Guernsey bailiff worked himself to death

The head of Guernsey CID was shot in St Peter Port this week in 1949. Chief Sergeant Harry Dyson had only taken over as head of CID two days before apprehending a student who was out of his dorm at night. The 16 year old student had been carrying a Luger handgun loaded with eight rounds and, afraid of being caught out on the street when he shouldn’t have been, he later told the court that he’d fired the weapon to create a diversion. It certainly did that, but only because Dyson was critically wounded and had to be rushed to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, which still hadn’t officially opened at the time.

Elizabeth College was founded this week in 1563 , initially under the leadership of Belgian-born Hadrian a Saravia. However, he became so frustrated with the job that he gave up after five years and went to work on the translation of the original King James Bible instead. The pupils were so few in number at its founding – and for more than the next 200 years – that there were times when they were outnumbered by the teachers.

Game of Thrones actor Roy Dotrice was born in Guernsey this week in 1923 . Although originally cast as Grand Maester Pycelle, he was unable to take the part through ill-health, and had to be re-cast as Hallyne the Pyromancer. He also voiced the audiobooks of the series – a job that meant he had to come up with voices for 224 different characters.
Work started on Victoria Tower this week in 1848 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s unannounced visit two years earlier. The Queen came back to inspect it once work on the £2000 structure had been completed.
Guernsey’s first paid constables were hired this week in 1853 after a vote in the States approved the move 45 to 22. The salary budget for the four officers was £160 for the year, total. Their uniform was quite simple: a belt.
The Imperial Hotel opened for the first time this week in 1895, with 17 rooms and a pavilion for picnic eating on-site. It also had its own stable for the horses that towed “cars” up the hill to Pleinmont. The Star described it as being "a considerable distance from town [but] placed in direct communication with it by the many cars that run daily around the island during the season".
Guernsey poet and painter Denys Corbet was born this week in 1826. He edited his own newspaper, Le Baillage, and wrote The Tour of Guernsey, a Guernesiais poem describing each of Guernsey’s ten parishes in great detail.
John Doyle was appointed Lieutenant-Governor this week in 1803. He set about a building programme that saw the construction of Route Militaire and 60 gun batteries, as well as the draining of the Braye du Valle, which joined the northern and main parts of the island at St Sampson.
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