Guernsey Butchers : Best

Origin

The Best family originated from Somerset. Samuel Best's daughter was born in 1844 at Kingsbury, Somerset, and he started in the meat business in Guernsey in 1849. The meat business transferred to his brother, Edward, who lived at the Brickfield in St Andrews, then to his widow Emma. Their second son Frederick Heaume Best bought the business from his mother and then Frederick's youngest son, Colin Richard Waymouth Best bought the business from Frederick in the mid sixties and retired in 1998.

At one time, the family owned Lihou island, and used to graze cattle on it.

Best Foods (including a butcher's stall in the market) still exists in Guernsey today - and has been run by the Best family for 120 years, until they sold it in August 1998. For the last 28 of those years, the Best family were in partnership with the Chilcott family.

Families

Samuel BEST (1816-?) m Anna Gifford FAULKENER

• Samuel BEST (1837-?)
• Ernest Augustus BEST (1840-?) m Sophia ?
  • Ernest Albert BEST m Emily Hermia HEAUME
    • Ernest Blondel BEST (b 1901)
    • Frederick Heaume BEST (b 1903) m Marjorie Edith WAYMOUTH
      • Frederick Alan BEST
      • Roy Ernest BEST
      • Colin Richard Waymouth BEST
    • Robert Albert BEST (b 1910)
    • George Samuel BEST (b 1914 )
  • Sophia BEST
  • Seline BEST
  • Ada BEST
  • Samuel BEST
  • Clarice BEST
  • Emma BEST
  • Amelia BEST
• Robert BEST (1842-?) married Betsey ? (1840-?)
  • Albert BEST (1875-?)
  • Selina BEST (1879-?)
• Jane BEST (1844-?)
• Mary Anna BEST (1846-?)
• James BEST (1848-?)
• Selina BEST (1853-?)
• Albert BEST (1860-?)

(Those in bold were butchers)

Earliest Mention in Guernsey

• 1849, when Samuel Best established his meat business in Guernsey.

Stallholdings

• Samuel BEST holder of stall 1 in Leadenhall Market in 1857 & 1861, he extends this to stalls 1 & 2 by 1874. In 1891, he moves to stalls 39-40 in the Town Meat Market (see quote below).
• Ernest BEST held stall 4 in 1874, and stall 34 in 1891.

Residence

• Samuel BEST : Ruette Braye, St Martins (1874 Directory)
• Ernest BEST : La Villaize, St Andrews (1874 Directory)

Other Information

• Quote from "Guernsey as it used to be" by GWJL Hugo (1933), talking about the Leadenhall Market (which later became known as the French Halles) ...

"Although, as I have said, this Market was allotted to those who sold French produce, Mr Samuel Best, butcher, had two shops there for many years - at the end next Mr Brand - and very much disliked the change to the New Meat Market."