Channel Islands

The Channel Islands (Norman: ÃŽles d'la Manche, French: ÃŽles Anglo-Normandes or ÃŽles de la Manche) are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey. They are considered the remnants of the Duchy of Normandy, and are not part of the United Kingdom. They have a total population of about 168,000 and their respective capitals, Saint Helier and Saint Peter Port, have populations of 33,500 and 16,488, respectively. The total area of the islands is 194Â km².

Both Bailiwicks have been administered separately since the late 13th century; each has its own independent laws, elections, and representative bodies (although in modern times, politicians from the islands' legislatures are in regular contact). Any institution common to both is the exception rather than the rule.

Geography

The permanently inhabited islands of the Channel Islands are:

Jersey
Guernsey
Alderney
Sark
Herm
Jethou
Brecqhou (Brechou)

All of these except Jersey are in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. There are also several uninhabited islets. Four are part of the Bailiwick of Jersey:

The Minquiers
Ã‰crÃ©hous
Les Dirouilles
Les Pierres de Lecq (the Paternosters)

These lie off Alderney:

Burhou
Casquets
Ortac
Renonquet

These lie off Guernsey:

Crevichon
Grande Amfroque
Les Houmets
Lihou

(See also List of islands of the Bailiwick of Guernsey)

In general the larger islands have the -ey suffix, and the smaller ones have the -hou suffix; these are believed to be from the Old Norse ey and holmr, respectively which means island and islet.

The Chausey Islands south of Jersey are not generally included in the geographical definition of the Channel Islands but are occasionally described in English as 'French Channel Islands' in view of their French jurisdiction. They were historically linked to the Duchy of Normandy, but they are part of the French territory along with continental Normandy, and not part of the British Isles or of the Channel Islands in a political sense. They are an incorporated part of the commune of Granville (Manche). While they are popular with visitors from France, Channel Islanders rarely visit them as there are no direct transport links from the other islands.

In official Jersey French, the islands are called 'ÃŽles de la Manche', while in France, the term 'ÃŽles Anglo-normandes' (Anglo-Norman isles) is used to refer to the British 'Channel Islands' in contrast to other islands in the Channel. Chausey is referred to as an 'ÃŽle normande' (as opposed to anglo-normande). 'ÃŽles Normandes' and 'Archipel Normand' have also, historically, been used in Channel Island French to refer to the islands as a whole.

The very large tidal variation provides an environmentally rich inter-tidal zone around the islands, and some islands such as Burhou, the Ã‰crÃ©hous, and the Minquiers have been designated Ramsar sites.

The waters around the islands include the following:

The Swinge (between Alderney and Burhou)
The Little Swinge (between Burhou and Les Nannels)
La DÃ©route (between Jersey and Sark, and Jersey and the Cotentin)
Le Raz Blanchard, or Race of Alderney (between Alderney and the Cotentin)
The Great Russel (between Sark, JÃ©thou and Herm)
The Little Russel (between Guernsey, Herm and JÃ©thou)
Souachehouais (between Le Rigdon and L'Ã‰tacq, Jersey)
Le Gouliot (between Sark and Brecqhou)
La PercÃ©e (between Herm and JÃ©thou)

The highest point in the islands is Les Platons in Jersey at 143 metres (469Â ft) above sea level. The lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean (sea level).

History

Prehistory

The earliest evidence of human occupation of the Channel Islands has been dated to 250,000 years ago when they were attached to the landmass of continental Europe. The islands became detached by rising sea levels in the Neolithic period. The numerous dolmens and other archaeological sites extant and recorded in history demonstrate the existence of a population large enough and organised enough to undertake constructions of considerable size and sophistication, such as the burial mound at La Hougue Bie in Jersey or the statue menhirs of Guernsey.

From the Iron Age

Hoards of Armorican coins have been excavated, providing evidence of trade and contact in the Iron Age period. Evidence for Roman settlement is sparse, although evidently the islands were visited by Roman officials and traders. The traditional Latin names of the islands (Caesarea for Jersey, Sarnia for Guernsey, Riduna for Alderney) derive (possibly mistakenly) from the Antonine Itinerary. Gallo-Roman culture was adopted to an unknown extent in the islands.

In the 6th century Christian missionaries visited the islands. Samson of Dol, Helier, Marculf and Magloire are among saints associated with the islands. In the 6th century they were already included in the diocese of Coutances where they remained until reformation.

From the beginning of the 9th century Norse raiders appeared on the coasts. Norse settlement succeeded initial attacks, and it is from this period that many place names of Norse origin appear, including the modern names of the islands.

From the Duchy of Normandy

The islands were annexed to the Duchy of Normandy in 933. In 1066, William II of Normandy, invaded and conquered England, becoming William I of England, also known as William the Conqueror. In the period 1204â€"1214, King John lost the Angevin lands in northern France, including mainland Normandy, to King Philip II of France; in 1259 his successor, Henry III, officially surrendered his claim and title to the Duchy of Normandy, while retaining the Channel Islands. Since then, the Channel Islands have been governed as possessions of the Crown separate from the Kingdom of England and its successor kingdoms of Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

The islands were invaded by the French in 1338, who held some territory until 1345. Owain Lawgoch, a mercenary leader of a Free Company in the service of the French Crown, attacked Jersey and Guernsey in 1372, and in 1373 Bertrand du Guesclin besieged Mont Orgueil. Jersey was occupied by the French in the Wars of the Roses from 1461 to 1468. In 1483 a Papal bull decreed that the islands would be neutral during time of war. This privilege of neutrality enabled islanders to trade with both France and England and was respected until 1689 when it was abolished by Order in Council following the Glorious Revolution in Great Britain.

Various attempts to transfer the islands from the diocese of Coutances (to Nantes (1400), Salisbury (1496), and Winchester (1499)) had little effect until an Order in Council of 1569 brought the islands formally into the diocese of Winchester. Control by the bishop of Winchester was ineffectual as the islands had turned overwhelmingly Calvinist and the episcopacy was not restored until 1620 in Jersey and 1663 in Guernsey.

Sark in the 16th century was uninhabited until colonised from Jersey in the 1560s. The grant of seigneurship from Elizabeth I of England forms the basis of Sark's constitution today.

Over a dozen windmills are known to have existed in the Channel Isles. They were mostly tower mills used for grinding corn.

From the 17th century

During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, Jersey held out strongly for the Royalist cause, providing refuge for Charles, Prince of Wales in 1646 and 1649â€"1650, while the more strongly Presbyterian Guernsey more generally favoured the parliamentary cause (although Castle Cornet was, on 15 December 1651, the last Royalist stronghold in the British Isles to surrender).

The islands acquired commercial and political interests in the North American colonies. Islanders became involved with the Newfoundland fisheries in the 17th century. In recognition for all the help given to him during his exile in Jersey in the 1640s, Charles II gave George Carteret, Bailiff and governor, a large grant of land in the American colonies, which he promptly named New Jersey, now part of the United States of America. Sir Edmund Andros of Guernsey was an early colonial governor in North America, and head of the short-lived Dominion of New England.

In the 19th century, wealthy French Ã©migrÃ©s fleeing the Revolution sought residency in the islands. Many of the town domiciles existing today were built in that time. In Saint Peter Port, a large part of the harbour had been built by 1865.

20th century

World War II

The islands were the only part of the British Commonwealth to be occupied by the German Army during World War II.

The British Government demilitarised the islands in June 1940 and the Lieutenant-Governors were withdrawn on 21 June, leaving the insular administrations to continue government as best they could under impending military occupation.

Before German troops landed, between 30 June and 4 July 1940, evacuation took place (many young men had already left to join the Allied armed forces): 6,600 out of 50,000 left Jersey while 17,000 out of 42,000 left Guernsey. Thousands of children were evacuated with their schools to England and Scotland.

The population of Sark largely remained where they were; but in Alderney, the entire population, save for six persons, left. In Alderney, the occupying Germans built four concentration camps in which over 700 people out of a total prisoner population of about 6,000 died. Due to the destruction of documents, it is impossible to state how many forced workers died in the other islands. These were the only Nazi concentration camps on British soil.

The Royal Navy blockaded the islands from time to time, particularly following the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. There was considerable hunger and privation during the five years of German occupation, particularly in the final months when the population was close to starvation. Intense negotiations resulted in some humanitarian aid being sent via the Red Cross, leading to the arrival of the Red Cross supply ship Vega in December 1944.

The German occupation of 1940â€"45 was harsh: over 2,000 Islanders were deported by the Germans, and Jews were sent to concentration camps; British Bobbies assisted the Nazi occupiers in rounding up the Jewish population. Partisan resistance and retribution, accusations of collaboration, and slave labour also occurred. Many Spaniards, initially refugees from the Spanish Civil War, were brought to the islands to build fortifications. Later, Russians and Eastern Europeans continued the work. Many land mines were laid, with 65,718 land mines laid in Jersey alone.

There was no resistance movement in the Channel Islands on the scale of that in mainland France. This has been ascribed to a range of factors including the physical separation of the Islands, the density of troops (up to one German for every two Islanders), the small size of the Islands precluding any hiding places for resistance groups, and the absence of the Gestapo from the occupying forces. Moreover, much of the population of military age had joined the British Army already.

The end of the occupation came after VE-Day on 8 May 1945, Jersey and Guernsey being liberated on 9 May. The German garrison in Alderney did not surrender until 16 May, and it was one of the last of the Nazi German remnants to surrender. The first evacuees returned on the first sailing from Great Britain on 23 June, but the people of Alderney were unable to start returning until December 1945. Many of the evacuees who returned home had difficulty reconnecting with their families after five years of separation.

Post-1945

Following the liberation of 1945, reconstruction led to a transformation of the economies of the islands, attracting immigration and developing tourism. The legislatures were reformed and non-party governments embarked on social programmes, aided by the incomes from offshore finance, which grew rapidly from the 1960s.

The islands decided not to join the European Economic Community when the UK joined, and remain outside.

Since the 1990s declining profitability of agriculture and tourism have challenged the governments of the islands.

Politics

The Channel Islands fall into two separate self-governing bailiwicks, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. Both are British Crown Dependencies, and neither is part of the United Kingdom. They have been part of the Duchy of Normandy since the 10th century and Queen Elizabeth II is often referred to by her traditional and conventional title of Duke of Normandy. However, pursuant to the Treaty of Paris (1259), she governs in her right as The Queen (the "Crown in right of Jersey", and the "Crown in right of the rÃ©publique of the Bailiwick of Guernsey"), and not as the Duke. This notwithstanding, it is a matter of local pride for monarchists to treat the situation otherwise: the Loyal Toast at formal dinners is to 'The Queen, our Duke', rather than to 'Her Majesty, The Queen' as in the UK.

A bailiwick is a territory administered by a Bailiff. Although the words derive from a common root ('bail' = 'to give charge of') there is a vast difference between the meaning of the word 'bailiff' (English) and 'Bailiff' (CI). (The former is a court appointed private debt-collector authorised to collect judgment debts, while the latter is the most important citizen within his or her Bailiwick.) The Bailiff in each Bailiwick is the civil head, presiding officer of the States, and also head of the judiciary.

In the early part of the twenty-first century, the existence of governmental offices such as the Bailiffs' which incorporate multiple roles straddling the different branches of Government came under increased scrutiny for their apparent contravention of the doctrine of separation of powersâ€"most notably in the Guernsey case of McGonnell -v- United Kingdom (2000) 30 EHRR 289 which following final judgement at the European Court of Human Rights became part of the impetus for much recent constitutional change, particularly the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (2005 c.4) in the UK itself, including the separation of the roles of the Lord Chancellor, the abolition of the House of Lords' judicial role, and its replacement by the UK Supreme Court. The Islands' Bailiffs however, still retain their historic roles.

The systems of government in the Islands date from Norman times, which accounts for the names of the legislatures, the States, derived from the Norman 'Ã‰tats' or 'estates' (i.e. the Crown, the Church, and the people). The States have evolved over the centuries into democratic parliaments.

The UK Parliament has power to legislate for the Islands but Acts of Parliament do not extend to the Islands automatically. Usually, the Act gives power to extend the application of the Act to the Islands by an Order in Council, after consultation. For the most part the Islands legislate for themselves. Each island has its own primary legislature, known as the States of Guernsey and the States of Jersey, with Chief Pleas in Sark and the States of Alderney - the Channel Islands are not represented in the UK Parliament. Laws passed by the States are given Royal Assent by The Queen in Council, to whom the islands' governments are responsible.

The islands are not part of the European Union, but are part of the Customs Territory of the European Community by virtue of Protocol Three to the Treaty on European Union. In September 2010, a Channel Islands Brussels Office was set up jointly by the two Bailiwicks to develop the Channel Islands' influence with the EU, to advise the Channel Islands' governments on European matters, and to promote economic links with the EU.

Both Bailiwicks are members of the British-Irish Council, and JÃ¨rriais and GuernÃ©siais are recognised regional languages of the Isles.

The legal courts are separate; separate courts of appeal have been in place since 1961. Among the legal heritage from Norman law is the Clameur de Haro. The basis of the legal systems of both Bailiwicks is Norman customary law (Coutume) rather than the English Common Law, although elements of the latter have become established over time.

Islanders are full British citizens, and therefore European citizens. Any British citizen who applies for a passport in Jersey or Guernsey receives a passport bearing the words "British Islands, Bailiwick of Jersey" or "British Islands, Bailiwick of Guernsey". Under the provisions of Protocol Three, Channel Islanders who do not have a close connection with the UK (no parent or grandparent from the UK, and have never been resident in the UK for a five-year period) do not automatically benefit from the EU provisions on free movement within the EU and their passports receive an endorsement to that effect. This affects only a minority of islanders.

Under the UK Interpretation Act 1978, the Channel Islands are deemed to be part of the British Islands, not to be confused with the British Isles. For the purposes of the British Nationality Act 1981, the â€œBritish Islandsâ€ include the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland), the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, taken together, unless the context otherwise requires.

Economy

Tourism is the major industry in the smaller islands (with some agriculture). However Jersey and Guernsey have, since the 1960s, become major offshore financial centres on the scale of the Cayman Islands or Bermuda. Guernsey's horticultural and greenhouse activities have been more significant than in Jersey, and Guernsey has maintained light industry as a higher proportion of its economy than Jersey. Jersey's economy since the 1980s has been substantially more reliant on finance. Both islands are now heavily dependent on the finance industry, this along with a high cost of living has resulted in a general widening between the rich and poor.

Both Bailiwicks issue their own banknotes and coins, which circulate freely in all the islands alongside UK coinage and Bank of England and Scottish banknotes.

There are many exports, largely consisting of crafted goods and farmed produce.

Transport and communications

Post

Since 1969, Jersey and Guernsey have operated postal administrations independently of the UK's Royal Mail, with their own postage stamps, which can be used for postage only in their respective Bailiwicks. UK stamps are no longer valid, but mail to the islands, and to the Isle of Man, is charged at UK inland rates. It was not until the early 1990s that the islands joined the UK's postcode system, Jersey postcodes using the initials JE and Guernsey GY.

Transport

Road

Each of the three largest islands has a distinct vehicle registration scheme:

Guernsey (GBG): a number of up to five digits;
Jersey (GBJ): J followed by up to six digits (JSY vanity plates are also issued);
Alderney (GBA): AY followed by up to five digits (four digits are the most that have been used, as redundant numbers are re-issued).

In Sark, where most motor traffic is prohibited, the few vehicles â€"Â nearly all tractorsÂ â€" do not display plates. Bicycles display tax discs.

Sea

In the 1960s, names used for the cross-Channel ferries plying the mail route between the islands and Weymouth, Dorset, were taken from the popular Latin names for the islands: Caesarea (Jersey), Sarnia (Guernsey) and Riduna (Alderney). Fifty years later, the ferry route between the Channel Islands and the UK is operated by Condor Ferries from both St Helier, Jersey and St Peter Port, Guernsey, using high-speed catamaran fast craft to Weymouth and Poole in the UK. A regular passenger ferry service on the Commodore Clipper goes from both Channel Island ports to Portsmouth daily, and carries both passengers and freight.

Ferry services to Normandy are operated by Manche ÃŽles Express, and services between Jersey and Saint Malo are operated by Compagnie Corsaire and Condor Ferries.

The Isle of Sark Shipping Company operates small ferries to Sark.

On 20 August 2013, Huelin-Renouf, which had operated a "lift-on lift-off" container service for 80 years between the Port of Southampton and the Port of Jersey, ceased trading. Senator Alan Maclean, a Jersey politician had previously tried to save the 90-odd jobs furnished by the company to no avail. On 20 September, it was announced that Channel Island Lines would continue this service, and would purchase the MV Huelin Dispatch from Associated British Ports who in turn had purchased them from the receiver in the bankruptcy. The new operator was to be funded by Rockayne Limited, a closely held association of Jersey businesspeople.

Air

There are three airports in the Channel Islands; Alderney Airport, Guernsey Airport and Jersey Airport, which are directly connected to each other by services operated by Blue Islands and Aurigny.

Rail

Historically there have been railway networks on Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney, but all of the lines on Jersey and Guernsey have been closed and dismantled. Today there are three working railways in the Channel Islands, of which the Alderney Railway is the only one providing a regular timetabled passenger service. The other two are a 7Â ¹â„₄Â in (184Â mm) gauge miniature railway, also on Alderney, and the heritage steam railway operated on Jersey as part of the Pallot Heritage Steam Museum.

Media

Regional television and radio broadcasts are available in the islands. These services are provided by BBC Radio Jersey, BBC Radio Guernsey, BBC Channel Islands, ITV Channel Television, Island FM, and Channel 103.

There are some local newspapers including the Guernsey Press and the Jersey Evening Post.

Telephone

Jersey always operated its own telephone services independently of Britain's national system, but Guernsey had established its own telephone service in 1868. Both islands still form part of the British telephone numbering plan, but Ofcom on the mainlines does not have responsibility for telecommunications regulatory and licensing issues on the islands. It is responsible for wireless telegraphy licensing throughout the islands, and by agreement, for broadcasting regulation in the two large islands only.

Internet

Modern broadband speeds are available in all the islands, including VDSL for home and business. Providers include Sure and JT.

The two Bailiwicks each have their own internet domain .GG (Guernsey, Alderney, Sark) and .JE (Jersey) which are managed by CHANNELISLES.NET.

Culture

The Norman language predominated in the islands until the 19th century, when increasing influence from English-speaking settlers and easier transport links led to Anglicisation. There are four main dialects/languages of Norman in the islands, Auregnais (Alderney, extinct in late 20th century), DgÃ¨rnÃ©siais (Guernsey), JÃ¨rriais (Jersey) and Sercquiais (Sark, an offshoot of JÃ¨rriais).

Victor Hugo spent many years in exile, first in Jersey and then in Guernsey, where he finished Les MisÃ©rables. Guernsey is the setting of Hugo's later novel, Les Travailleurs de la Mer (The Toilers of the Sea). A "Guernsey-man" also makes an appearance in chapter 91 of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.

The annual "Muratti", the inter-island football match, is considered the sporting event of the year, although, due to broadcast coverage, it no longer attracts the crowds of spectators, travelling between the islands, that it did during the 20th century.

Cricket is popular in the Channel Islands. The Jersey cricket team and the Guernsey cricket team are both Associate members of the International Cricket Council. The teams have played each other in the Inter-insular match since 1957. In 2001 and 2002, the Channel Islands entered a team into the MCCA Knockout Trophy, the one-day tournament of the Minor counties of English and Welsh cricket.

Channel Island sportsmen and women compete in the Commonwealth Games for their respective islands and the islands have also been enthusiastic supporters of the Island Games. Shooting is a popular sport, in which islanders have won Commonwealth medals.

Guernsey's traditional colour for sporting and other purposes is green and Jersey's is red.

The main islanders have traditional animal nicknames:

Guernsey: les Ã¢nes ("donkeys" in French and Norman): the steepness of St Peter Port streets required beasts of burden, but Guernsey people also claim it is a symbol of their strength of characterÂ â€" which Jersey people traditionally interpret as stubbornness.
Jersey: les crapauds ("toads" in French and JÃ¨rriais): Jersey has toads and snakes, which Guernsey lacks.
Sark: les corbins ("crows" in Sercquiais, DgÃ¨rnÃ©siais and JÃ¨rriais, les corbeaux in French): crows could be seen from the sea on the island's coast.
Alderney: les lapins ("rabbits" in French and Auregnais): the island is noted for its warrens.

Faith and religious history

Christianity was brought to the islands around the 6th century; according to tradition, Jersey was evangelised by St Helier, Guernsey by St Samson of Dol, and the smaller islands were occupied at various times by monastic communities representing strands of Celtic Christianity. At the Reformation, the islands turned Calvinist under the influence of an influx of French-language pamphlets published in Geneva. Anglicanism was imposed in the 17th century, but the Non-Conformist tendency re-emerged with a strong adoption of Methodism. The presence of long-term Catholic communities from France and seasonal workers from Brittany and Normandy added to the mix of denominations. In late 20th Century, a strong Roman Catholic presence re-emerged with the many Portuguese workers (both from Mainland Portugal and the Island of Madeira) coming to live in the islands then more recently Polish Roman Catholics and other Eastern Europe worshipers. Services in a number of languages can be found along with many new more evangelical churches.

Other islands in the English Channel

There are other islands in the English Channel which are not part of the Channel Islands. Among these are the French islands BrÃ©hat, ÃŽle de Batz, Chausey, Tatihou and ÃŽles Saint-Marcouf, and the Isle of Wight which is part of England.

Notes

References

Bibliography

EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica Vol. 5 (1951), EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica, Inc., Chicago â€" London â€" Toronto

External links

States of Alderney
States of Guernsey
States of Jersey
Government of Sark
FamilyTree DNA Channel Islands Project, Y-Dna project for the Channels Islands

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