersey Heritage Trust and the States Archivist during 2015

STATES OF JERSEY

PUBLIC RECORDS (JERSEY) LAW 2002: REPORT OF THE JERSEY HERITAGE TRUST AND THE STATES ARCHIVIST DURING 2015

Presented to the States on 13th June 2016

by the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture

STATES GREFFE

2016  R.62

2015 ANNUAL REPORT ON THE WORK OF JERSEY HERITAGE AND THE ARCHIVIST UNDER THE PUBLIC RECORDS (JERSEY) LAW, 2002.

ARCHIVES ARE A UNIQUE IRREPLACEABLE RECORD  TELLING THE STORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF JERSEY.  

CONTENTS

Introduction   3  Physical and Digital Storage  13

Island Wide Identi  4  Conservation and Environment  14 Case Study - What s Your Street s Story?  4  Appraisal   14

Communi and Learning  6  Cataloguing   15 Case Study - Who do You  Catalogued Records  16

 ink You Are? Live  6  No of Records Catalogued and

Case Study - Reminiscence  7  Available to Search Online   18

Backlog in Years

International and Economic Impact  8  (Projected with current staff)  19 Case Study - Jersey Heritage Archives

and Collections Online  8  Closed Records  20

Case Study - Petitions from Prisoners Accountabili  9  to the Home Secretary, 1937 - 1940  20 Case Study - Children s Home Inquiry  9

Case Study - Archiving Websites  9 Access   22 Public Records Law Compliance  10  Management and Oversight  23

Records Management   10

Appraisal   11  Appendix A

Public Records transferred in 2015  24 Transfer  12  Appendix B

Key Performance Indicators  38

INTRODUCTION

Archives are a unique irreplaceable record telling the  Permanent staff numbers continue to be at levels that Dr story of the development of Jersey. Archives help us to  Norman James of e National Archive highlighted in define our island wide identi , they act as a means to  his 2008 report:

learn more about our local communi , have an impact

on the international perception of Jersey and are an  4.4. e staff resources available to the Jersey Archive impartial voice providing legal evidence of activities  are inadequate to meet its commitments to the Trust, and government accountabili .  the States government and its other stakeholders,

especially members of the public.

In 2015 archive staff catalogued over 20,000

records and added thousands of images to our online  We will continue to work with public institutions catalogue. e team continue to provide a records  on the transfer of records, manage the archives in our management, transfer, storage, cataloguing and  care and promote the widest possible access to the enquiry service for all public institutions under the  records that we hold on behalf of the Island.

Public Records Law.

We will also work with partners such as the Social

 rough in person visits to the archive, distance  Securi Communi Jobs Fund team and Ancestry.com enquiries and our online catalogue we have connected  to develop our online resource which creates income with over 60,000 individuals around the world to help  through subscription, with Proper Holdings and them discover the unique Jersey story which forms part  the construction team on the feasibili study for the

of their heritage.  new archive strongroom block and with colleagues at

Information Services on the development of strategies In 2016 we face the challenge of a reduction in staff  for the digital transfer of public records to Jersey numbers of over 30% a er the completion of a two  Archive.

year service level agreement with the Chief Minister s

Department. Whilst we have retained 1 of the 5.6 staff

employed under this agreement through a yearlong  Linda Romeril

extension, this will have an inevitable impact on the  Archives and Collections Director

services provided by the archive to public institutions  Jersey Heritage

and cataloguing rates will fall.

ISLAND WIDE IDENTITY

Archives help people feel a sense of connection with and belonging to their Island, home, organisation, school and family.

Jersey Archive works on a number of outreach projects across the island, talking to local groups such as WIs, offering opportunities for schools to interact with primary sources and taking part in initiatives such as the Channel Islands Heritage Festival and Jersey Festival of Words.

Case Study What s Your Street s Story?

In 2015 we continued the successful What s Your Street s Story? project. e project looked at the history and stories of the people, communi and properties of eight different areas of the Island including St Aubin s Harbour, Havre des Pas, St Ouen s Village and Halkett Place.

For each area and communi we created an  e Cour de Cattel records at Jersey Archive article for the Jersey Evening Post, told the stories  show that 12 men were sent to view the body with BBC Radio Jersey and gave a talk at Jersey  of Michael Jenkinson which was found in the Archive for members of the public on one of our  public road near St Aubin at the foot of Mont de open Saturdays. la Rocque . e men agreed that the death was

caused by a cut of the sword in the thigh.

What s Your Street s Story aims to involve

members of local communities in the stories  e Havre des Pas team found out some of the and history of their area. e project has evolved  stories of the hotels in the area:

from a talk researched and given by archive

staff to include co-production with communi  Hotels dominated the Havre des Pas area into groups working with archive staff to discover and  the twentieth century. e Marina Hotel was research the stories that will appear in the talk.  converted into a boarding house at the turn of In 2015 two communi groups spent over 130  the twentieth century by Nathaniel Nicholls, a hours working with staff to research the history  boarding house keeper from Cornwall. His lack of St Aubin s Harbour and Havre des Pas. of knowledge of local laws is illustrated when in

1905 he can be found in the Magistrate s Court  e St Aubin s group discovered information  selling liquor without a licence. He was found about the 17th century privateers: with over 100 bottles of claret, ale, cider and a

stock of champagne. He claimed that as he was On the a ernoon of 7th December 1646 a  not selling the alcohol for profit but at cost

Royalist Lieutenant named Manuel Clement was  price he should be exempt from needing the drinking in a tavern with Michael Jenkinson, the  licence but this plea fell on deaf ears and he master mariner of Sir George Carteret s galley.  was fined £10.  

 ey fell into a dispute over a bill and Jenkinson  

in his anger flung his money on the table and  

made for the door saying he would pay no more.  

Clement drew his sword and rushed a er him,  

ran him through and le him dead in the gutter.

COMMUNITY AND LEARNING

Archives help people feel a part of and get involved with their local communi through partnerships with other organisations, volunteering opportunities, group visits and workshops.

 ey promote opportunities for lifelong learning.

Jersey Archive benefits from nearly 1,500 volunteer hours each year from individuals involved in indexing, scanning, researching and packaging projects. e Channel Islands Family History Socie also provide volunteers to help members of the public with their research on the 161 days that the archive is open.

Case Study Who do You ink You Are? Live

Jersey Archive works with partner organisations as part of the Jersey Family History Forum. e Forum was established to promote the study of family history by all those with Jersey roots, whether they live in the Island or in places such as Australia or Canada, which have seen strong migration from Jersey.

 e Forum is a partnership between Jersey Heritage, the Channel Islands Family History Socie , the SociØtØ Jersiaise, Jersey Library, the Office of the Superintendent Registrar and the Parish of St Helier.

In April 2015 the Forum, with the support of Education, Sport and Culture, attended Who do You ink You Are? Live, Europe s most comprehensive family history event. e Forum worked together to promote the Island as a place to come to find out more about Jersey ancestors.

 e populari of Jersey as a family history destination is increasing. In 2015 over half the newly registered readers at the archive who listed their country of residence were not from the Island.

Case Study - Reminiscence

Jersey Heritage uses both archive and museum collections as part of its reminiscence programme. e programme is run from Jersey Archive and in 2015 staff participated in 12 reminiscence sessions working with over 220 adults to show them objects, programmes and photographs which sparked memories and discussion.

Jersey Heritage also runs a loan box scheme, allowing residential homes and groups to borrow boxes of duplicate or handling material to use when talking to groups about their memories and experiences of the past. In 2015 8 boxes were loaned.

Reminiscence therapy has a positive impact on well-being and research shows that it can bring benefits to those living with dementia:

 Reminiscence therapy is usually described as the use of triggers, that promote the recollection of life histories, or overall stimulation of the mind, with a very positive impact in overall well-being. e therapy has been used with people living with dementia, with very positive impact and results in their overall health, comfort and sense of securi

www.reminiscence.org.uk

INTERNATIONAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

Archives help Jersey to promote  the catalogue and digitising new collections. As

part of the re-launch Jersey Heritage worked with our unique cultural heritage  Ancestry.com, allowing the Ancestry site access to

to a worldwide audience. ey  our indexes giving the collections we hold a truly

global reach.

inspire people to discover more

about our Island and its people.  Recehsoeaes orch cur oarwrin fied onudt bingy ts ihn Je Nerasteioy ananl Ad srhchowives s

there has been a consistent trend towards

greater online searching of archive data and

Case Study Jersey Heritage Archives  that digitised collections are the main driver for and Collections Online online engagement. In its report Digital Services

and Archive Engagement 2014, National Archives In 2015 Jersey Heritage re-launched the Archives

reported an increase of 1.6% in the number of people and Collections online catalogue. e new

using its website, with more than two thirds of

look catalogue included over 90,000 images of

people using the site to view digitised documents. Occupation Registration Cards available to view

and download either on a pay per view basis or  By developing the online catalogue and placing

as part of an annual online subscription for the  more images online we can promote worldwide

first time.  access to Jersey s unique heritage. We encourage

people to discover they have Jersey roots and then

 e re-launch was the result of a number of

visit the Island. We generate income through pay per years work with volunteers, Family Search and

view downloads and subscriptions which can then Communi Job s Fund posts attaching images to

fund future digitisation projects.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Archives help people to  Case Study Archiving Websites

make informed decisions  In 21st century socie a significant amount of public and act as evidence of  records and comment on public projects only exists

online through websites, social media and blogs. In political, communi  2015 Jersey Heritage formed a partnership with the

and personal actions.  Bparirttinesh Lrs ihbi rp aarly wlowhs Jo aerrscehy aive trchhe .cive so.tuak dff to aomcaciens. s the e

British Library s web archiving so ware and to add Case Study Children s Home Inquiry  sites with Jersey content. e sites are then crawled

on a regular basis and copies stored and made

From 2008 2011 over 21 cubic meters or 500  available by the British Library.

boxes of records were transferred to Jersey Archive

Since the formation of the partnership archive staff from the Children s Services division of Health

have added over 60 Government websites including and Social Services and from individual children s

www.gov.je, www.vote.je and http://www.jersey2015. homes. e records were transferred to ensure

com (for the Nat West Island Games).

appropriate management, securi and impartial

storage of the records. In 2016 we aim to continue to add both sites and

social media to the collection and will be seeking the Since June 2014 staff at the archive have spent over

public s opinion as to which sites should be added to 400 hours liaising with the Independent Jersey Care

show not only the government of Jersey but also all Inquiry and producing files for the Inquiry to view.

aspects of socie in the Island.

Archive staff have also worked with the Inquiry to

ensure that a retention schedule is in place for their

own records.

PUBLIC RECORDS CRREECAETIE OVER  LAW COMPLIANCE

 e Public Records Law was introduced to ensure that records produced by Public Institutions are correctly managed. e Law gives Jersey Heritage and

ARCHIVE the Archivist a number of duties to perform with the ultimate aim of preserving OR DESTROY is diagram shows  USE and providing public access to the archival records which tell the story of

the management  Jersey s cultural, social, economic and political development.

of records through

their life cycle.

RECORDS MANAGEMENT

 rough our work under the Public Records Law Jersey Heritage provides a service to all public institutions to assist with the management of records from creation to disposal.

APPRAISAL RETAIN e Archive team meet with all separate sections and functions of each public OR REVIEW institution to discuss the roles that they perform and the records they create.

 e team then identi those records with long-term archival value and work with the institution to decide how long records with no archival value should be kept for.

 is work results in the production of a retention schedule which lists the records produced, length of time they should be retained for and whether they should be transferred to Jersey Archive or destroyed.

Over the past two years, through a fixed term service level agreement with    Records that relate to notable events or persons;

the Chief Minister s Department funded by FOI implementation Jersey    Records that are suitable for statistical and quantitative analysis; Heritage has made significant progress in ensuring that retention schedules

   Records that show the development of communities in Jersey and are in place for the majori of public institutions.

   Records that can be used in the growing field of genealogical research.

Schedules should be reviewed on a five yearly basis to ensure that the

changing roles and functions of public institutions are included.  In 2015 over 2,500 records were appraised prior to transfer of relevant

material to the Jersey Archive.

Schedules also need to be produced for bodies that fall under the Public

Records Law as corporations owned by the States or in which the States have

a controlling interest. 200 APPRAISAL

Once documents have been retained for the appropriate period of time  150 they are appraised against the agreed retention schedule before being

transferred to Jersey Archive or destroyed. Jersey Heritage staff work with

public institutions to appraise the records and to archive those that meet the

following criteria: 100    Records that show Jersey s social development, including demographic,

cultural and economic change;

   Rtieme acordns td ahsast dist wocuitmeh tnht ce hhiastongreic i, conntetrinpurei atatinon od d f seveucloh cpmehannt igen Js;ersey over  50    Records that show States administration s policies, procedures and decision

making processes;

   RSteactoers ods tf Jherast sey aho dw aminnd distoractuiomensn; t the significant functions and activities of NO. OF RETENTION SCHEDULES 0

   Records that show changes to Jersey s physical environment;

2013 2014 2015 2016

TRANSFER

NUMBER OF COLLECTIONS TRANSFERRED UNDER PUBLIC RECORDS LAW

120 90

60 30 0

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

In 2015 119 new collections of records were received from Public Institutions. Each new transfer is cleaned, repackaged and accessioned with basic details of the collection recorded on the adlib database.

Since the introduction of Freedom of Information and as a result of the work that the archive staff have carried out appraising and producing retention schedules the number of collections transferred has risen significantly over the past 5 years.

A er transfer the management of the collections, care of the material and the initial enquiries into access are all handled by archive staff.

Appendix A is a list of all collections transferred by public institutions in 2015.

PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL STORAGE

In 2015 35 cubic meters of  It is vital that building start as soon as possible to

ensure that Jersey Heritage can continue to accept records were transferred to  the transfer of public records under the Law.

the Jersey Archive, a 46%  Transfers of digital material to Jersey Archive are increase on the amount of  slowly increasing and a recent survey of public

physical material transferred  imnasttietruitail tonhs hat ias ds suhe to bown te ahart ochveiver 9d0. % he aave drchive igit  al in 2014. is brings the total  team are working with the Information Management

amount of physical storage at  tmeaam aterianl cd Iann bfore smamtioootn Shley trvriacnes to esferrend to tsure thhe aat drcihgive ital the archive to 706 cubic meters  with appropriate securi and evidential value.

leaving only 3.3 years of space  e feasibili study into the new strongroom

for additional records.  bfolor ack irchnivcluadl mes paterorivail bsioun ft woir a nell not cw soveerr tvehr re cooom sts

of setting up and running an appropriate digital We are aware that the conclusion of the Children s  storage solution for the long-term preservation

Home Inquiry in Jersey will bring with it an official  of archival digital files.

transfer of at least 22 cubic meters of records to

Jersey Archive.

In 2015 a feasibili study began into the new archive strongroom block, which has been included in the current States of Jersey Medium Term Financial Plan.

CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENT

When documents arrive at Jersey Archive their physical condition is assessed by our Conservator. Records have o en been stored in unsuitable damp or dir conditions and our first job on arrival of a new collection is to clean, repackage and monitor the material for mould growth or insect damage. Once collections are in a stable condition they are placed in the strongrooms to await cataloguing.

Preservation treatment of some collections can take several months of time consuming cleaning and mould removal. In 2015, through the Freedom of Information Service Level Agreement the Conservator had two assistants working with her on the preservation of archival material. As a result over 650 large boxes of material were cleaned and repackaged.

Ensuring a stable, clean environment for storage of records at Jersey Archive is essential for the long-term preservation of the material. e archive team aim to meet British and European Standards for the storage of archival records and the brief for the new strongroom block includes reference to these standards.

PD: 5454 indicates a standard of 35 - 60% RH and 13 20"C for mixed archival materials. Specific cold storage requirements for photographs and film are met in our air-conditioned cold rooms. e passive environmental control used in the strongroom block is generally able to maintain RH within the range set by PD 5454 and dehumidifiers are switched on as the RH approaches 60%.

e low winter temperatures are controlled well and at no point did the temperatures drop below the required 13oC. High summer temperatures continue to be challenging for the passive system and similar to previous years the summer months saw the upper limit of 20oC being exceed in all storage areas. Summer 2015 was mild so the top temperatures were not as high as in previous years and the period during which the upper limit of 20oC was exceeded was significantly shorter. e maximum temperature during 2015 was 23.2oC Improvements to temperature management in the Summer months are being reviewed as part of the feasibili study into the new strongroom block.

Physical conservation of individual items is a time consuming process and each year we aim to conserve a small number of items that are in such poor condition that they are in danger of further deterioration and cannot be used by members of the public.

In 2015 we used an external firm of archive conservators to repair 17 volumes. ese included a Jersey Shipping Register dating from 1855 1858. e register includes details of the registration date of ship in Jersey, the name of the ship, the owners of the ship, master of the ship, size of ship, pe of ship, where it was built, transactions involving the ship and what ultimately happened to the ship.

 e registers help us tell the story of this important part of Jersey s 19th Century development.

CATALOGUING

 e detailed cataloguing and indexing of archival records demands a wide breadth of knowledge from the cataloguing team. Records that come to Jersey Archive under the Public Records Law reflect all the functions of local and central government;

   from 16th century legal records to technical records of

construction projects;

   from political developments and papers to 19th century

accounting;

   from 21st century digital material to the complexities of

planning and environmental records and

e cataloguing of each new collection requires the member

of staff to gain an understanding of the public institution that produced the records and the policies, procedures and processes behind each function and section of the institution.

In 2015 staff catalogued public records from the Chief Minister s Department, Department for Infrastructure, Department of the Environment, Department for Education, Treasury, States Greffe and Judicial Greffe.

Of the thousands of records catalogued during the year the following encapsulate the abili of archives to show us the smallest details and personal impacts of events with the world wide importance of the Second World War, the Jersey reaction to the threat of nuclear emergency during the cold war, the importance of petitions in showing public opinion and the relevance of archives to current events such as the UK EU Referendum to be held this year.

   from parochial responsibilities and the honorary system to

records of medical care.

CATALOGUED RECORDS

Requisition Order 1598; receipt for billiard table from Royal Yacht Hotel for the German Forces, Mayfair Hotel, 1941

Aliens Card of Brunhilde Kuhne with change of Nationali from Austrian to German a er the Anschluss of 1938

 e petition opposing the flooding of Queen s Valley which had over 11,000 signatures but was ultimately unsuccessful, 1985

Dra broadcast scripts including announcements, summaries and talks to inform, instruct and advise the public in preparation for or response to a nuclear emergency, 1972

Report and Recommendations on all Matters Relating to the Government s Application to Join the European Economic Communi , 1967

N O OF RECORDS CATALOGUED AND AVAILABLE TO SEARCH ONLINE

300,000

225,000 150,000

75,000

0

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Records Catalogued 5,545 7,478 9,121 6,918 7,796 20,750 Records Online 213,348 218,893 226,371 235,492 242,410 250,206 270,956

Cataloguing is an essential part of providing access to collections for public institutions and members of the public. Each catalogue entry becomes available to search on our online catalogue www.catalogue.jerseyheritage.org.

BACKLOG IN YEARS(Projected with current staff)

50.0 37.5 25.0 12.5

In 2016 with the completion of our two year service level agreement with the Chief Minister s Department cataloguing staff numbers have been cut by 66%. is cut will have a significant impact on cataloguing services provided by the archive.

0.0

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Backlog in Years (Projected with current staff)

CLOSED RECORDS

At the start of each year new  Case Study - Petitions from Prisoners to

the Home Secretary, 1937 1940

archival records are opened

to the public a er closure  Jersey Prisoners had a right to petition the Home

Secretary on a number of matters, some of the periods of 30, 50, 75 and 100  petitions in the file that has now been opened ask for

years. In November 2015 the  rceomndisitsiioonn os af snd sentoeme cnceso, smopme clain aombopulat bin aotbh louoct pal arisnod n Archivist reviewed over 200  national authorities.

records and sent details and  Included in the file is the petition of Arnold Edward recommendations to each  ZEidg Zdiae Cg dhuarpinmg tan whe Sheo bcoencd Wame norld Wotoraior. Cus ahas Apmgaen wnt  as

public institution as to whether  recruited from the Channel Islands by the Germans the files should be opened to  bmuuct th ournef thd de woubar. le agent and spied for British for

the public or if they should be

Prior to the Second World War Chapman initially subject to exemptions under  lived a life of pet crime and then became part of

the FOI law. 94% of records  tin Whe Loornmdwon Good Sancg srubcesne s. Chearpvminag a pn wars oison bn saenil iten nce reviewed in 2015 are now open  Scotland a er ing to blow up the safe of the

for the public to come and  Ethde Cinbhuarngneh Cl Ios-loapnedrsa. tive Socie when he fled to consult at the Jersey Archive.

 e Police followed him to Jersey and raided the Hotel de la Plage where Chapman was staying with his future wife. Chapman made a spectacular escape through the dining room window. Chapman committed a number of pet the s in Jersey and was sentenced to two years hard labour at the Royal Court on 11th March 1939.

Chapman s petition to the Home Secretary gives a glimpse into his complex personali . He relates that he was arrested by the Edinburgh Police, conveniently does not mention that he skipped bail, but highlights that the Police confiscated his suitcase, overcoat and shoes and that they have not been returned. He goes on to complain about the Bournemouth Police who conducted the raid on the Hotel de la Plage;

e Bournemouth English Police came over to Jersey to arrest me for an offence in that town. ey found themselves unable to do so...... they raided the hotel I was staying at and seized my luggage .  

He petitions the Home Secretary for return of his clothes.  

He finally asks the Home Secretary if he can possibly help him get his bail money back from the Scott ish Solicitor he gave it to before he broke his bail and fled to Jersey.  

ACCESS

Access to records is a vital part of the archive s work under

the Public Records Law. It allows people to view the records of government for their own research or leisure use, for professional purposes and as part of the accountabili of government bodies to socie .

People access archives in different ways and the development of our online catalogue in 2015 has led to a significant increase in online access to and interaction with archival material. In 2015 our online catalogue had 89,488 visits, there were 3,170 visits to the archive in person and we received 3,041 distance enquiries from individuals and public institutions.

 Many thanks for your help and advice. is is an impressive facili with very helpful assistants. e best centre of its pe that I have ever encountered.

ank goodness there are organisations like yourselves so that we can preserve our history. Very helpful and informative.

 I am really happy with the service thank you. I have received my subscription and it works very well, and I m thrilled to have access to this area. So much information.

anks so much for sending this information over. I found it a fascinating read. I have to say I think the work you guys do at the archive is incredible and especially helpful to me in terms of bringing that history to life through contemporary public art commissions.

MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT

 e work of both Jersey Heritage and the Archivist under the Public Records Law is reviewed by the Records Advisory Panel. e Panel have an advisory role and under the law may provide advice to the Archivist, Jersey Heritage, the Minister and Public Institutions.

 e Panel are also required to approve the standards under which the Jersey Archive operates and in 2015 they approved the National Archive Accreditation scheme and PD5454: Guide for the Storage and Exhibition of Archival Materials as appropriate standards for the Archive to operate under.

 e Archive has full Archive Accreditation at the highest level a er applying to the scheme in 2014. e assessors noted:

e Archive Accreditation Panel felt that this was overall a very strong application, which meets all requirements of the Accreditation Standard one of only a few to do so in the scheme s history. ey considered that the assessment demonstrated a very well run service, with a clear policy direction and an important role in the public accountabili of the government of Jersey.

 e Records Advisory Panel s 6 year term ended in December 2015. A new Panel was recruited and appointed by the Minister at the end of the year and sworn in in January 2016.

 e Archive holds an annual internal stocktake of all items catalogued and viewed during the year. We are also externally audited by a colleague from Guernsey Museums Service. 100% of items checked were located in the 2015 stocktake.

APPENDIX A

PUBLIC RECORDS TRANSFERRED IN 2015

APPENDIX B