CAESAREA
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Legend has it that the original painting has a rip in the face caused by
a Parliamentarian who mistook it for Charles and slashed it with his sword.
Jean Poingdestre
1609 - 1691
JEAN was the eldest son of Edward, his
father's second marriage, which meant, by the laws of English heredity, that he would actually be viewed as a younger son, and thus not to receive
much in the way of inheritance. Therefore, if he were to better himself,
it must be by other means. Younger sons of gentry often chose soldiering
or religious orders to that end, but young Jean Poingdestre led a
scholar's life.
No doubt encouraged by his family, as well as his elder brother's in-laws, one of whom was parish rector, Jean early received
instructions in classical reading and writing. When he reached maturity,
we find Jean Poingdestre attending Cambridge, and then Exeter College at Oxford, where records show his name anglicized to John Poindexter. In 1635 he was elected fellow at Exeter, and held that fellowship for twelve
years. It was there that his name became known.
John Poindexter was viewed as one of the most learned men at the University. His written Greek was regarded as being as beautiful as any set type, and his excellence in
Latin remarkable. The libraries at Oxford held Poindexter to eager studies, and his interests were very wide. He wrote on medicine in Latin
with his notes in Greek, and was known widely as a legal expert and
historian. Leading public figures often sought his expertise in such
matters.
In 1648, John's Oxford days came to an abrupt end, when the Cromwellian upheavals caused the expulsion of Royalist sympathizers from that exalted institution. Even higher learning fell under the heavy thumb of Parliamentary rule under Oliver Cromwell, and Poindexter returned, probably not without regret, to his native isle.
Jersey by then was known as a haven of Royalist sympathies, and indeed, after the execution of King Charles I, the exiled Prince of Wales, Charles II, was crowned at St. Helier. The newly crowned King then sought refuge in Scotland, but Parliamentary forces landed on Jersey the following year, and laid siege to Jersey's Elizabeth Castle. John Poindexter was among those chosen just before the siege to carry word of the impending crisis to King Charles II. Charles tried to enlist French aid, but when that effort faded, Jean promptly returned home, and rejoined his Royalist comrades in the castle.
When the castle fell to the Parliamentarians in December of
1651, Poindexter wrote the treaty of capitulation. It appears he was further involved in reconciliations with Parliamentary leaders on Jersey.
In return, the Parliantarians recognized Royalist sympathizer Jean
Poingdestre as among the foremost authorities of Jersey law and customs.
Yet he retained the favors of the Royal court, as well. In 1652, the
Secretary of State requested that Poindexter be made Latin secretary for
him and King Charles II. For reasons unknown, Poindexter declined the
office, which then went to the noted English writer, John
Milton.
It is possible that Jean Poindexter did not remain on the
Island, but accompanied his nephew, George, to the American colony of
Virginia between 1657 and 1659. By that time Oliver Cromwell was dead, and
King Charles II had regained the throne, albeit with the Parliament still
firmly intact. In that, more amicable political climate, Jean reappears in
Jersey records in 1659, and eventually moved with his new wife and subsequent family to Oxford. He continued to enjoy a reputation as a man of rare talents and expertise, and to frequent the highest circles. King
Charles II himself recommended that Jean Poindexter be appointed a Jurat
and Lieutenant Bailiff of Jersey, which office Jean held honorably for eight years. Upon his resignation from the latter post, he retained th office of jurat until his death.
His latter years he devoted to study and writing, living sometimes at Oxford, sometimes at home, and no doubt visited Normandy's libraries, as well. His fluency in French,
English, Latin, and Greek allowed him rare latitude in his studies, some
examples of which still survive today.
Yet perhaps his most noted
and beloved piece is called, Caesarea or A Discourse of the Island of
Jersey. Although written in antiquated and, to modem eyes, dazzling Middle English, affection for his native shore shines in every word. Rather than
a dry chronological history of the Isle, it is precisely what the title
claims, a treatise on the multi-hued fabric that makes up the Isle of
Jersey. From its laws and customs, to the voluminous success of its
weavers of stockings and sweaters, his loving pen sketches a rich portrait
of his homeland. His only apparent purpose is to reveal his affection for
it to his British neighbors, and to no doubt foster their interest in its
people and commerce.
Jean Poindexter prefaces his words with two
lines from Homer's Odyssey; "A rugged isle, but a good nurse of young men,
and for myself no other thing can I see sweeter than one's own land."
Contemporaries and later biographers mourned that Poindexter did not
extend himself to greater lengths upon the world stage, but in those
fines, perhaps we see the true heart of the man. He would lend of himself
and his learning to posterity, but only Jersey could hold his deepest
affection. Jean Poingdestre, John Poindexter died on his beloved island in
1691. A marble plaque laid to his memory in the St. Savior Church remains
to this day.
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