JERSEY. 



727 



liisij. were employed daring peace ; and now it trades 

 " ""*' with almost every country in Europe, and also with 

 America. During the year 1813, there entered inwards 

 7S4 vessels, and 813 cleared outwards, of which 440 

 were in ballast. Those constituting the difference, 79, 

 were vessels from England for oysters, which make no 

 entry inwards, but clear outwards. Fifty-nine vessels, 

 whose united burden amounted to 6003 tons, and na- 

 vigated by 549 men, belonged to the island in the year 

 I'ntil lately, the currency of the island was prin- 

 cipally French, with a small proportion of Spanish mo- 

 ney ; and the amount of specie was about . 80,000 Ster- 

 ling. After the French Revolution, the coin of England 

 came into more gradual use, until, by the gradual rise 

 of gold and silver, almost the whole specie of the island 

 was withdrawn. The established banking-houses, of 

 which there were three, became obliged to issue notes 

 of five and ten shillings value. Others soon adopted 

 the same plan ; and at length no fewer than 80 bankers 

 were circulating notes, from the value of one pound 

 down to one shilling. From the want of coinage of 

 low denomination, they were readily taken ; but the 

 1 inseparable from such an inundation of paper 

 1 was diminished by the introduction of 10,00 > 

 ver coinage by government, accompanied by a 

 against issuing notes of lower value than 

 Mr Colquhoun, in his work on the Wealth 

 ctt of Grtat Britain, computes, that the to- 

 tal worth of the island, as property, is 2,610,030. In 

 this estimate are included the value of the soil, of the 

 public and private buildings, farm cocking, shipping, 

 furniture, and coinage ; but probably the whole is not 

 worth above 2,000,000 at the highest calculation. 

 g, IM> Jersey is under a peculiar form of government, which 



. . some have supposed to be exactly similar to that of 



the British islands. It consists of a court of judi- 

 cature, and an ecclesiastical body separately exercising 

 their respective jurisdiction, but which, together with 

 twelve i amtal4i. and a military governor, are com- 

 bined into an AuemU* nf the filatrt. The court of 

 judicature is composed of a bailiff, who presides, and 

 twelve jurats ; together with an attorney and soli- 

 citor-general, a high sheriff, two under sheriffs, six 

 pleader*, and an usher. The bailiff is appointed by 

 the king, and the jurat* are chosen by the masters 

 of famines: he keeps the public seal, which how. 

 ever he cannot use without the consent of three ju- 

 rats. The clergy consist of eleven rectors and a clean, 

 correrponding to the twelve parishes in the island, and 

 forming a regular ipiritual court, of which the dean is 

 the head. In the awembly <>t tin States, the attorney - 

 aymial and high sheriff are admittnl rr njficio, but 

 haw no vote. No assembly can be held without the 

 governor's permission, who has a negative voice. But 

 by an order of James VI. in council, he must summon 

 the States within 1 5 days if the bailiffs or jurats re- 

 quire it. Likewise he is directed to abstain from using 

 his negative voice, except in such points as shall con- 

 cern the king's special interest. Seven of each class of 

 jurat*, clergy, ana constable*, must be present to consti- 

 tute an assembly of the states, whose business is chiefly 



raising money lor the public service. There are seve- 

 ral peculiarities in the laws of Jersey, of which a code 

 Was compiled by the States in 1771, and sanctioned 

 by the king. Legitimation by subsequent marriage is 

 recognised, and the cettio bonorum of the Scottiih law. 

 The punishment of death is seldom inflicted ; but 

 mutilations are practised: A criminal convicted of 

 forgery, which is not a capital crime, was sentenced in 

 18 It to lose the tip of his right ear. 



Falle, the historian of Jersey, observes, that there are Jerwj. 

 " yet remaining in this island, some old monuments of """"Y " 

 paganism. We call them poqttelays : they are great Antl 1 uities ' 

 flat stones, of vast bigness and weight, "some oval, 

 some quadrangular, raised three or four feet from the 

 ground, and supported by others of a less size. At 

 ten or twelve feet distant is a smaller stone set up on 

 end, in manner of a desk, where it is supposed the 

 priest kneeled and performed some ceremonies while 

 the sacrifice was burning on the altar." The monu- 

 ments here alluded to are cromlechs, which the author, 

 from the quantity of ashes found around them, and 

 their position on eminences near the sea, supposes 

 were altars dedicated to its divinities. Only four of a 

 decided character now remain, one of which is broken 

 down. Jersey had formerly an abbey, dedicated to St. 

 Helier, four priories, above twenty chapels, and twelve 

 parish churches. All the last, which were consecrated 

 between 1111 and 1341, are still preserved, anil some 

 of the chapels. 



Jersey is supposed to be the island mentioned under History, 

 the name of Ca??area, in the itinerary of Antoninus, 

 and to have thence derived its present name. It is said 

 to have been afterwards called Angia, in a grant by Chil- 

 debert king of France in the sixth century. About the 

 year 857, it is affirmed that a certain St. Helier suffered 

 martyrdom here, but how, or for what cause, or where- 

 in his sanctity consisted, we are not informed. Indeed 

 these early notices arc extremely obscure and indefinite. 

 I laving belonged to Normandy of old, Jersey became 

 an appendage of the British isles, when William the 

 Conqueror subdued England ; and it was annexed to 

 the crown, along with those in the neighbourhood, by 

 Henry I. However, the French made frequent endea- 

 vours to recover what they conceived pertained more 

 naturally to their kingdom, from geographical posi- 

 tion, and in the course of the civil wars between the 

 houses of York and Lancaster, they reduced about one 

 half of the island. In the year 151 8, it was visited by the 

 plague, which became so destructive in the town of St 

 Helicr, as to occasion the removal of the courts of justice 

 and the market. About this time the superficies was 

 partitioned among a number of petty owners, whose 

 oppressions and dissensions were such, that Henry VII. 

 instead of himself applying the sword of justice, which 

 might have produced extermination, obtained a papal 

 bull, excommunicating those guilty of intestine com- 

 motions. In the reign of Queen Mary, the island was 

 surprised by a company of Flemings, who probably did 

 not retain it long ; and it participated deeply in the civil 

 wars of Charles I. and his son. From that period Jer- 

 sey seems to have enjoyed profound repose until 1 779, 

 when an unsuccessful attempt to take it was made by a 

 body of French troops. In January 1781, the Baron 

 De Rullecourt endeavoured to capture it by a coup-de- 

 main, with 1200 men But part of his force being 

 wrecked, only 700 gained the snore, who surprised the 

 town of St Helier, took the lieutenant governor prison- 

 er, and compelled him to sign articles of capitulation, 

 and likewise to direct the troops and fortresses to sur- 

 render. But the officers who held the fortresses, having 

 learned that these orders were given by the lieutenant 

 governor while under restraint, refused obedience ; and 

 a body of military, having collected under Major Pier- 

 son, speedily expelled the enemy, though with the loss 

 of their own brave commander Distant 17 miles from 

 Carteret and Bail on the coast of Normandy ; 21 from 

 Guernsey; 75 from Wey mouth ; and 1 20 from South- 

 ampton. Lat. of St, Aubin 49" 12' 59" N. Long. 2 

 10'44"W. (c) 



