MEMBERS of the Privileges and Procedures Committee and the States Greffe gathered yesterday to pay special tribute to Mary Newcombe by naming one of the rooms in the States Building in honour of the Island’s first female States Greffier.
Miss Newcombe worked her way from committee clerk to States Greffier over a 34-year career in the department and was elected a Jurat of the Royal Court in 2004, two years after her retirement.
Privileges and Procedures Committee chair Karen Shenton-Stone conducted the short ceremony on what was also Miss Newcombe’s birthday, following a recent decision of the committee to recognise her service as part of this year’s celebration of the 500th anniversary of the first official records of the States Assembly.
It follows the naming of other rooms in honour of two prominent women in Jersey politics – Caroline Trachy, whose unsuccessful nomination as a States Member prompted the law change that made women eligible, and Ivy Forster, the first female States Member, elected in 1948.
Although sadly unable to be present in person due to ill health, Miss Newcombe was represented by her cousin David Letto.
Brought up in London and in Llanelli during the war when she was evacuated, Miss Newcombe – whose mother Vivienne was editor of Woman magazine – came to Jersey in 1963 to stay with family members on what was originally intended to be a two-week visit en route for emigration to Canada.
However, the Jersey sojourn became elongated by stages, encouraged by the securing of employment with British and Overseas, a subsidiary of JW Huelin on the Esplanade.
In 1968, Miss Newcombe was appointed a committee clerk, becoming chief committee clerk 13 years later.
She went on to take up the post of executive officer of the newly created Policy and Resources Committee which she held alongside that role before being sworn in as Deputy Greffier of the States in 1991 and Greffier nine years later.
Used as a media centre for filming short videos accompanying propositions and podcasts, and for photo sessions, the Mary Newcombe room adjoins the Le Capelain Scrutiny Room in the States Building.