1918.] QUAKERISM IN GUERNSEY. 119 



were then fighting for France against England) and they 

 treated us worse than any of the French had done. 



" Early in 1780 we were exchanged for other prisoners and 

 were taken to Nantes where three transports were awaiting us. 

 When we arrived at Castle Cornet there were several King's 

 vessels lying at anchor in the roads. For fear of being ' pressed ' 

 on board a man of war and thus forcibly be made to join the 

 Royal Navy some of the prisoners hoisted the long boat and 

 prepared to land surreptitiously, taking two French sailors with 

 them, and promising to send the boat back." Why they did 

 this was, that once on shore no press gang could touch them, as 

 one of the Islanders' most treasured privileges was immunity 

 from press gangs, but on the sea they were no longer secure, 

 unless indeed they could show that they were already employed 

 in privateering. " As the boat did not return, a great uproar 

 took place, for a King's Cutter was sighted coming towards us, 

 and one of the prisoners pointed a swivel gun at her and 

 threatened to shoot if she came any nearer. So the Cutter 

 turned back and reported the mutinous state we were in. But 

 meanwhile the first boat had landed and made known that 

 many Gruernseymen were on board, so that relations on shore 

 went to the Governor (Colonel Brown) and an order came for 

 us all to be landed peaceably, and I at length found myself on 

 shore being welcomed by my mother and brother and friends. 



"At our grandfather Blondel's death in 1775 my brother 

 was 17 and I not 15, but as our mother well understood the 

 clock and watch business my brother worked under her. His 

 religious opinions soon made him bear his testimony against 

 wars and fightings, he being of age to serve in the Militia, there 

 being a strict law to that effect. Expecting to be sent to 

 prison for non-compliance at one time he put his night-cap in 

 his pocket as he started for the Court, but the law proceedings 

 were stopped in an extraordinary manner." 



In the Records at the Greffe we find that Thomas Andre 

 Naftel was brought before the Court on two occasions by 

 Captain Michael Robinson, his Company Commander, for not 

 being under arms on April 5th and April 18th, 1779, for 

 which offences he was fined 3 and 6 livres tournois respec- 

 tively as well as the costs of the actions ; but it does not 

 appear that any further proceedings were taken against him. 



" I now joined the clock-making business, for my brother 

 had just come back from London where he had been for a few 

 months in order to improve himself in the business. He was 

 now recognised as a Quaker and the persecution against him 

 for refusing to bear arms was abated. 



