Mark Brader <msbrader@interlog.com> kindly translated into English the Channel Islands 1916 summer time orders that were recently forwarded to this list by Joseph S. Myers, and I enclose his message below. Where he writes ``The orders for Alderney and Guernsey are virtually identical'', he means identical to each other, not to Jersey. -- Paul Eggert<eggert@twinsun.com> ------- Start of forwarded message ------- From: msbrader@interlog.com Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 22:42:38 -0400 (EDT) ======================================================================== The order for Jersey, in translation, reads as follows. "The States" refers to the island's legislature. Note that there is no specification of which kind of midnight applies to the transition back to standard time. ======================================================================== OFFICIAL TIME. ----- An act advancing the official time during the summer months. ----- In the States of the Island of Jersey. ----- The year 1916, the 13th day of May. ----- CONSIDERING that the British Parliament, in the national interest, has resolved to advance by one hour the computation of time in the United Kingdom from Sunday, the 21st of the present May, until Sunday, the 1st of next October, and similarly for each following year during the present war during such a period as shall be prescribed by order of His Majesty in Council; Considering that at the time of the adoption in 1898 of the Law that currently determines the official time on this Island, the States had already recognized and affirmed the principle that Jersey could not remain, without inconvenience, outside of the timekeeping prevailing in Great Britain; Considering that the difference between the local time then in use and that of Greenwich was no more than a few minutes, whereas now the time separation between Jersey and Great Britain would be an entire hour for the whole summer, unless an analogous change was imposed here; THE STATES have, as an urgent matter, adopted the following arrangement: THE SINGLE ARTICLE. On Saturday the 20th of this month at midnight, the official time on this Island will be advanced by one hour over GMT, and this will apply until Saturday, next September 30, at midnight. A similar advance will be operated each subsequent year as long as there it is necessary to do it, at times to be determined in due course by the States so that the local official time remains at all times conformant to the legal time in Great Britain. This will be printed, published, and posted. Ernest le Sueur, Clerk. 50/1916 ======================================================================== The orders for Alderney and Guernsey are virtually identical, except for the preambles and signatures naming the officials involved. Some small discrepancies in punctuation seem to indicate a possibility of transcription errors. For the Guernsey order the word I've translated as "Judges" normally means "Jurors"; I'm taking it to be a transcription error or a specialized sense. A web search reveals that the fourth Channel Island, Sark, has an official today called the Chief Pleas, so I presume Guernsey used to have this position also. I don't know what the reference to "Easter put back" means. Here are the two preambles: ======================================================================== In the Court of the Island of Alderney On May 17, 1916, before John Main Duplain, Squire and Lieutenant-Judge; present were: John Pierre Gallichan, Nicolas William Gaudion, and Thomas John Robilliard, Squires and Judges. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ORDER OF THE ROYAL COURT ----------- TEMPORARY ORDER modifiying THE LEGAL TIME (Passed by the Chiefs Pleas according to Easter put back to May 13, 1916.) Guernsey: Bichard Printing Co. Ltd. Office of the Gazette, Bordage St. ------ Order of the Royal Court. TO THE ROYAL COURT OF THE ISLAND OF GUERNSEY To the Chiefs Pleas according to Easter put back to May 13, 1916, before Edward Chepmell Ozanne, squire, Bailiff; present were: Ernest Collas, George Edward Kinnersly, George Herbert Le Mottee, Julius Bishop, John Bonamy Collings, Adolphus John Hocart, Thomas William Mansell de Guerin, Lionel Slade Carey, James Esten de Jersey, Hubert George de Carteret Stevens Guille et William de Prelaz Crousaz, squires, Judges. ======================================================================== The almost common text of the Alderney and Guernsey orders. Meaninful differences are marked in [.../...], with the Alderney version shown first. ======================================================================== Temporary Order Modifying the Legal Time The Court, hearing the conclusions of the King's [Attorney/Officers], has ordered and is ordering: In the present year, 1916, the legal time on this island will be advanced by one hour, from 2 AM GMT on Sunday, May 21, until 2 AM GMT on Sunday, October 1. During the aforesaid period, any time mentioned or alluded to in Proclamations, Acts of Parliament, Orders-in-Council, Orders of the [/Royal] Court effective on this island, in contracts, regulations, statutes, warnings, posters, or in any other document or any matter of whatever kind, will be considered to be the time prescribed by the present Order. This Order does not derogate at all from the usage of Greenwich Mean Time for the needs of astronomy or navigation, nor from the interpretation of any document that mentions or refers to a time with relation to astronomy or navigation. And the present Order will be published, and posted in the usual places, so that nobody can pretend ignorance of it. (Extract from the Registers) [Charles R. Leboeq / A. J. Roussel] The King's [/Deputy] Clerk. ======================================================================== ------- End of forwarded message -------