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Channel Islands: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Channel Islands
In 1259, King Henry III of England signed the Treaty of Paris, officially surrendering his claim to the Duchy of Normandy while retaining control of a tiny cluster of islands that would become the Channel Islands. This diplomatic maneuver created a unique legal anomaly that persists to this day: the islands are not part of the United Kingdom, nor are they part of France, yet they remain under the sovereignty of the British Crown. For centuries, the monarch has held the title of Duke of Normandy, a feudal status that distinguishes these islands from every other territory in the British Isles. The Bailiwick of Jersey, the largest of the islands, and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes Alderney, Sark, and Herm, have maintained separate administrations since the late 13th century, each with its own laws, elections, and representative bodies. This separation is so profound that any institution common to both bailiwicks is the exception rather than the rule. The islands were never absorbed into the Kingdom of England, nor its successor kingdoms of Great Britain or the United Kingdom, creating a political entity that exists in a state of perpetual ambiguity between two great European powers.
Echoes of the Iron Age
The earliest evidence of human occupation in the Channel Islands dates back 250,000 years, when the islands were still attached to the landmass of continental Europe. As rising sea levels in the Mesolithic period severed the land bridge, the islands became isolated, yet they retained a population large enough to construct sophisticated monuments like the burial mound at La Hougue Bie in Jersey and the statue menhirs of Guernsey. By the Iron Age, hoards of Armorican coins excavated from the islands reveal a vibrant trade network connecting them to the wider world, while Roman officials and traders visited the islands, which were known to the Romans as I. Lenuri. In the sixth century, Christian missionaries including Samson of Dol, Helier, Marculf, and Magloire brought faith to the islands, which remained part of the diocese of Coutances until the Reformation. Norse raiders appeared on the coasts in the ninth century, and their settlement left an indelible mark on the landscape, with many place names deriving from Old Norse words like ey for island and holmr for islet. The islands became a refuge for Celtic Britons fleeing Anglo-Saxon invasions in the fifth and sixth centuries, though their numbers were insufficient to leave a lasting cultural trace, and the islands continued to be ruled by the king of the Franks.
The War of the Roses and the French Isles
During the Hundred Years' War, the Channel Islands were part of the French territory recognizing the claims of the English kings to the French throne, yet they managed to retain their allegiance to the English Crown even as mainland Normandy was lost to King Philip II of France. In 1338, the islands were invaded by the French, who held some territory until 1345, and Edward III of England granted a Charter in July 1341 to Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, and Alderney, confirming their customs and laws to secure allegiance to the English Crown. The islands were occupied by the French in 1461 as part of an exchange for helping the Lancastrians fight against the Yorkists during the War of the Roses, only to be retaken by the Yorkists in 1468. A Papal bull in 1483 decreed that the islands would be neutral during time of war, a privilege that 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. In the late 18th century, the islands were dubbed the French Isles, as wealthy French émigrés fleeing the French Revolution sought residency there, leading to the construction of many of the town domiciles that exist today. The islands became the last remaining English holdings in France after the loss of Calais in 1558, and this situation lasted until the English kings dropped their title and claims to the French throne in 1801.
When did King Henry III of England sign the Treaty of Paris regarding the Channel Islands?
King Henry III of England signed the Treaty of Paris in 1259. This treaty officially surrendered his claim to the Duchy of Normandy while retaining control of the islands that became the Channel Islands.
What is the earliest evidence of human occupation in the Channel Islands?
The earliest evidence of human occupation in the Channel Islands dates back 250,000 years. During this time, the islands were still attached to the landmass of continental Europe before rising sea levels severed the land bridge.
When did the German occupation of the Channel Islands end during World War II?
The German occupation of the Channel Islands ended after VE-Day on the 8th of May 1945. Jersey and Guernsey were liberated on the 9th of May, and the German garrison in Alderney left until the 16th of May.
Which languages are currently spoken in the Channel Islands today?
Four main dialects or languages of Norman remain in the Channel Islands. These include Dgèrnésiais in Guernsey, Jèrriais in Jersey, and Sercquiais in Sark, while Auregnais is now extinct in the late twentieth century.
When did the Channel Islands become major offshore financial centres?
Jersey and Guernsey have become major offshore financial centres since the 1960s. This development followed the liberation of 1945 and the subsequent transformation of the islands' economies.
What is the role of the Bailiff in the Channel Islands government?
In the Channel Islands, the Bailiff is the civil head and presiding officer of the States. The Bailiff also serves as the head of the judiciary, making them the most important citizen in the bailiwick.
The islands were occupied by the German Army during World War II, beginning with the British Government's decision to demilitarise the islands in June 1940 and withdraw the lieutenant-governors on the 21st of June, leaving the insular administrations to continue government as best they could under impending military occupation. Before German troops landed, between the 30th of June and the 4th of July 1940, evacuation took place, with 6,600 out of 50,000 leaving Jersey and 17,000 out of 42,000 leaving Guernsey, while thousands of children were evacuated with their schools to England and Scotland. The population of Sark largely remained where they were, but in Alderney, all but six people left, and the occupying Germans built four prison camps which housed approximately 6,000 people, of whom over 700 died. The German occupation of 1940, 45 was harsh, with over 2,000 islanders deported by the Germans, some Jews sent to concentration camps, and partisan resistance and retribution, accusations of collaboration, and slave labour also occurring. There was no resistance movement in the Channel Islands on the scale of that in mainland France, ascribed to factors including the physical separation of the islands, the density of troops, the small size of the islands precluding any hiding places for resistance groups, and the absence of the Gestapo from the occupying forces. The end of the occupation came after VE-Day on the 8th of May 1945, with Jersey and Guernsey being liberated on the 9th of May, and the German garrison in Alderney left until the 16th of May.
The Financial Powerhouses
Following the liberation of 1945, reconstruction led to a transformation of the economies of the islands, attracting immigration and developing tourism, while 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. Jersey and Guernsey have, since the 1960s, become major offshore financial centres, with Jersey heavily reliant on financial services, contributing 39.4% of Gross Value Added in 2018, while Guernsey has maintained light industry as a higher proportion of its economy than Jersey. Despite having only 250,000 residents, the Channel Islands combined with the Isle of Man are the second-biggest source of foreign direct investment in the United Kingdom. Jersey has had a steadily rising population, increasing from below 90,000 in 2000 to over 105,000 in 2018, which combined with a flat GVA has resulted in GVA per head of population falling from £57,000 to £44,000 per person. In 2018, Guernsey had a GDP of £3.2 billion and with a stable population of around 66,000 has had a steadily rising GDP, and a GVA per head of population which in 2018 surpassed £52,000. 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.
The Language of the Toads and Donkeys
The Norman language predominated in the islands until the nineteenth century, when increasing influence from English-speaking settlers and easier transport links led to Anglicisation, leaving four main dialects or languages of Norman: Auregnais, which is now extinct in the late twentieth century, Dgèrnésiais in Guernsey, Jèrriais in Jersey, and Sercquiais in Sark, an offshoot of Jèrriais. Victor Hugo spent many years in exile, first in Jersey and then in Guernsey, where he finished Les Misérables, and Guernsey is the setting of Hugo's later novel Les Travailleurs de la Mer. The islands have traditional animal nicknames that reflect their unique character: Guernsey people are known as les ânes, or donkeys, a symbol of their strength of character which Jersey people traditionally interpret as stubbornness, while Jersey people are known as les crapauds, or toads, as Jersey has toads and snakes, which Guernsey lacks. Sark is home to les corbins, or crows, which could be seen from the sea on the island's coast, and Alderney is known for les lapins, or rabbits, as the island is noted for its warrens. 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 twentieth century. Cricket is popular in the Channel Islands, with the Jersey cricket team and the Guernsey cricket team both associate members of the International Cricket Council, and the teams have played each other in the inter-insular match since 1957.
The Bailiff's Dual Throne
A bailiwick is a territory administered by a bailiff, and although the words derive from a common root, there is a vast difference between the meanings of the word bailiff in Great Britain and in the Channel Islands. In the Channel Islands, the Bailiff in each bailiwick is the civil head, presiding officer of the States, and also head of the judiciary, and thus the most important citizen in the bailiwick. In the early 21st century, the existence of governmental offices such as the bailiffs' with multiple roles straddling the different branches of government came under increased scrutiny for their apparent contravention of the doctrine of separation of powers, most notably in the Guernsey case of McGonnell -v- United Kingdom in 2000. That case, 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 in the UK, 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, and 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 États or estates, meaning the Crown, the Church, and the people. The States have evolved over the centuries into democratic parliaments, and the islands have never been part of the European Union, and thus were not a party to the 2016 referendum on the EU membership, but were part of the Customs Territory of the European Community by virtue of Protocol Three to the Treaty on European Union.