The Jersey Corn Riots is celebrated today as it is a celebration of our modern day democracy today. This began in 1769 when the corn riots took unfolded. Monday 27th September 2021 marks 250 years since the people of jersey protested against landowners.
A bad harvest in 1769 lead to the prices shooting up, many islanders were frustrated with the food shortages, higher prices and the unfair tax system leading to 500 islanders storming the Royal Court. The islanders rioted and protested with 13 demands for a fairer island.
Here are the 13 demands of the islanders:
• That the price of wheat be lowered and set at 20 sols per cabot.
• That foreigners be ejected from the Island.
• That his Majesty’s tithes be reduced to 20 sols per vergée.
• That the value of the liard coin be set to 4 per sol.
• That there should be a limit on the sales tax.
• That seigneurs stop enjoying the practice of champart (the right to every twelfth sheaf of corn or bundle of flax).
• That seigneurs end the right of ‘Jouir des Successions’(the right to enjoy anyone’s estate for a year and a day if they die without heirs).
• That branchage fines could no longer be imposed.
• That Rectors could no longer charge tithes except on apples.
• That charges against Captain Nicholas Fiott be dropped and that he be allowed to return to the Island without an inquiry.
• That the Customs’ House officers be ejected.
The power of protest
In September 1770, The code of laws were introduced to the island by Bentinck, Jerseys Lieutenant- Governor. These news laws aimed to make the law as fair as possible for everyone. These laws were laid down in 1771. The Jersey corn riots worked as a way of new fair life in Jersey for many years after.
Hamptonne is the oldest farm in jersey it was purchased in 1633. it is an old thatched house with smaller houses and animal pens surrounding it.
The farm makes cider and have there own orchid which you can walk around. The trees in the orchid were chosen for their bitter and sweet tastes to combine together to make a cider which is perfectly mixed of flavours.
Every year Hamptonne prepares for their cider making festival called ‘La Faîs’sie d’Cidre‘ by collecting the apples from their orchard. They offer apple picking sessions throughout the first 2 weekends of October however are limited with the amount of people they can allow per session due to its popularity.
A local photographer, Tom Kennedy, uses natural light in order to make painting-like photos that are similar to the work of 17th Century painters. He’s visits Hamptonne and has photographed there multiple times. He wants people to reflect on their own lives and hopes to move people with his work.
In 1767, people protested about the export of grain from the Island. Anonymous threats were made against shipowners and a law was passed the following year to keep corn in Jersey. In August 1769 the States of Jersey repealed this law, claiming that crops in the Island were plentiful. There was suspicion that this was a ploy to raise the price of wheat, which would be beneficial to the rich.
protesters outside the robin hood tavern 1769
On Thursday 28 September 1769 a group of individuals from Trinity, St Martin, St John, St Lawrence and St Saviour marched towards Town where their numbers were swelled by residents of St Helier. The group was met at the door of the Royal Court and was urged to disperse and send its demands in a more respectful manner. However, the crowd forced its way into the Court Room armed with clubs and sticks. Inside, they ordered that their demands be written down in the Court book.
The demands of the Corn Riots protestors included:
• That the price of wheat be lowered and set at 20 sols per cabot.
• That foreigners be ejected from the Island.
• That his Majesty’s tithes be reduced to 20 sols per vergée.
• That the value of the liard coin be set to 4 per sol.
• That there should be a limit on the sales tax.
• That seigneurs stop enjoying the practice of champart (the right to every twelfth sheaf of corn or bundle of flax).
• That branchage fines could no longer be imposed.
• That Rectors could no longer charge tithes except on apples.
In 1769, frustrations with food shortages, rising prices, an unfair taxation system, and Jersey’s power structure led to the storming of the Royal Court by around 500 Islanders in what became known as The Corn Riots.
In 1767, people protested about the export of grain from the Island. Anonymous threats were made against shipowners and a law was passed the following year to keep corn in Jersey. In August 1769 the States of Jersey repealed this law, claiming that crops in the Island were plentiful. There was suspicion that this was a ploy to raise the price of wheat, which would be beneficial to the rich, many of whom had ‘rentes’ owed to them on properties that were payable in wheat. As major landowners, the Lemprière family stood to profit hugely.
On Thursday 28 September 1769, a Court called the Assize d’Héritage was sitting, hearing cases relating to property disputes. The Lieutenant Bailiff, Charles Lemprière, sat as the Head of the Court. Meanwhile, a group of disgruntled individuals from Trinity, St Martin, St John, St Lawrence and St Saviour marched towards Town where their numbers were swelled by residents of St Helier. The group was met at the door of the Royal Court and was urged to disperse and send its demands in a more respectful manner. However, the crowd forced its way into the Court Room armed with clubs and sticks. Inside, they ordered that their demands be written down in the Court book. Although the King later commanded that the lines be removed from the book (image 3), a transcription survives that shows the crowd’s demands.
In September 1770, Bentinck declared that a set of rules and regulations be written down to make the Law as fair as possible. The aim was that everyone ‘…be no more obliged to Live in a continual dread of becoming liable to punishments, for disobeying Laws it was morally impossible for them to have the least knowledge of.’
Bentinck’s Code was introduced in 1771 and clearly laid down the Laws of the Island. It also divided the power to make the laws and enforce the laws between the States of Jersey and the Royal Court. Charles Lemprière remained as Lieutenant Bailiff but he had lost his monopoly on power.
The Corn Riots had started Jersey on the road to reform and a fairer society.
I decided to edit this picture because I liked the composition and I thought it looked quite simple and nice. I also liked the way the sun was coming from the window and the reflection it created on the wall. I started by turning it black and white to make it look old then I increased the contrast to make the lines on the wall and texture of the metal tub stand out. I also decreased the highlights and increased the shadows because It was a bit too bright.
Before
After
Final Edits
I like how this picture turned out because it looks simple and old. I think the little details on the wooden floor and curtain look nice.
I think the fire looks quite interesting in this picture and I like how you can see all the small details of the objects around it and the fire place. The black and white gives it an older feel which I also like.
I like this edit because it’s simple and colourful. When I took this picture there was a person standing in the doorway and I managed to rop them out.
I like how the colours stand out in this picture and I think the angle is interesting.
I like the framing in this one and the warm colours.
This is my least favourite edit because nothing interesting is happening and I think the angle is not as flattering.
I decided to edit this picture because I liked the composition. I think the way the model was in the centre of the image and looking to her right whilst holding a vase could tell a story to the viewer. I cropped the photo first to bring more attention to her instead of the background. I then sharpened the picture and increased the texture to make the details stand out. I also increased the vibrance to make it livelier.
Before
After
Final Edits
I like how it turned out because the colours pop out more and she is in her natural environment. I also think that her looking in the distance looks interesting.
I like this picture because I think the way she’s holding the basket and the apple look interesting to the viewer. I also like the way the light hits her face from the window and how you can see the little details on her clothes.
I turned this picture black and white in order to make it look more old fashioned I like the way this is framed with my model being slightly off centre and her looking in the distance. This could help tell a story and make the viewer more interested in the image.
I like how this picture had the model in the centre and tells you a little bit about the character’s life. I tried making it look more saturated and full of life, but it turned out too blue so I think next time I will be a little bit more careful with the editing.
Photography, as we know it today, can be done at any type due to the invention of mobile phones but before technology, taking photographs was a lot more work and took a lot more time…
17th Century – Camera Obscura
It first started with the Camera Obscura, which consisted of a dark box, 3 lenses and held a mirror at a 45° angle. It would capture light from the scene and reflect these light rays through a large tube that contained 3 lenses, then using the mirror, would project an upside-down version of the image onto the wooden table.
It’s not clear who invented the camera obscura as there’s evidence that goes back to 400BC where a man, Mo-tzu, discovered how light can project and invert an image, however, the term camera obscura was created by Johannes Kepler in 1604 who used a portable version of the device for astronomy purposes. [The camera obscura was mainly used by artists to compose their paintings which made the device quite popular as it would save them a lot of time painting and was much more efficient.]
19th Century – Nicephore Niepce
Nicephore Niepce was a French inventor who was the first person to ever make a permanent image when he experimented with various light-sensitive substances to create what he called sun drawings. It took many attempts but he didn’t succeed until 1922 when he created a photographic copy of a glass engraving by using bitumen of Judea that hardens when exposed to light then in the year 1827 created the first lasting record of his work that took roughly 8 hours to expose. This led to Niepce teaming up with Louis Daguerre for 4 years, before unfortunately passing away, who improved upon his work and eventually made the Daguerreotype.
Nicephore Niepce’s View from the Window
19th Century – Louis Daguerre + Daguerreotypes
Louis Daguerre was a French painter and physicist that created the first practical process of photography called the daguerreotype after improving upon Niepce’s work after he passed.
He discovered exposing an idolized silver plate in a camera would create a permanent image if the latent image was developed through exposure to fumes of mercury then fixed by a solution of salt. Daguerre’s process lowered the exposure time from 8 hours to roughly 30 minutes! However, daguerreotypes were expensive as they were highly detailed, heavy and very fragile due to their mirror-like surface which meant only the wealthy could afford them.
Despite their pricing, daguerreotypes were very popular and used for still life, natural phenomena, documentary subjects and most commonly portraits.
Examples of daguerreotypes
19th Century – Henry Fox Talbot
Henry Talbot was an English scientist that created the salt paper and calotype processes which are known as an improved daguerreotype.
The salt paper process involved placing paper into a salt solution that would later be dried before one side of the paper got coated in a solution of silver nitrate, creating a light-sensitive silver nitrate that would darken when exposed to light. Objects would be placed on the paper or the image from a camera obscura would be used in order for the photo to be made.
One of Talbot’s slat paper photos
The Calotype process used a paper negative to make a softer version of the daguerreotype which makes it possible to make multiple copies as a negative is produced.
One of Talbot’s calotypes – The Haystack, 1842
19th Century – Richard Maddox
Richard Maddox was an English photographer and physician who created lightweight gelatin negative plates in 1871 which meant photographers didn’t have to make their own emulsions in a dark room but could instead use commercial dry plates off the shelf which meant negatives didn’t have to be created immediately. This also meant cameras were now small enough to be handheld which made photography more convenient than ever before.
A camera along with its gelatin plates from the 1870’s
19th-20th Century – George Eastman + Kodak + Brownie
George Eastman was an American entrepreneur and inventor who managed to perfect the making of dry plates and introduced the Kodak camera and the Brownie to the world along with the use of film.
The Kodak was the first camera that could be used to create amateur photography as it was a small handheld box that was sold with film sealed inside so that it could be mailed back to the Rochester in order for the film to be processed, printed and reloaded free of charge which created the company’s slogan ‘you press the button, we do the rest’.
A Kodak camera from 1888
After 8 years, Eastman released a cheaper version of the Kodak called the Brownie which was aimed towards children and sold for 1 dollar. The main difference between the Kodak and Brownie was that the film could be removed in the brownie which meant it didn’t have to be sent back in order for their photos to be processed.
The camera obscura was first used in 400BC by a Chinese philosopher, Mo-tzu. The device is box shaped and used in a darkened room, which has a small hole for light. the light passing through the hole, reflects the outside view into the surface opposite the hole.
The camera obscura was formally used to study eclipses to avoid damage to the eyes, the device was also used as a drawing aid which allowed the artist to trace over the projection, creative accurate drawings of the outside.
Diagram of its original useHow it looks today
Nicephore Niepce
Nicephore Niepce
Nicephore Niepce 1765-1833 was a French inventor. Niepce is often credited as the founder of photography. Niepce developed heliography, which produced a print made from a photoengraved printing plate. Niepce created these prints using the camera obscura. Nicephore Niepce is now known to have produced the oldest surviving photograph of a real world scene.
Louis Daguerre
Louis Daguerre 1787-1851 was a french artist and photographer. Daguerre is best known for his invention which he called ‘Daguerreotype’ , this was the first publicly available photographic process. It was used between the 1840s and 1850s and was also affordable. The images were produced using a sheet of silver plated copper and fumes, the photograph would take a few seconds or longer to develop.
Henry Fox Talbot
Henry Fox Talbot was an English scientist, inventor and photography pioneer. Talbot invented the ‘salt and pepper’ and the calotype process. Talbot used his salt and pepper process to create permanent pictures, he placed his paper into a salt solution, dried it and then coated in a silver nitrate solution. when placed in the light, the solution would darken
Richard Maddox
Richard Maddox was an English photographer. Maddox created the Gelatine Dry Plate process, Maddox would use gelatine on a glass plate and silver bromide which meant it would react when exposed to sunlight
George Eastman
Eastman was an American entrepreneur who founded Eastman Kodak, he helped bring the use of roll film into the mainstream. Eastman created his first roll of film in 1889 where he then began distributing it. The Kodak camera was a huge success and very popular due to its small size and affordable price.
original kodak packaging
Kodak Brownie
the Kodak brownie camera was created by George Eastman in 1900. The brownie ran off of film and was cheap at the time as it was made of cardboard and had very basic functions. Childrens love for the brownie meant it became widespread, the brownie began to popularise photography. Soldiers would take the brownie away to war and captured some of the images we see today.
camera obscura from Latin it means a darkened room with a small lens or a hole through which an image is projected on to the wall opposite the hole however the image comes out inverted.
this is an example of what an image would look like when projected using a camera obscura
Nicephore Niepce was a French inventor best known for being the first to create a permanent photographic image by dissolving light sensitive bitumen in lavender oil and then applying a thin coating over a polished pewter plate. Which could be inserted into the camera obscura.
Louis Daguerre was a French photographer who invented the daguerreotype in 1839 it consisted of treating a silver-plated copper sheet with iodine to make it sensitive to light, then exposing it in a camera and developing the images with warm mercury vapor. This is an example of what the daguerreotypes looked like.
Henry Fox Talbot was an English photographer who discovered a way to make instant photographs which consisted of using printable steel plates and muslin screens to achieve middle tones in photos on a printing plate.
Richard Maddox was an English photographer who invented negative plates for photography in 1871 which meant that photographers no longer had to prepare their own emulsions in a darkroom.
George Eastman introduced the kodak camera in 1888 which meant anyone could now take pictures with a handheld camera just by pressing a button.
this is what the original kodak camera would have looked like
Kodak Brownie was a series of cameras made by Eastman fist introduced in 1900 it was a basic cardboard box camera with a simple meniscus lens that took 2 1/4 inch square pictures on 117 film roll.
Film photography film is the medium on which analogue cameras record images film comes in colour or black and white it produces a unique look as it allows for more vibrant colour variations.
Digital Photography uses cameras that contain electronic photodetectors to produce images focused by a lens. The captured images are digitalized and stored as a computer file ready for further digital processing.
First I uploaded my images from the Hamptonne photoshoot from the Media Drive onto Lightroom.
Contact Sheet within Lightroom showing both Picked and Rejected Photographs
In the First Round of Editing I divided my images into Picked and Rejected using Shift + P (for Pick) or Shift + X (for Reject). I did this a few times until I landed with the images I have chosen to edit.
A contact sheet with the filters: ‘Picked’ and ‘4 Star or above’
Next, I Filtered out the chosen images and rated them with stars, this is so I can determine which ones are my absolute favourites quicker.
A contact sheet with Pictures that are sorted into worst to best through colour
Next, I sorted the images into Green, which are the ones I want to edit, Yellow, the ones I might reconsider editing and Red, the ones I do not want to edit.
An comparison of an image I took before and after I edited it
Finally, I edited my chosen images, I did this by adjusting things like exposure, contrast, colour as well as cropping it.
