History History

The Celtiberians settled in the islands around 2000 BC. Various dolmens or menhirs, such as the Fouaillages or the dolmen of Déhus, in Guernsey, and the alley and the tumulus of Hougue Bie in Jersey, testify to these so-called obscure times. As everywhere else, these prehistoric monuments were often demolished and plundered by those who needed stones for construction. Thus, many of them have disappeared in Herm and Sark.

The Gallic tribe of Unelles (or Venelles), which occupied the region of Coutances on the Gallic continent, settled in the islands around 300 BC

On the basis of the discovery of Roman coins and masonry near Saint Peter Port, it is assumed that there was a Roman occupation when Julius Caesar took control of Gaul around 56 A.D. This occupation, in any case, was not very important and was not military. The Romans, in their decline, would still be present in the region in 300 AD. (Fort Longis in Alderney), until the Franks dislodged them around 486-500 AD.

Christianity took root in the islands in the 6th century. In Guernsey, Saint Samson (or Sampson), of Welsh origin, pupil of the Irishman Saint Patrick and bishop of Dol, arrived. Saint Hélier, a monk of Belgian origin, founded a hermitage near Elizabeth Castle in Jersey. Immortalized by the city that bears his name, he was beheaded by pirates in 540. According to the legend, his enemies had to try 5 times before seeing him faint, because each time he managed to put his head back on his shoulders and walk! Around 568, Saint Magloire, an Irish monk, also bishop of Dol de Bretagne, also called Saint Mannelier, founded a monastery in Sark.

In 911, Rollon, a Viking leader, received from King Charles III the province that he named Normandy. He became the first Duke of Normandy. His son, William I, annexed the Channel Islands, the Channel Islands, in 933. He introduced old Scandinavian customs such as the Haro Clamor and established feudal rights in the islands. A Danish chief, a certain Jarl Hastings, is said to have been the author of a massacre on the island of Sark. He also destroyed the monastery of Saint Magloire. It was at this time that Jersey was divided into 12 parishes and Guernsey into 10, under the authority of the bishop of Coutances, himself dependent on the ecclesiastical province of Rouen.

William II the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, won the battle of Hastings in England and became king of this country in 1066. The islands, for a while Breton, came back under the Norman administration, an Icelandic inspired administration whose original law still exists.

From this century on, the Channel Islands suffered from the French-English conflicts and passed, sometimes for only a few months, from the French bosom to the English. They were gradually fortified, as in Gorey and Grosnez, Jersey, Cornet and Guernsey. In 1204, Philip Augustus reconquered Normandy, forgetting about the islands. These islands decided to remain loyal to England. It is this decision which is at the origin of their particular relationship with England and allows them to acquire a status which still characterizes them today.

The treaty of Brétigny, signed in 1360, attributed the islands to the English, after several occupations: Guernsey by the Scots in 1336, Sark and Alderney by the French from 1338 to 1345, then a few weeks in 1356. Life could be terrible for the islanders. In 1339, the island of Jersey was razed 3 times by the French invaders. Despite the treaty of Bretigny, the French came back to Jersey in 1373 under the command of Du Guesclin, then in 1380, 1416 and 1461 (Pierre de Brezé, under Louis XI). But they never managed to settle there permanently

King Edward IV of England asked Rome to bring its protection to the islands. In 1480, Pope Sixtus IV declared a papal bull of neutrality and decided to excommunicate the perpetrators of acts of piracy. It seems that the pirates came from Brittany and England in particular and that they attacked people, goods and wealth dependent on the Church.

During the first year of his reign, Henry VIII, like Louis XI and François II of Brittany before him, confirmed this privilege and thus recognized the independence of the islands. However, this protection did not prevent certain audacious people from continuing their exactions in the port of Saint-Hélier. And we know that this tradition is still maintained today in the conflicts between fishermen. These provisions, which were very favorable to the archipelago, allowed them to trade with France and England, even in times of war. This privilege of neutrality lasted for 200 years, until 1689, when William II, fighting against Louis XIV, did not allow any trade with him.

It is from this date that the great crisis of the Reformation begins, with Luther and Calvin at its head. During these tragic hours of English history, the islands could not remain aloof from the events. Until his conflict with the Pope, Henry VIII remained a faithful defender of Catholicism and a fierce opponent of Luther.
At the same time, the wars of religion and the revolutionary upsurge claimed many victims. It should also be remembered that divorce was not recognized and remarriage was prohibited. Thus, monarchs always had recourse to the popes to have their marriages annulled. It was often an important pretext, such as the absence of an heir, as in the case of Henry VIII. Henry VIII asked the archbishop of York to negotiate the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, niece of the powerful Charles V. But the pope refused. Furious, Henry VIII was appointed head of the Church of England by Parliament, had his marriage annulled by the Archbishop of Canterbury, married the beautiful Anne Boleyn and broke with the Pope, who excommunicated him. The king of England created his own church, the Anglican Church, which was not recognized by Rome. During this time, Protestantism was introduced in the Channel Islands. Despite the Catholic reaction under Mary Tudor (1553), Calvinism was well established and also developed in England.

The islands officially transferred the episcopal see from Coutances, on the Cotentin peninsula, to Winchester (England)

The royal repressions in France, and in particular the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572, provoked an influx of Huguenots, especially pastors who would preach and worship in the new temples. It was a severe Presbyterianism that took hold, sometimes very repressive, especially with regard to matrimonial customs and supposed witchcraft practices. The fanatical behavior was associated with atrocities practiced by certain notables anxious not to displease the royal power of Mary Tudor. For a time, however, the presence of a moderate Presbyterian governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, and a new organization of consistories favored the Calvinists over Anglicanism.

The Edict of Nantes in France (1598) and the presence of Governor Walter Raleigh (1600) undoubtedly favored truce and tolerance, but these lasted only a short time.

With the advent of Charles I, the appointment of an anti-Catholic governor and the sending of an Anglican bishop, Anglicanism regained the upper hand. At least in Jersey, because in Guernsey, the Presbyterian opposition remained solid. Calm did not reign for long because of the civil war that was to tear England apart, between the supporters of James I and the republicans of Cromwell.

Jersey and its governor Georges de Carteret hold for the king. They welcomed new refugees, including the sons of the threatened sovereign, and it was here that Charles II was proclaimed king after his father's execution in 1649. It was also there that Cromwell's troops landed, brought by a flotilla of more than 80 ships. During this time, Guernsey turned to the republicans of Cromwell and the Parliament.

Cromwell managed to defeat his opponents in 1651, but his victory was short-lived as death overtook him in 1658. His son, who was not able to continue his work, abdicated without delay. Charles II regained the throne of England and the royalists their power. Those of Jersey will be rewarded for their loyalty in the person of their governor who will receive a province of North America, which became New Jersey.

When the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685, new Huguenots took refuge in Jersey, arriving from Normandy in particular.

From this date, John Wesley, illuminated by the texts of Luther, founded in England The Holy Club, which gave birth to Methodism, a name linked to the spiritual exercises advocated by its founder. This one preaches the return to the sources of the Reformation, the interior freedom of the man and the appeal to the interior testimony of the Spirit. The Anglicans were worried about the extent of the movement, and its founder was forbidden to preach in England.

New French-English wars caused economic troubles in the islands, with a devaluation in 1730 and a drop in the price of wheat in 1769. New ideas born on the continent provoked the Revolution in France and penetrated Anglo-Norman minds, leading to a certain democratization. For the last time, in a tragic-comic episode according to some historians, of primary importance according to others, the French and English clashed in the "Battle of Jersey". In 1781, following an expedition, a French adventurer, the Baron de Rullecourt, managed to treacherously seize the governor. A struggle began that quickly turned to the advantage of the inhabitants, thanks to the vigorous reaction of the Jersey militia led by Major Peirson. He died on the battlefield and became famous for saving Jersey. This victory marked the temporary end of the conflict, as the French were occupied elsewhere.

Despite persecution, the Wesleyan cult was very successful in the islands, where its first chapel was built at that time, in Jersey.

During the French Revolution, the islands once again became lands of exile, welcoming the Breton and Norman nobles, then the priests who, refusing the constitutional oath, fled from the Republicans and saved their heads in this region where, moreover, French was spoken. The medal however had its reverse side, since these Catholics arrived in Protestant lands. The chronicles of the Manche department tell how the priests of the diocese of Coutances reached the island of Jersey, which they could see from the Cotentin coast. It is estimated that as many as 3,000 Norman and Breton priests found asylum in Jersey.

From the summer of 1792, from Carteret to Granville, on the coasts of La Manche, priests and refractory nobles embarked on all sorts of boats to cross the passage of the Rout. These departures were favored by decrees of the departmental authorities who did everything they could to get rid of these enemies of the republican system. The reception in Jersey, by the civil authorities, the Protestant pastors and the population, was most often marked by generosity: subscriptions were organized for the benefit of the exiles and the Parliament added annual allocations, from 1794 to 1806.

For two centuries, no Catholic ceremony had been celebrated on the island, which had once had several monasteries. All Catholic religious signs had been suppressed in the 16th century and the chapels confiscated. So, as in Holland, Catholic worship was only allowed on condition that it remained secret. Even if the welcome had been spontaneous, the presence of a large Catholic community posed problems: the tolerance of the inhabitants made them accept the rites and the cassocks but not the proselytism. A notice from the clerk of the States, dated February 25, 1794, stated through the gazette of the island of Jersey that Roman Catholics who would undermine the Protestant religion should be expelled.

This period was marked by the stay of the most famous political refugee of the archipelago, Victor Hugo. He resided in Jersey from 1851 to 1855, then settled in Guernsey from 1855 to 1870, until the proclamation of the Third Republic.

From this date and the appearance of steamships, the visitors became more numerous, which allowed the islands to leave their isolation. Real roads were built and the harbors underwent major changes to accommodate the large metal-hulled tourist boats. English was taught in schools by teachers from England. In order to simplify trade, the islands adopted the English system of weights and measures. The fishermen turned to agriculture and livestock, an activity with a much more secure income. Potatoes, tomatoes and dairy products were exported in quantity to the United Kingdom.

Some islanders took part in the Great War by participating in the battles of northern France within the British army.

It was at this time that tourism took off, with the arrival of the first airplane carrying passengers to the islands. At that time, the absence of an airport forced pilots to land at low tide on the beach of Saint-Aubin in Jersey.

The participation of the islanders in the 1939-1945 war was of a very different nature. Indeed, the conflict did not seem to concern this quiet corner of the world until the Germans occupied the Cotentin, just a stone's throw from Alderney

The British, thinking that the islands were of no strategic interest to the Germans, withdrew their troops, made the islanders surrender their weapons and declared the islands demilitarized and neutral

Unfortunately, the message was not received by the enemy and cars carrying vegetables were bombed in Jersey, killing 44 people. In Guernsey, it is said that it was a lone plane that conquered the island. In any case, it was the vanguard, the precursor detachment that was quickly followed by larger troops, without a blow. Sark, on the other hand, organized itself to morally resist the future occupier, under the leadership of Sibyl Hathaway, the Iron Lady of the island.

Hitler ordered the army to transform the Channel Islands into the "Gibraltar of the Channel" with the construction of the Atlantic Wall. The organization of a model and useless defense system brought many forced laborers to the islands, many of whom died of starvation or exhaustion. Driving on the right was imposed and the German language was propagated on the road signs. As for the schools, German was put on the curriculum but, due to a lack of teachers, the regulation remained a dead letter.

The population soon found itself taken hostage in the struggle between Hitler and Winston Churchill. Deportations to Germany were organized, and sanctions were imposed on terrorists and saboteurs who attacked the German army. Alderney became a labor camp, supervised by the SS, from which very few came out alive. But, to Hitler's astonishment, the Channel Islanders remained totally loyal to Britain.

While the inhabitants suffered more and more from all the hardships, the German troops, at first delighted to be on vacation in such a beautiful country, started to get bored. When the Normandy landings came, they were not concerned, except morally. The situation got worse, as the fallow fields waited, season after season, for someone to take care of them again. No more milk in a country famous for its cows, no more meat, and the Germans were forced to eat dogs and cats. The International Red Cross was able to make some deliveries with the ship Vega, but these were not enough.

It was in this climate that, following the replacement of the German garrison leader by a more intrepid one, the Jersey-based Germans decided to land on the mainland as well, to refuel and stretch their legs. During the night of March 8-9, 1945, the German commandos landed at Granville but, unsuspecting of the tide, they almost didn't make it.

Date of Hitler's death. While Normandy had been liberated for almost a year, the Channel Islands had to wait for this date, and the German surrender, to finally celebrate the victory in which they had participated by the commitment of their inhabitants to the Allied troops and by the sacrifice of many of their own in the concentration or labor camps.

One day after Europe, the German troops surrendered unconditionally and the British forces landed. Once peace returned, the islands were no longer the islands. If they regained some of their charm, they also had to deal with the hideous constructions of the war and preserve the memory of the tragic events they had just lived through, so that their children and tourists of all nationalities, including former enemies, would not forget this strange battlefield, without clashes of armies and where the stones had become fortresses.

The States of Guernsey acquired the neighboring island of Herm

The Channel Islands were given a new constitution, which allowed the States of Guernsey to legislate for the other islands in its bailiwick.

The year known as the coronation of Elizabeth II is also very important for the archipelago. It is on this date that the International Court of Justice attributed the Ecréhous and Minquiers to the Bailiwick of Jersey

It was on this date that Jersey and Guernsey chose, along with their neighbors, to remain outside the European Economic Community (EEC). They finally succeeded in negotiating a status that allows them to preserve their island specificity. They benefit from a special agreement under Article 277 of the Treaty of Rome, approved on 15 December 1971. Their fiscal independence is preserved and the Community rules concerning the free movement of persons and the right of establishment do not apply to them. On the other hand, the Community rules on customs protection are enforceable there. The islands do not have to harmonize their taxes or comply with laws governing the free movement of workers. They can also protect their livestock and safeguard the purity of the cattle breeds in particular. They have also been allowed to retain the right to duty free trade

Jersey is celebrating 800 years of membership in the British Crown, an attachment that gives it its unique status and independence.

The island of Sark has had to give up some of its feudal status to conform to the prerogatives of any self-respecting democracy. Elections are now held every two years.

The islands remain tax havens and still escape the European Union, whose directives do not apply to them. However, banking secrecy can be lifted in the case of criminal cases and the islands cooperate and exchange tax information, if necessary, with the OECD following pressure from G20 countries in 2009.

The Brexit is voted by the English on June 23, in a referendum organized by David Cameron. The turnout was record, over 72%. Finally, the Leave camp won by a narrow margin with 51.9% of the vote.

After many twists and turns, under the governments of David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson, the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union for good. For foreigners living or wanting to go to the Channel Islands to work, the situation is complicated with visas more difficult to obtain.

On September 8, three months after her platinum jubilee (70 years of reign), Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96. In the islands, where she also held the title of "Duke" of Normandy and had visited six times, the emotion was palpable despite a complicated history with the British monarchy.

As a result of the Brexit, negotiations to obtain fishing licenses for French fishermen are complicated. In 2022, with 200 applications granted, the French government, which is requesting more than double that number, believes that there is still a long way to go. After a period of calm between 2022 and 2023, when almost all of the 1,000 French fishing boats were once again able to operate in Channel Islands waters, the governments of Jersey and Guernsey introduced new permits on February¹ , 2023, to control the "scale and nature" of fishing. This has not failed to rekindle tensions...

The Channel Islands celebrated the coronation of King Charles III in style. A giant screen was set up in Jersey's Coronation Park (of course). Three days of garden parties and other gatherings followed.

After a very complicated 2022 in terms of tourism, the end of the 2023 season marked a serious upturn. This is thanks to the lifting of the passport requirement for day visitors, who can now present a simple identity card (a measure valid at least until September 30, 2024). Discussions to extend this measure to 72-hour stays are expected to take place between tourism professionals and the Anglo-Norman governments in early 2024.