7th November 1900

The States agrees to pay the Bailiff

When the States met to discuss whether the Bailiff should receive a fixed salary, the debate was chaired, somewhat awkwardly by Sir Thomas Godfrey Carey, who was the Bailiff himself. He had the good grace to bow out, claiming that he was too old to have any great interest in the matter. He was, in fact, only 68.

Jersey had recently set the Bailiff’s salary at £1,200 for a very similar job. Although the Guernsey Bailiff’s actual pay wasn’t discussed in detail, the members agreed that the responsibilities were largely analogous and, with the post receiving £400 from the crown – an increase of £100 over the previous year – they had a duty to make up the balance themselves. The following day’s edition of The Star reported that “Jurat de Havilland said that the bailiff had spoken of his advanced age, but every one would agree as to his activity, his energy, and profound abilities. He hoped that Sir T Godfrey Carey would be spared for a long time to continue the work which he so ably performs”.

With such a ringing endorsement, it can hardly have been a surprise that the motion was carried, and the Bailiff’s salary was finally put on an official footing.