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St Ouen’s Manor, Jersey: The Heir who Died at Jutland

Killed in service to Britain in the war’s greatest naval battle

St Ouens Manor dates back to 1204, and has been in the de Carteret family ever since, passed from father to son. They have been a hugely important family to the island, providing many bailiffs and leading the Royalist cause during the Civil War.

In line to inherit it was Philip Malet de Carteret, who was born in 1898. As the eldest son, the manor and title of Seigneur would have passed to him.

But in 1914, at the outbreak of war, he was at Dartmouth Naval College, as a young midshipman.

He was soon in action, and his ship helped to sink the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau off the Falklands.

He was wounded at Gallipoli, where he helped to ferry wounded soldiers off the beach.

In 1917, he joined the prestigious HMS Queen Mary. Just a couple of months later he fought in the war's biggest naval battle - at Jutland.

The battle ended in a stalemate - but the Queen Mary was lost with nearly all hands. Philip had been serving in a gun turret which was blown up before the ship sank.

His death meant St Ouens manor, his birth right, was passed on to his younger brother Guy - which began a century of family disputes over its ownership.

Today, his ancestors remember Philip proudly. His portrait takes pride of place in the manor's dining room.

Location: St Ouens Manor, Jersey JE32HR
Image: Portrait of Philip de Carteret and St Ouens Manor

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12 minutes

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