Brief History Of The Isle of Jersey - Page One
Before Jules Caesar made the conquest of it, Jersey was called Augia. It was inhabited, like its neighbors, since the most moved back times, and the many monuments megalithic that one meets there almost with each step of it are an obvious proof. The abundance of these monuments, distinguished by the population from the islands under the name general from Poquelayes, even made believe in some archaeologists that Jersey was a college of Druids.
Caesar, being in Coutances, crossed the strait which separated Jersey from the continent, seized the island and transformed his name into that of Caesarea, name under which it is distinguished in the Route from Antonin; it is from there that the philologists agree to make derive its current name.
Many Roman medals were discovered in the island at various times. With the life S. Childebert, king of Frank, took again the islands with a Norman chief who had seized some, and gave them to Sampson, bishop of Fraud, so that it spread the catholic religion there. A city and the oldest church of Guernesey received the name of this sanctified character. The nephew and successor of Sampson, holy Magloire, left his episcopal see to go to preach the faith in the islands. It stopped initially in Serq, where it made build a small monastery, then it went to Jersey, where it converts a great number of inhabitants It passed the remainder of its life in the island, and it was buried in a vault of the parish of Saint-Saver. Prétextat, bishop of Rouen, which was exiled in Jersey into 577, remained ten years in the island and continued the work of Magloire saint.
In 586, savage Hastings carried the fire and the massacre to Jersey, and his/her companions reflect with dead piles anchorite of the name of Hellerius (holy Hélier), which lived on a rock where is currently the Elisabeth castle, with the entry of the wearing of Saint-Helter. Later, Jersey was included by the duke Rollon in the possessions of Normandy, from which it followed the destinies.
Jersey was divided according to the hierarchical system that Rollon had adopted for Normandy There were four great principal strongholds or strongholds of haubert, allotted to as many lords raising directly of the duke Other subdivisions were established thus the territory on which the town of Saint-Hélier is built concerned eleven strongholds ‘All these feudal divisions, made 900 years ago. still remain, known as F V Hugo. Today, when a tenant dies without direct heir on one to these strongholds, the owner of the stronghold has the right, under the terms of the agrarian law seigneuriale, to seize the house, the field, the pieces of furniture, the hearth of late, and to enjoy the property during one year, without filling the loads nor to pay the revenues which burden it.
When Philippe Auguste seizes the possessions of Jean Without-Ground, duke of Normandy, which, after having assassinated, to succeed to him. its nephew Arthur (1203), legitimate heir to the throne of England, had refused appear before the court of the pars of the kingdom of France. it neglected to seize the Normandes islands. It is what explains why these islands are still under the English domination. In return for their fidelity, king Jean recognized the national independence of the islands in a charter which was withdrawn later. The kings of England benefitted from this disappearance to make weigh on the inhabitants most odious tyranny, and Jersey was under the absolute dependence of the governors sent by the metropolis. Those pressed the inhabitants to satisfy insatiable greed.
During the One hundred Year old war, the islands, were on several occasions exposed to French incursions. In 1368, Guernesey was taken by the Spanish soldiers with the pay of Charles V, king de France. The popular tradition had the memory of this event under the name of Descente of Sarragoussais. At the same time, From Guesclin went down to Jersey and put the seat in front of the castle of Gorey. The place resisted valiantly, and the constable was obliged to withdraw itself. The castle accepted for this fact the name of Montorguell, which remained to him.
In 1461, a new attempt of the French was crowned success. The Norman ones, having surprised one night the garrison of the castle of Montorgueil, by climbing with peak a rock of 200 feet top, seized all the part E. island. The occupation lasted three years, during which Maulevrier, governor of Jersey for the king Louis Xl, establishes in the island a local assembly, named States, on the model of those which existed already in the Norman bailliages. The States of Jersey were composed of twelve priests of parishes (clergy), twelve constables elected by the parishes (third state), and of twelve sworn selected among the nobility. According to the ordinance of Maulevrier, the purpose of the creation of the States was to give to the parishes a direct influence on the election of the magistrates, and to remove with the governor, making function of baillif his capacity without control.
Philippe de Carteret, lord of Saint-Ouen, which had remained Master of the part 0. island, and which held for the English, arrived, with the admiral Harliston, to starve the French in Montorgueil, and forced them to go (1463). Harliston, become governor of the island for the king of England, hastened to destroy the work of Maulevrier; but the States reappeared later and still remain.
Harliston and its successors made themselves famous during one century for their vexations without a number. Finally the Elisabeth queen, fearing a rising which could have called the French in the island, decided to grant freedoms. She recognized the States of Jersey such as Maulevrier had constituted them (only the island having become Protestant in the interval, twelve ministers replaced the twelve priests) and the payment of the general affairs of the island granted to them.
The Reform had imported in Jersey by French refugees after the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. The new Church, which had quickly gained with its cause the principal families, was constituted according to the discipline of Calvin. It is also under the reign of Elisabeth that was built in Saint-Helier the fortress which still bears the name of Elizabeth Castle. The frightening preparations at this time were feared that Philippe II made in the ports of Spain for his Invincible Armada (1588).
In 1603, Saint-Hélier as well as part of the island were devastated by the plague. One sought the causes of them and, after a long investigation, skilful experts believed to discover a hearth of infection in the old parchments deposited at the clerk’s office of the city. One thus transported them on the old market of Saint-Hélier, where they were solemnly flarings! The inhabitants hastened to follow the example of the baillif and reflect at once fire with their files, with the result that the majority of the parts former to the XVIIe century completely disappeared, with the great detriment of the historical truth.
Under the reign of Charles ler, the islands were disturbed by fights between the members of Parliament and the partisans of the king. After the death of this prince (1649), Jersey the, faithful ones to the royalty, proclaimed Charles II. This one came in the island, where there remained five months. In 1651, the fleet of Cromwell bombarded Saint-Aubin and Montorgueil, who went. George de Carteret resisted longer in strong Elisabeth, but it was in its turn obliged to capitulate, and the round heads occupied the island; the soldiers of the dictator did not exert however reprisals. Jersey was then quiet during approximately one century.