nother of the
way in which the States of Guernsey built their Market House by means of
non-interest-bearing notes. Some of these--enthusiasts for the reform of
the currency--can dilate for hours on the wisdom of the financial policy
of Daniel de Lisle Brock, can tell how, at the opening of the Market he
"sprinkled the packages (of redeemed notes) with perfume, and while the
band was playing a dirge he laid them on the fire, where they were
quickly consumed," and can even quote from his famous speech on that
occasion.

A few years ago some members of the Co-operative Brotherhood Trust,
which is a Society that has among its objects a desire to revive the
principles of Robert Owen's Labour Exchange, thought it worth while to
make enquiries as to the Guernsey scheme. They realised that an ounce of
fact was worth a ton of theory. But what were the facts? Were these
notes circulated in the island as a medium of exchange? How were they
redeemed? Could a citizen demand gold for them? When the above mentioned
enthusiasts were tackled with these practical questions, there was
suddenly noticed a certain hesitancy; and when asked point blank what
was the year in which this famous Market House was built, no one could
say.

Enquiries were then made from inhabitants of the island itself. The
information gathered was vague and not much to the point. With a few
notable exceptions, the average Guernseyman seems to know or care little
of the financial policy of the island at the beginning of the nineteenth
century. Even from those interested nothing very definite was to be
learned. The enquirers at last came near to doubting whether the
non-interest-bearing notes had ever existed except in the imagination of
the enthusiasts. Only first-hand enquiry on the spot would suffice.

One Guernseyman, a teacher, kindly encouraged the writer to visit the
island himself, promising him introductions and access to all the
official documents and newspapers of the time. Through the courtesy of
the Greffier and the Librarian of the Guille-Alles Library every
facility was granted to the writer and his wife to carry out their
research. The politeness and kindness of these officials and other
inhabitants of Guernsey are hereby most cordially acknowledged.

In the following pages it is the writer's desire to place the facts
before the public as he has gleaned them from the official records of
the States and the newspapers of the time. He feels tempted to