AS part of the What’s Your Story? campaign, launched by the Jersey Archive to encourage Islanders to investigate their family history, the JEP has published a series about the family history of prominent Islanders.

AS part of the What’s Your Story? campaign, launched by the Jersey Archive to encourage Islanders to investigate their family history, the JEP has published a series about the family history of prominent Islanders.

The final articles in that series, the ancestry of Ben Shenton and Peter Mac, will be the subject of a talk in the Archive’s series to be held on Saturday at 10 am.

Anyone who wants to attend should phone the Jersey Archive on 833300 to book a place.

PETER MAC
PETER McLinton, better known as Peter Mac by the listeners of his radio programme, is the son of Ivor Derek McLinton and Yvonne Leprovost. Ivor was the son of Edward Cornelius McLinton and Florence Mabel Deveau.

Peter’s family has a strong link with the First World War, with one of his grandfathers, one of his great grandfathers and two great-uncles serving in the military during the conflict. Amazingly, all four members of Peter’s family who served in this conflict survived.

Edward Cornelius McLinton, Peter’s grandfather, was born in St Helier in April 1983. He trained as a mechanic and was a member of the Royal Jersey Militia. On 7 February 1915 he joined up with the Jersey Company of the Royal Irish Rifles. More than 300 Jersey men joined this company during 1915. They were distinguishable from their Irish comrades by their brass ‘Jersey’ shoulder tabs.

After training, Edward was posted to France in December 1915 as part of the British Expeditionary Force. He was discharged from the army in May 1916, just before the Battle of the Somme, which took place in July, as he was declared no longer physically fit for war service. He was awarded the Silver War Badge, given to those who were ill or wounded while on military service.

Edward’s brother, William Ernest McLinton, was born in September 1901 and also served in the First World War. William joined up at the age of just 15 years and 3 months in January 1917, his enlistment form showing that he was only just over 5 ft and weighed only 6½ stone.

We suspect that, due to his young age, William worked in the depot of the Royal Field Artillery Office in Hilsea before being discharged ten months later as a result of poor health.

Edward and William’s father, Peter’s great-grandfather, was Cornelius McLinton. Cornelius was born in Preston in 1869, the son of William McLinton, an Irish soldier. Despite being 45 at the outbreak of the First World War, Cornelius served and is listed along with his son in the Roll of Service for Jersey as a driver in the Royal Field Artillery.

On Peter’s maternal side, his grandmother was Madeleine Doublet, whose brother, Alfred Albert Edward, also served in the First World War. Alfred was born in 1901 and joined the forces towards the end of the war in October 1918.

Even before the advent of the First World War, military service ran in the McLinton family. William McLinton, Peter’s great-great-grandfather, can be found in the 1881 census in Jersey, living at the Old Married Quarters in Havre des Pas with his family. He is registered as a gunner for the Coast Brigade of the Royal Artillery.

Military service within the family continued into the 20th century with Peter’s great-uncle, Geoffrey Gavey, serving in the Royal Corps of Signals and then going on to serve as a Beefeater at the Tower of London. Geoffrey was the first Jerseyman to be given this honour.

Peter’s mother, Yvonne Leprovost, is the daughter of Bienaime Auguste Leon Leprovost and Madeleine Doublet. As the name suggests, the Le Provost family originated in France, with records of the family dating back to the birth of Jean Jacques Leprovost in 1723. Bienaime’s father, Leon Emile Albert Leprovost, appears to have been one of the agricultural labourers to move back and forth between Jersey and Manche in the early 20th century.
Bienaime joined the French Army at the outbreak of the Second World War, leaving his wife Madeleine and his two daughters in Jersey. When France collapsed in 1940, Bienaime became a prisoner of war and was transferred to Germany and not released until April 1945.

On his release, Bienaime was obviously keen to get back to his home and family, and was the first Frenchman to return to Jersey after the Liberation. He and a friend made their way from Germany to St Malo, got a boat and rowed back from St Malo, landing in Jersey on 16 May.

They were promptly arrested on their arrival in the Island, but were soon released when it became apparent that they were former residents and posed no threat.

• Pictures: Edward Cornelius McLinton was one of 300 Islanders who joined up with the Jersey Company of the Royal Irish Rifles and was posted to France in 1915 with the British Expeditionary Force. Prior to enlisting, he was a member of the Jersey Militia and his signature can be seen on the 1914 Pay List (below). He was discharged in May 1916, shortly before the Battle of the Somme. He remained in the Island during the Occupation and his registration card is pictured.