'Forest boy' Thomas de la Rue honoured
THE Forest boy who took an apprenticeship in the printing trade at nine years old and went on to found a global currency printing business was honoured with the unveiling of a blue plaque in his home parish yesterday.
Thomas de la Rue's family home, where he was born in 1793, no longer stands in Le Bourg, Forest – it was demolished by the German forces in January 1942 to move guns to the Mirus Battery – so a plaque now sits high on the wall of nearby Forest Stores.
'It's incredible to think that such a global business originated from one man from here, but in one way it doesn't surprise me, Guernsey has produced some extraordinary individuals and the island's success has been built on the back of entrepreneurs and business spirit of so many people,' said Bailiff Sir Richard Collas, who unveiled the plaque.
