This picture, which was Jerripedia's
Picture of the week in July 2011, shows St Aubin in the 1840s. It was also used as a cover picture for the 25th anniversary edition of the
Channel Islands Family History Journal No 100, in October 2003. It is a magnificent drawing, showing the little port of St Aubin before the arrival of the railway from St Helier in the autumn of 1870, when shipyards occupied the area where the railway terminus was to be built. The row of fine houses along the Bulwarks had already been in existence for nearly 100 years. They were built by prosperous merchants at a time when St Aubin's harbour was far more important than St Helier's, but by the middle of the 19th century the roles had reversed and few if any vessels discharged their cargoes at St Aubin. Although Gorey, Havre des Pas and the eastern end of St Aubin's Bay are probably better known for their shipbuilding activities, the largest vessels were built at St Aubin. Scottish shipbuilder Edward Allen, who owned a house on the quay, built the 747-ton Evening Star, the largest ship built in Jersey, in the yard which can be seen in the picture behind the outer jetty, which was completed in 1819. THe ship was launched in May 1854. Many shipwrights lived in the growing town of St Aubin, including Philip Hocquard, John Poingdestre, George Jeune, Nicholas, Elias and John Briard, Abraham Le Brun (father and son), Thomas Leigh and Thomas Land. Jean Le Bas, who commissioned the vessel, ws its master on its maiden voyage to Australia in August 1854 with 200 emigrants. This was one of only four direct emigration voyages from Jersey, and some of the emigrants are known to have worked on the construction of the vessel to earn money to pay for their passage.