Jersey’s Heritage

Introduction

Heritage can be defined as features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages or buildings that were created in the past and still have historical importance.

For a small island, Jersey has a huge heritage covering government and administration, language, industries, buildings, art and literature.

Summary

Jersey’s heritage is shaped by its geography and history.

Jersey has its own distinctive political and legal systems which have their origins over 1,000 years ago when Jersey was part of the Duchy of Normandy. The key features, which are interconnected, are the Bailiff, the States Assembly, the 12 parishes and a legal system based on Norman customary law.

Jersey has one of the most important Ice Age and Neanderthal archaeological sites, La Cotte de St Brelade, and 11 dolmens and passage graves, the most prominent of which is Hougue Bie.

England and France were in a state of war or tension for much of the second millennium. England treated Jersey as a “fortress town” and continued to support it by military expenditure and preferential treatment for Jersey people and goods. Mont Orgueil Castle, Elizabeth Castle, St Aubin’s Fort, Conway and Martello towers and St Catherine’s breakwater are the most visible reminders of this factor. They also contribute to the Island’s physical attractiveness as a place in which to live and to visit.

Four agriculture-related industries – knitting, cider, cattle and new potatoes – are distinctive parts of the Island’s heritage.

In the 18 ^th and 19 ^th centuries Jersey was a strong maritime nation with cod fishing, shipping and shipbuilding industries contributing to huge economic growth. The industry is commemorated by a museum and some artwork and plaques, but generally is little reflected in the Island today.

The occupation of Jersey by German forces between 1940 and 1945 left its mark on the Island in many ways, including physically with fortifications being a visible part of the landscape.

Jèrriais is the traditional language of Jersey. It is a romance language of Norman origin and reflects Jersey’s history as part of the Duchy of Normandy. Use of Jèrriais has been declining steadily, but in recent years the language has been revived.

A number of prominent artists had strong Jersey connections, particularly in the 19 ^th and early 20 ^th centuries. Three artists stand out for their depictions of Jersey: Jean Le Capelain, Philip Ouless and Edmund Blampied.

Locally quarried granite is a significant feature of many Jersey buildings including fortifications, public buildings, farms and walls.

Prominent people who have contributed significantly to Jersey’s heritage include Sir George Carteret, who ensured that Jersey was royalist in the Civil War for which he was rewarded with land in America that he named New Jersey, the French writer, Victor Hugo, who spent three eventful years in Jersey in the 1860s, and Lillie Langtry, the actress and socialite.

Jersey’s main heritage organisations are Jersey Heritage, the Société Jersiaise, the National Trust for Jersey and Jerripedia. Museums include the Jersey Museum and Art Gallery, the Jersey Maritime Museum, Hamptonne Country Life Museum and Jersey War Tunnels.

Jersey’s heritage is well documented in publications and other media.

Influences on Jersey’s heritage

Jersey’s heritage is shaped by its geography and its history.

Jersey is a small island with an equable climate, fertile soil and favourable topography, sloping from north to south. These factors have facilitated maritime, agricultural and tourist industries.

Jersey also has had a key natural resource in the form of granite, an excellent building material, and which also contributes to a physically attractive environment.

However, Jersey’s heritage is far more shaped by its history. Until the 13 ^th century Jersey was part of what is now France rather than England and there remains a strong Norman influence including on the Island’s political and legal systems.

For most of the second millennium England, and following the Act of Union with Scotland in 1707 the United Kingdom, was either in a state of war or a state of tension with France. Jersey, being geographically close to France, was inevitably affected by this tension, but in a favourable rather than unfavourable way. England needed Jersey to be strong so as to be able to resist any French aggression and potentially to be a springboard for English attacks on France. This required the building of fortifications, which today form a prominent part of the Island’s landscape, and economic support which helped stimulate a number of industries, including cider production, knitting and fishing.

More recently, between 1940 and 1945, Jersey was the occupied by German forces. The Occupation had a huge influence on the Island in many ways, in particular making it more open to change. Physically, the fortifications built by the occupying forces are also a significant part of the Island’s heritage.

Political and legal systems

Jersey has its own distinctive political and legal systems which have their origins over 1,000 years ago. The key features, which are interconnected, are –

• The role of the Bailiff as civic head of the Island, chief judge and speaker of the States Assembly – the Island’s parliament.
• The States Assembly comprising deputies and parish constables.
• The 12 parishes.
• A legal system based on Norman customary law and with professional jurats rather than juries deciding cases.

By the early 11 ^th century Jersey was an integral part of the Duchy of Normandy. The parishes and their churches were firmly established within the diocese of Coutances, with much land given to Norman Abbeys, and aspects of law and government were put in place. Although 1204 is generally accepted as the year in which Jersey ceased to be Norman, the separation from Normandy took place over many years including periods when the Island was under Norman control. Norman legal processes and structures were adopted including the use of customary rather than common law and advocates rather than solicitors and barristers. The churches remained under the diocese of Coutances until the 16 ^th century.

The position of the Bailiff as civic head of the Island, chief judge and speaker of the parliament dates back to the 14 ^th century. Jurats also date back to that time. Jurats are unpaid lay people who decide issues of fact in criminal and civil trials, hand down sentences in criminal trials and award damages in civil trials. Until 1948, they were elected by those eligible to vote and sat as members of the States Assembly.

Jersey’s parliament is customarily called “the States”, an expression confusingly also used for the Government. “The States” is an anglicised version of “l’etats” – the three estates which historically comprised the government and the parliament: the constables and rectors of the 12 parishes and the jurats. The expression “States Assembly” is now more correctly used to describe the parliament as distinct from the government. However, still confusingly, decisions are often in the name of the States.

Jersey is divided into 12 parishes: Grouville, St Brelade, St Clement, St Helier, St John, St Lawrence, St Martin, St Mary, St Ouen, St Peter, St Saviour and Trinity. They are an integral part of Jersey’s heritage and its society today.

The parishes date back at least to the 11 ^th century, probably originally evolving around a parish church and with boundaries reflecting natural features. The boundaries have subsequently changed little. Each of the parishes has direct access to the sea, reflecting a clear intention, although in the case of St Saviour this is no more than a token.

The parishes all have the same structure. Each is divided into a number of Vingtaines (Cueillettes in St Ouen). The principal officer of the parish is the Connétable (Constable) who by virtue of that office is also a member of the States Assembly.

Each parish has a rector appointed by the Crown who is the head of the established church within the parish.

Each parish has a parish hall (public hall in St Martin) in which the officers of the parish are based. In most of the country parishes each is at the centre of a village as is the parish church. The parishes are the basis of the constituencies for deputies, primary schools are based on the parishes, each parish having at least one, and many sports activities take place at the parish level.

The parish halls and churches and the many activities that take place at the parish level are a distinguishing feature of the Island, many people identifying strongly with the parish in which they live. This contrasts with the position in England, for example, where local authority boundaries have been subject to frequent change and many people have little affiliation with the local authority in which they live.

Ancient history

Jersey has one of the most important Ice Age and Neanderthal archaeological sites. La Cotte de St Brelade is at the eastern corner of Ouaisné Bay. The site has been extensively researched, yielding a wealth of information about Jersey from 240,000 to about 40,000 years ago. The site is not accessible to the public, being deeply embedded in a cliff and has required extensive work to protect it from the elements. But it provides the best evidence of what Jersey was like thousands of years ago and before it was an island.

Jersey has 11 dolmens and passage graves. Jersey Heritage has published A brief description of the dolmens of Jersey giving details of each and a map showing their location. The most prominent is Hougue Bie, one of the largest and best-preserved dolmens in Europe. It was in use between 4000 and 3250 BC. The Neolithic passage grave is one of the ten oldest buildings in the world. On top of the Hougue Bie mound a Christian chapel was built in the 16^th century. In 1792 the chapel was enveloped in a miniature Neo-Gothic “castle” which became a famous landmark known as the Prince’s Tower. A replica Neolithic Longhouse has been built on the site.

Fortifications against France

While England and France were in a state of war or tension for much of the second millennium, England treated Jersey as a “fortress town”. Fortifications were built to protect against possible French military activity, and which today are among the most prominent physical features of the Island and a constant reminder of Jersey’s Anglo-French heritage.

The most impressive physical building in Jersey is Mont Orgueil Castle, also known as Gorey Castle, build on a rocky headland in the south east corner of the Island. It is one of the finest medieval forts in the British Isles, built as a direct response to the threat from France. At the time Gorey was the centre of the Island’s political and commercial life, hence the site of the castle. Construction began in the 14^th century. However, St Helier was rapidly becoming established as the capital of the Island. Accordingly, Mont Orgueil Castle was less able to protect the Island, being in the wrong place, and also it was unable to withstand cannon fire.

New fortifications were required in more strategically relevant places.

St Aubin’s fort was constructed between 1542 and 1643 on a small islet in the south west of the Island. It later served to protect the port at St Aubin, which was completed in 1700 and which was the port of departure for Jersey’s cod fishing fleet in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

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A major fortification was built on the islet off St Helier, which developed into Elizabeth Castle, the main defence of the Island throughout the 17 ^th and 18 ^th centuries. Construction began in 1551 and continued for more than a century. The castle includes walls over six metres high, a lookout tower and a long breakwater. It makes for an attractive entry to Jersey for passengers on ferries.

The Battle of Jersey occurred in 1781 when a French force under Baron de Rullecourt came close to capturing the Island. The Lieutenant Governor, Moyse Corbet, was captured and surrendered. An English army officer, Major Peirson, disobeyed orders, refused to surrender, and supported by the local militia led a successful attack on the French soldiers in the Market Square (now the Royal Square), although Peirson was killed. The Battle of Jersey is regarded as a key event in the Island’s history. It is the subject of a famous painting by John Singleton Copley, a copy of which hangs in Jersey’s Royal Court.

At the end of the 18^th century Jersey faced a renewed military threat from France. The Governor, General Conway, ordered the construction of 23 towers to defend the Island. The “Conway Towers” include two offshore towers, La Rocco in St Ouen’s Bay and Seymour in St Clement’s Bay. With the exception of Seymour Tower they have a distinctive round shape. The more prominent towers include Le Hocq, Archirondel and First Tower. Although frequently called Martello Towers, they predate the development of true Martello towers and differ from them mainly by being built with local granite rather than brick.

Eight Martello towers were built in the 19^th century, again to protect against the threat of French attack. They include two offshore towers, Icho in St Clement’s Bay and Portelet. They are similar to towers around the British Isles. Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece. The Martello towers were used during the first half of the 19^th century, but became obsolete with the introduction of powerful rifled artillery.

During the Napoleonic Wars, Fort Regent was built on the Town Hill and is a distinctive feature of St Helier. It superseded Elizabeth Castle, but was completed only in 1814, just in time for a long period of peace.

In 1847 the British government, suspicious of French naval intentions, ordered the construction of a deep-water harbour at St Catherine. The project was at best over-ambitious and only one part of it was built – St Catherine’s Breakwater, which remains an impressive structure albeit with no purpose. The French threat effectively ended with the accession of Napoleon III in 1852, and Jersey ceased to benefit from military expenditure.

There are a number of other forts and towers. Gronez Castle was built in around 1330 and is now largely a ruin. Le Catel Fort was built in the late 18 ^th century at Grève de Lecq. Fort Leicester at Bouley Bay was built in the 16 ^th century. L’Etacquerel Fort, also at Bouley Bay, was built in 1836. Fort William and Fort Henry, built in 1760 and 1758 respectively, are in the grounds of the Royal Jersey Golf Club at Grouville.

These fortifications are highly visible reminders of Jersey’s status as a “fortress town” for many hundreds of years of Anglo-French tension and conflict. All were largely constructed with locally quarried granite. They contribute to the Island’s physical attractiveness as a place in which to live and to visit.

Knitting, cider, cattle and potatoes

Jersey may have a reputation as an agricultural community, but in this respect is in no different from many other places. However, four land-based industries – knitting, cider, cattle and new potatoes – are distinctive parts of the Island’s heritage.

Knitting was a major, if not dominant, industry in Jersey for much of the 17^th and 18^th centuries. In the late 18^th century it was estimated that 25-50% of the population was engaged in the industry. Why the industry developed is not certain. Perhaps the black death may have played a part with the shortage of labour leading to a shift from cereal cultivation to less labour-intensive sheep raising. The reasons for the growth of the industry include the sea being a highway rather than a barrier and favourable treatment for Jersey exports to England. The industry did not rely wholly on wool from locally reared sheep; wool was also imported. It is also fair to say that much of the export trade was smuggling.

The industry eventually died out by about 1800 as a result of falling demand, but also the expansion of the cod trade, which was more profitable, and the success of the French authorities in limiting smuggling.

Knitting has left its mark on the Island – and the world – through the word “jersey” now being used both for a woollen jumper and for a shirt for a sports team. Within the Island, the jersey is a special sort of woollen jumper with a crew neck and anchor motif.

Cider was a major feature of the Jersey economy, and indeed lifestyle, for over 200 years from around 1600 to the middle of the 19^th century. The growth of the industry can be explained by the same favourable conditions as for knitting, the sea then being a highway rather than a barrier and the nature of the relationship with the UK. The production of apples seems to have taken off at the end of the 16 ^th century, replacing corn as the main crop. This required a radical transformation in the nature of the Jersey countryside as apple trees require shelter and therefore need to be in enclosed fields whereas corn could flourish in a more open environment. By 1625 much of Jersey had become enclosed. The effects remain today, with narrow lanes barely wide enough for a single car.

A modest cider industry remains to this day and is linked to a local specialty – Black Butter, a blend of harvested apples, cider, sugar, spices, liquorice and lemons. The spread can be eaten on toast, with biscuits and even on its own. Every October people gather at the National Trust for Jersey Headquarters – The Elms – to go through the whole process: apple peeling, 24-hour stirring then spooning into jars.

The cider industry declined rapidly in the second half of the 19^th century as the production of potatoes was more profitable, and accordingly land use shifted from apple growing to potato growing.

Potato growing became significant in Jersey in the first half of the 19^th century and in the second half of the century the industry rapidly expanded. Jersey, with its mild winters and warm soil on south facing côtils, was the ideal place for growing very early potato crops. These could reach the London market well before the English crops were ready, and would therefore fetch the highest price there. The Jersey new potato became distinctive, marketed as “Jersey Royal” and commanding a premium price. The industry remained an important part of the Island’s economy until the 1960s. The industry continues to this day but at a much smaller scale.

The Jersey cow has a worldwide reputation because of the quality of its milk. The breed has remained pure through a ban on imports of other breeds that dates back to 1763. Since 1860 the lineage of every cow in Jersey has been recorded in the Herd Book. Today, there are large herds of Jersey cows in many countries. In the USA and New Zealand Jerseys account for about 10% of milking cattle, about 850,00 cows in the USA and 450,000 in New Zealand. Worldwide there are about 4 million Jersey cows.

Maritime

Jersey is a small island nowhere being more than six kilometres from the sea. From the earliest times fishing was an important part of the Jersey economy. In the 12 ^th and 13 ^th centuries congers and mackerel were fished, dried and exported to Normandy.

As cod fishing in Canadian waters began to become viable so this attracted interest from Jersey. There is evidence of Jersey merchants operating in the Newfoundland area in the late 16^th century. By the second half of the 17^th century as many as 20 Jersey vessels were operating around Newfoundland. After a decline the industry resumed growth in the first part of the 18^th century. Initially, fishing concentrated in the waters around the north east of Newfoundland. Newfoundland has many places named after the parishes and other features of Jersey, and also a “Jersey Harbour”, although now largely abandoned.

The second half of the 18^th century saw the focus of the industry move from Newfoundland to the Gaspé peninsular. The industry was at its peak in the 1850s with around 100 vessels and over 2,000 seamen. The industry spawned a shipbuilding industry with many shipyards on the south and east coasts of the Island.

However notwithstanding its massive significance in the Jersey economy for such a long period of time, the cod fishing and other parts of the maritime industry are little reflected in the Island’s heritage. This is largely because they were conducted off-island and few physical or political manifestations remain, unlike the castles and forts and the political and legal systems.

The industry is commemorated in a number of ways, in the maritime museum, a granite plaque at St Aubin and a granite sculpture representing a fishing boat at Gorey.

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World War II – the Occupation

The occupation of Jersey by German forces between 1940 and 1945 left its mark on the Island in many ways, including physically. Fearing a British attack, which was never likely to materialise, the Island was heavily fortified, many of those fortifications remaining intact today.

Sea walls were built in the south and west coasts of the Island which have proved very effective as sea defences.

Bunkers are scattered throughout the Island. Three more extensive, five storey, military towers were built. The most prominent is at Corbière, which is largely above ground. Another at Noirmont is built into the cliff face and surrounded by a number of bunkers. A major fortification that is not visible is the most significant. In St Lawrence over 5,000 slave labourers built over 1,000 metres of tunnels, 50 metres underground. The tunnels were designed to allow the German occupying infantry to withstand Allied air raids and bombardment in the event of an invasion. In 1943, the tunnels were converted into an emergency hospital. The tunnels have been transformed into a comprehensive Occupation Museum.

Jèrriais and literature

Jèrriais is the traditional language of Jersey. It is a romance language of Norman origin and reflects Jersey’s history as part of the Duchy of Normandy. Until the 19^th century it was the main language. It follows that much of the early literature is in Jèrriais. As recently as the 1940s nearly half the population could still communicate in Jèrriais. According to the 2001 census 3% of the population (nearly 3,000 people) spoke and 15% had some understanding of the language. Use of Jèrriais has been declining steadily but in recent years the language has been revived. The Government has a stated policy of increasing the awareness and visibility of Jèrriais as a language – as an integral part of Jersey’s heritage and culture. L’Office du Jèrriais has been established to promote the language.

Jerripedia’s page on The Arts lists 18 writers and journalists with strong Jersey links. Three stand out.

Wace (c.115-c.1183) was an Anglo-Norman poet and historian, who was born in Jersey but who grew up in mainland Normandy. Wace’s most prominent works are the Roman du Brut, a verse history of Britain, the Roman du Rou and other works in verse, including the Lives of Margaret the Virgin and St Nicholas. There is a plaque commemorating Wace on the Royal Court Building.

Philip Falle (1656-1742) wrote the first substantial book about the Island, An account of the Island of Jersey, published in 1694. It was an account, rather than a history, drawing on other material. A second, expanded, edition of An account of the Island of Jersey was published in 1734. Falle was instrumental in establishing a public library in Jersey, offering both books and a modest amount of money. The foundation stone was laid in 1737 and the library was opened in 1743, shortly after Falle’s death, in what became Library Place. The new library in Halkett Place has in its entrance a plaque, recognising Falle’s contribution.

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Victor Hugo (1802-1855) was a French poet, playwright and novelist, sometimes identified as the greatest French poet. His best-known works are the novels Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris, known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Hugo was forced into exile during the reign of Napoleon III. After a short period in Brussels, in 1852 he moved to Jersey, where he stayed until 1855. His arrival in Jersey was itself a significant event and he was particularly welcomed by a number of French republican refugees, known as the proscrits. He and other proscrits became associated with the large rock at the Dicq, Le Rocher Bernard, which became known as Le Rocher des Proscrits. There is a plaque to commemorate Hugo on the rock.

Art

A number of prominent artists had strong Jersey connections, particularly in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. They are documented on the Art page of the Jersey Heritage website, Jerripedia’s The Arts page and Wikipedia’s List of People from Jersey.

Three artists stand out not only for the quality of the work but also for their depiction of Jersey.

Jean Le Capelain, an entirely self-taught artist, developed an individualistic style, with an emphasis on atmospheric effects. When Queen Victoria visited Jersey in 1846 Le Capelain was commissioned by the States to prepare an album of paintings for her. He produced 25 water colours, six of the visit itself and 19 of local scenery. These were put into a book The Queen’s visit to Jersey. His pictures today are in the Museum, the Town Hall, Rozel Manor and the Barreau Art Gallery.

Philip Ouless (1817-85) studied painting in Paris and soon established himself as a marine, landscape and portrait painter. He received numerous commissions from ship owners and masters, benefiting from the 19^thcentury boom in shipbuilding. He recorded the visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to Jersey in 1846 in eleven watercolours, which were published the following year. He published a number of other albums of local views including Scenic Beauties of the Island of Jersey(1840), The Death of Major Peirson (1881) and The Écrehous(1884).

Edmund Blampied (1886-1966) initially developed expertise in etchings and drypoints. He was also a lithographer, caricaturist, cartoonist, book illustrator and artist in oils, watercolours, silhouettes and bronze. He was in the Island throughout the Occupation, during which time his output was continuous notwithstanding a lack of materials and inability to obtain commissions for his work. He designed stamps and banknotes for Jersey and also designed two stamps issued in Britain in 1948 to mark the third anniversary of the Liberation. Many of his works depicted rural life in Jersey. His scenes of collecting vraic from the beaches of the Island using a horse and cart were, he said, his signature tune.

Buildings and architecture

Granite features significantly in the geology of Jersey, particularly in the cliffs on the coast. Granite has been quarried for many years and has been used extensively in the military installations and also farms, cottages, public buildings and walls.

Jersey has many prominent houses including manors, particularly at Trinity, St Ouen and Samarès, that date back many hundreds of years.

The cod fishing industry made many people in Jersey very wealthy and led to the construction of large homes which are today called cod homes, although it is understood that many of these were built by lawyers for the fisherman rather than the fishermen themselves.

Jersey has a number of prominent lighthouses, the most iconic being that at Corbière in the south west corner of the Island, which was completed in 1873. It can be reached by a causeway at low tide but is surrounded by the sea at high tide, which can often be rough.

Fiefs, seigneurs and famous Jersey people

In Norman times much of Jersey was divided into fiefs, typically created by the King giving land to a noble in exchange for services. The owner of a fief, the seigneur, had wide ranging powers over the land. The three largest fiefs, also known as manors, were St Ouen, Samarès and Rozel. Those three manors, and a fourth, Trinity, today remain as major buildings in the Island. Today, the seigneurs still exist but with no powers and a largely ceremonial role.

Sir George Carteret counts as one of the outstanding figures of Jersey history. Following a significant naval career Carteret was appointed Bailiff and Lieutenant Governor in 1643. He quickly turned Jersey into a Royalist stronghold. Following the execution of Charles I in 1649 Jersey quickly proclaimed his exiled son, Charles II, as King. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 Carteret was appointed Vice Chamberlain of the Royal Household and Treasurer of the Navy. In 1664 the King gifted him and fellow courtier Sir John Berkeley land in America that he named New Jersey. Today, St Helier is twinned with Trenton, the capital of New Jersey, after which Trenton Square on the waterfront is named. A statue of Sir George is outside the Sir George Carteret pub in St Peter.

Jersey’s best-known actress is Lillie Langtry (1853-1929). She was well-educated, speaking English, French and Jèrriais, and by all accounts was someone who always attracted attention. One of the celebrities she met was the artist, John Millais. His portrait of Langtry raised the profile of both artist and subject and gave Langtry the nickname, the “Jersey Lily”. Lillie became much sought after in London society. From late 1887 to June 1880 she had an affair with Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. This was followed with an affair with Prince Louis of Battenberg. Lillie moved back to London and, at the suggestion of her close friend Oscar Wilde, embarked on a stage career. Her gravestone is in St Saviour’s cemetery.

Harry Vardon, born in Grouville in 1870, is one of the world’s greatest golfers. He won six Open Championships (a record that still stands today), the US Open Championship and 62 golf tournaments in total, including one run of 14 in a row. In 2000, Vardon was ranked as the 13th best golfer of all time by Golf Digest magazine. Vardon was also well known for the Vardon, or overlapping, grip, the grip most popular among professional golfers. His most prestigious medals are on display in a tribute to him at the Jersey Museum. There is a statue of him at the entrance to the Royal Jersey Golf Club in Grouville.

Heritage organisations

Jersey Heritage is a government-funded charity that is responsible for the Island’s major historic sites, museums and public archives. It holds collections of artefacts, works of art, documents, specimens and information relating to Jersey’s history, culture and environment. Among the assets it is responsible for are Mont Orgueil Castle, Elizabeth Castle, Hougue Bie, the Jersey Museum and Art Gallery, the Jersey Maritime Museum, Hamptonne Country Life Museum and the Jersey Archive .

The Société Jersiaise, a charity, is a learned society. It has 12 sections: archaeology, architecture, bibliography, botany, entomology, environment, geology, history, Jèrriais, marine biology, meteorology, mycology, numismatics, ornithology and zoology. It runs events, publishes books and papers and has an extensive photographic archive. It publishes an annual bulletin which includes reports on its activities and articles on a wide range of subjects.

The National Trust for Jersey safeguards a variety of historic buildings including cottages, farms, water mills and military buildings. The majority of Trust sites are parcels of land managed for wildlife. The Trust currently manages approximately 2% of Jersey’s land which forms an integral part of the Island’s natural environment and encompasses a rich variety of habitats including woodland, farmland, heathland, meadows, and wetland.

The principal free-to-use online source of information on Jersey history is Jerripedia. This includes –

• Articles from the Annual Bulletin of the Société Jersiaise, together with a comprehensive index.
• Articles and photos on a number of subjects, eg population growth, transport and farming, with links to other sources.
• A bibliography of books and papers with links to online versions digitised by Google Books, the Internet Archive, Project Gutenberg and Open Library.
• Digitised copies of articles from Jersey newspapers.
• A photographic library.

Museums, archives and libraries

Jersey’s rich heritage is represented and recorded in museums, libraries and archives.

The Jersey Museum and Art Gallery in St Helier is the Island’s main museum and offers a regular programme of new exhibitions reflecting all aspects of Jersey’s history.

The Jersey Maritime Museum is nearby in the port area. In addition to recording Jersey’s maritime history it also includes the Occupation Tapestry woven by Islanders to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the liberation.

Hamptonne Country Life Museum occupies a house and farm in St Lawrence that date back to the 15^th century and represent the rural history of Jersey, particularly the cider industry which was a major industry from the 17^th to the 19^th centuries.

Jersey War Tunnels in St Lawrence, built during the German Occupation, now houses an Occupation Museum.

The Jersey Library has an extensive collection of local publications.

The Jersey Archive is the Island’s national repository holding archival material from public institutions as well as private businesses and individuals.

Publications

BOLEAT, Mark. 2022. Jersey’s population – a history, 4th edition. Jersey: Société Jersiaise.

JAMIESON, A G, ed. 1986. A people of the sea.London:Methuen.

JENNINGS, G and MARQUIS, Y (eds). 2011 The Toad and the Donkey. London: Francis Boutle Publishers, 2011.

MONTEIl, Michel. 2005. French emigration to Jersey 1850-1950. Jersey: Société Jersiaise.

OMMER, Rosemary. 1991. From Outport to Outpost, A Structural Analysis of the Jersey-Gaspé Cod Fishery, 1767-1886. Toronto: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

PLATT, Colin. 2007. A concise history of Jersey. Jersey: Société Jersiaise.

Jersey’s history. 2024. Jersey: Policy Centre Jersey www.policy.je.

Jersey’s political system. 2024. Jersey: Policy Centre Jersey www.policy.je.

SYVRET, Marguerite and STEVENS, Joan. 1998. Balleine’s History of Jersey. Chichester: Phillimore.

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