Women in Heritage

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Rona Cole

Aberdeen 6 October 1938 - 24 July 1994 Guernsey

Champion of Guernsey Heritage; Museum Curator & Director of Guernsey Museums & Galleries (1973-94).

Rona Cole was the first Director of Guernsey Museums & Galleries. Born in Aberdeen in 1938 Rona was educated at Badminton School, Bristol. At university she studied anthropology and graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge, in 1960. Rona began her career as an Archaeologist working for the State Museum in Windhoek, South West Africa (now Namibia).

In 1971, Rona attended Leicester University earning a postgraduate certificate in Museum Studies. After briefly working at the National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh, she accepted a position in Guernsey where a decision to build a new museum had been made.

In 1973 Rona and her family moved to the island where she became Guernsey's first full-time professional curator.

Rona oversaw the planning and construction of the new Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery which opened in 1978. The following year it won the Museums of the Year Award.

Rona Cole's contribution to Guernsey heritage were vast and varied. She was instrumental in reviving the archaeological sector and established the Museum's education service. Rona was also responsible for the restoration and curation of a number of Guernsey's Museums including the Fort Grey Shipwreck Museum and the Maritime Museum in Castle Cornet which opened in 1991. Before her death, Rona Cole even lobbied for the establishment of a Victor Hugo Centre.

Following Rona's death the Guernsey Museum named their newly refurbished art gallery in her honour.

Edith Frances Carey

Champion of Guernsey History and Folklore.

1864 - 1935

Edith Carey was born in India in 1864. During the 1870s Carey moved back to Guernsey and attended Ladies' College. By her early 20s, Carey had developed a love for history, archaeology, languages and folklore.

Carey was greatly inspired by other local historians such as Sir Edgar MacCulloch (Bailiff of Guernsey 1884-1895). Following his death in 1896, Carey collated, edited and compiled MacCulloch's letters into a work titled Guernsey Folklore.

In the 1920's Carey served as president of La Société Guernesiais twice and continued to extensively write and research Guernsey history submitting papers to the Société's annual transactions.

In 1904, Carey published her book The Channel Islands with 75 illustrations by Henry Wimbush.

Carey continued to compile Guernsey histories and began work on AHistory of the Careys of Guernsey along with her cousin Wilfred Carey. They both died before its completion, but the work was later finished and published in 1938 by another cousin, Spencer Carey Curtis.

Edith Carey died on 29 May 1935. After her death a series of essays on Guernsey history were posthumously published in her honour in 1936.

Miriam Milbourne

Founder of the Golden Guernsey Goat Breed.

After first encountering a few indigenous Golden Guernsey Goats in 1924 Miriam began her own herd in 1937. From there on, she continued to dedicate her life to ensuring the breed's recognition and survival.

Notoriously unruly, Miriam's herd of goats had a reputation for wandering off from their home on L'Ancresse common which often got Miriam into trouble.

In the 1950's Miriam began a breeding programme and increased the herds size to over 30 goats.

After years of perseverance to have the breed recognised, a separate Golden Guernsey Register was established in the Guernsey Goat Societies herd book in 1965. Imports of the breed to England began in 1967 and the British Goat Society's Golden Guernsey Goat register was finally opened in 1971.

Miriam's goats were later registered with the Royal Guernsey Agricultural Society and upon her death were passed into the care of a trust.

Marie De Garis MBE

Author & Lexicographer

15 June 1910 - 10 August 2010

Born and raised in the parish of St. Peters Marie only spoke Guernesiaise as a child. When starting her education at the St. Peters School she was introduced to English during lessons but continued to speak in Guernsey French to her classmates.

Motivated by her grandmother's lamentation that the Guernesiaise language would fade over time, Marie set about recording every known Guernsey French word to ensure they wouldn't be lost. As a result, Marie's Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernésiais (English- Guernesiaise dictionary) was published in 1967.

Marie became an authority on Guernsey language and history. She served as president of both La Société Guernesiaise and of L'Assembllaïe d' Guernesiaise and wrote about Guernsey Folklore for the Review of the Guernsey Societyduring the 1970's. In 1975 Marie published her work Folklore of Guernsey.

Marie lived in the Parish of St. Peters all her life, apart from during the German Occupation when she was evacuated to England. Her love for the Parish was cemented in her book St Pierre du Bois, A History of a Guernsey Parish and its Peoplepublished in the 1970s.

In 1999 Marie was recognised for her contribution to preserving Guernsey language and culture and was awarded an MBE.

Marie died on the 10 August 2010, aged 100.