﻿S37 



JERSEY. 



JERSEY. 



338 



The dairy is an object of great attention in Jersey. The breed of 

 cows is a variety of that known in England as the Aldtmey. Large 

 quantities of butter are exported. A few sheep are kept by persons 

 in humble circumstances who have right of common. The hoi'ses are 

 small but hardy. The annual races and the prizes given for island 

 bred horses, have induced attention to the breeding of cart, riding, 

 and carriage horses. 



Game is nearly extinct, a few rabbits and hares, with an occasional 

 covey of redleggetl partridges, being all that remain as indigenous 

 to the soil. During the winter flocks of wild fowl from the north, 

 with a few snipes and woodcocks from the French coast, make their 

 appfarance. La Chasse (the shooting season) commences on the 

 1st of October, and terminates on the 1st of Febniary. 



Jersey is divided into 12 parishes, the names of which, with their 

 respective populations in 1851, we subjoin : — St. Clement, population 

 1553, St. Saviour, 3404, and St. Helier, 29,133 (with 511 military in 

 barracks), to the east and south-east of St. Helier Bay ; with St. 

 Laurens, 2306, St. Peter, 2497, and St Brelade, 2468, to the north- 

 west, all terminating in the game bay ; St. Ouen, 2458, to the west ; 

 St. Slary, 10S6, St. John, 1021, and Trinity, 2610, to the north ; St. 

 Martin, 3711, and Grouville, 3262 (including 519 sailors on board the 

 oyster fleet in Gorey harbour), to the east. All the parishes rim 

 from the interior to the coasts, except St. Clement and Grouville, 

 which run nearly parallel to the coast The parixhes are subdivided 

 into ' vingteines ' (' scores '), supposed to be so called from having 

 originally contained 20 houses. Of these vingteines there are from 

 two to six in each parish, and in all 52. In the island there weX 

 57 places of worship in 1851, of which 20 belonged to the Church of 

 England, 24 to three sections of Methodists, 5 to Independents, 2 to 

 Roman Catholics, and 1 to the Free Church of Scotland. The total 

 number of sittings ]>rovided was 25,192. There were 42 Sunday 

 schools with 2242 scholars, of which 16 schools belonged to the 

 Church of England, 13 to Methodists, 10 to French Wesleyau Method- 

 ists, 2 to Independents, and 1 to French Independents. The number 

 of day schools was 99, of which 14 wire public schooU with 1990 

 scholars, 'and 85 private schools with 2938 scholars. 



There are three towns in the island, St. Helier and St Aubiu, both 

 on the bay of St Helier, and Gorey, on the east coast 



St. Helier is situated at the end of a low valley running down io 

 the sea, at the south-east end of St Helier Bay : the population of 

 the town and parish in 1851 was 29,133. The streets in the lower 

 or old portion of the town are narrow, but are generally well paved. 

 St Helier is perhaps superior in appearance to most English towns 

 of the same size. It has usually a garrison of from 600 to 800 

 soldiers, with two permanent fortifications, and a military governor 

 constantly resident It is also the residence of many i-etired military 

 and naval officers. The parish church, built in the Ixgiuuing of tlie 

 14th century, is situated at the bottom of the town, near the old 

 harbour. There are also several proprietary and district churches, 

 namely, St. Paul, in the centre of the town ; St James, in the east ; 

 All Saints, on the parade at the west end ; St. Mark, at the upper 

 or north end of the town ; and St Luke, in the southeast or lower 

 part of the town. There are several chapels for Wesleyau Methodists 

 and other Dissenters, both French and English, and two Roman 

 Catholic chapels. The theatre is a neat edifice, with alight portico; the 

 court-house, situated in the Royal Square, an open-flagged space in the 

 lower part of the town, is a plain structure, too small for the business 

 furnished by the increased numbers of the population. The courts 

 held in it are presided over by the bailiif, assisted by two or more of 

 the jurats, or elected civil magiftratea. The States of the ifland also 

 hold their meetings in the same house. In Royal Square are reading- 

 rooms, and a gallery of art The market-place is a large and well- 

 constructed flagged area in the centre of the town. The market days 

 are Wednesday and Saturday. 



Fort Regent, the principal fortification, at the south side of the 

 town, commands the coast and the adjoining country. It is an 

 irregular fort with outworks and flanking defences, and is remarkably 

 strong; it was finished in 1812, and is said to have cost 1,000,000/. 

 Elizabeth Castle, another fortification, is built on a ledge of rocks 

 about a mile distant from the shore, to which it is accessible at low 

 water by a bridge, or naturally formed causeway, consisting of shingle 

 and sand. It is defended by bastions and curtains, with heavy guns 

 on the lower or sea faces ; and with lamps and revetments on the 

 upper bastions, defended by caronades and long guns. It is capable 

 of containing 600 men. Within the last ten years the town of St 

 Helier has nearly doubled its area. In the neighbourhood are numerous 

 dwelU^ houses, with neatly laid-out grounds and gardens, the residences 

 of the merchants and island visitors. The British reaideuts amount to 

 upwards of 5000, the greater number'of whom reside in St Helier and 

 the adjoining parish of St. Saviour. The labourers are principally 

 English, with some Scotch and French, and, since the commencement 

 of the harbour of refuge, and other works, a large proportion of Irish. 

 Thfi harbour is very extensive ; it consists of the inner or old harbour 

 and the outer or new harbour. The outer harbour, commenced in 

 1341 and completed in 1846, is called Victoria Pier, the Queen 

 having landed at it when she visited Jersey on the 2ud and 3rd of 

 September, 1846. The western arm of the new harbour is near three 

 quarters of a mile in length, with a broad and commodious quuy, and 



oEoa. Div, vot, la 



a raised promenade, with landing steps, and a very broad slip at the 

 southern end, where boats can easily land their passengers at all times 

 of the tide when there is water within the harbour. The new North 

 Pier is very commodious. The whole of the expense attending these 

 works is defrayed by means of a duty levied on wines and spirits. 

 St. Helier has i-egular stands of coaches, as in the large towns in 

 England, which ply for vei-y moderate fares ; there are also omnibuses, 

 which run to different pai-ts of the island. 



Si. a uhin, in the parish of St Brelade, situated at the westei-n end 

 of St. Helier Bay, is but thinly inhabited. The harbour is small but 

 convenient The little town has a very picturesque appearance ; and 

 the prospect from the adjoining height, called Noirmont, is very fine 

 and extensive. St. Aubiu has a pier, and is protected by a battery, 

 known as St. Aubin's Castle. There are a chapel of ease, a Wesleyau 

 Methodist, and an Independent chapel. In the town is a market-place. 



Gorey, is in the parish of St. Martin, although hitherto returned 

 with Grouville parish. It is situated on Grouville Bay, and is built 

 partly close to the sea and partly on the height which rises towaivla 

 Mont Orgueil Castle. The importance of Gorey depends on its oyster 

 fishery. The larger oysters are sent to St. Helier for sale, the smaller 

 are sold and transported to the English oyster-beds. In the neigh- 

 bourhood of Gorey is Mont Orgueil Castle, once the principal fortress 

 of the island. It stands on a head-land between St Catherifle and 

 Grouville bays, and is a picturesque and striking object. It was the 

 place of confinement of Prynne, and the residence of Charles II. during 

 part of his exile. 



Of the villages in the Island may be named Beaumont in St Peter's 

 parish, Conuerie in St Brelade's, Georgetown, a suburb of St Helier, 

 La Croiserie in Trinity parish, Le Bourg in St Clement's parish, and 

 Millbrook in the parish of St Laurens. 



Jereey contains several primeval antiquities, chiefly stone circles 

 and cromlechs similar to those noticed in our account of Guernsey. 

 Scattered over the island are the ancient manor-houses, and there are 

 numerous modern villas, especially near the towns. Every house and 

 cottage, not in a street, has its garden. Myrtles, hydrangeas, and 

 various other plants, which in England commonly require shelter, 

 grow luxuriiintly in the open air. 



Much of what has been said of the state of society and the constitu- 

 tion of the local govenunent in Guernsey will apply to Jersey. The 

 spirit of independence is very generally diffused ; industry, the love of 

 gain, and frugality are characteristics of the island character. Bacon 

 is very genci-ally used by labourers at their principal meal. With the 

 liquor in which the bacon is boiled is made a soup peculiar to Jersey, 

 adding to it some vegetable, usually cabbage, turnip, parsnip, or potato. 

 The people are generally healthy, and many live to a great age. 



The States of Jersey consist of the governor and the bailly of the 

 royal court, both appointed by the crown : the 12 judges or 'jurats' 

 of the royal court (the court of judicature for the island in civil and 

 criminal cases), elected to office for life by the sufl'rage of the rate- 

 payers; the rectors of the parishes, appointed to their livings by the 

 governor; and the 12 constables elected every three years, one for 

 each parish, by the inhabitants. The ofiicei-s of the crown have seats, 

 and can speak, but not vote. The ' viconte,' or high sheriff, and tho 

 two ' denonciateurs,' or under sheriffs, occupy seats in the assembly 

 as its ofiicers. 



The dean of Jersey, who is appointed by the crown and is always 

 rector of one of the 12 parishes, is at the head of tho church of the 

 island, and holds a spiritual court, from which there is an appeal to 

 the see of Winchester. The livings are generally small (the great 

 tithes going to the crown), and there are no pluralities. Some addi- 

 tion was made a few years since to some of the poorest of the 

 livings by the ecclesiastical commissioners. There are two ancient 

 chartered schools, those of St Anastase, and St. Manelier. St Manelier's, 

 founded in 1497, has an income from endowment of about 100/. a 

 year, and had 40 scholars in 1851. Victoria College, St Hellers, 

 founded in 1852, had 130 scholars in 1853. The fonndationstono 

 of the building wis laid on her Maje.sty's 30th birth<lay. May 24th, 

 1849. The cost of it« erection (8000/.), has been defrayed from tho 

 proceeds of the duty on wines and spirits. The island hospital, or 

 poor-house, is a large and handsome building, situated near the western 

 extremity of the town ; in it are placed the aged who ate destitute, a 

 great number of sick persons, and a large number of children, orphans, 

 or foundlings. A good school for the children is attached to tho 

 hospital ; a shoemaker's and tailor's shop is in the building ; in a chapel 

 adjoining week-day and Sunday services are held. The number of 

 inmates in 1851 was 426. 



There are several newspapers published in the island, some in 

 French and others in English ; they are for the most part devoted to 

 the interests of the i.-^land ; the English papers report more fully than 

 those in French political matters connected with England. 



The trade of Jersey, owing to the privileges poBses.-!ed by the 

 islanders, is very considerable. The a^ricultural produce of the 

 island, potatoes, apples, cider, butter, cows, and other live stock, ore 

 sent to England ; the articles required for the consumption of the 

 island being in a considerable degree supplied from France. 



The shipping returns furnished to Parliauieut give the figures for 

 the Channel Islands without di.itinguishiiig the proi>ortions belonging 

 to each island. More than half of the ships and tounago returned for 



