1019.] jEARLY CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY. J8l 



It would seem that in the year 1177, and for how long 

 previously we know not, both Guernsey and Jersey had 

 formed one administrative unit, for we find in the Great Roll 

 of 1180 (1 > the heirs of William de Courcy accounting for 200 

 livres angevin, for the arrears of the farm of the Channel 

 Islands (de Insulis) through Robert d'Agneaux, who probably 

 had acted as their father's deputy in the Isles. He also 

 accounted for certain measures of wheat he had received from 

 the islands, according to the measure of Caen. William de 

 Courcy was dapifer or Seneschal of Normandy, and one of 

 the favourite Ministers of Henry II. He was head of this 

 great Norman family and died, as Robert de Torigni 

 tells us, in the year 1177. (2) It is obvious that 

 such a great baron, one of the chief judges of 

 the King's Court, can never have personally attended to 

 the duties of chief of the administration of the Channel 

 Islands, but that these duties were performed by a deputy, the 

 Robert d'Agneaux above-mentioned. In the same Rolls of 

 1180 we find that after William de Courcy 's death the admi- 

 nistration of the Channel Islands was divided. Jersey was 

 divided into three districts or, as they are called, 

 ministerial namely, Groceium, farmed by Roger Godel, 

 Crapout Doit, by Richard Burnulf, and Gorroic by the same 

 Gilbert de la Hougue, whom we have seen was Vicomte of 

 Guernsey in 1179. What title these Jersey ministri bore we 

 know not, neither do we know what were their relations to 

 each other, or whether, for judicial purposes at least, there was 

 one central local justice, or if each unit was distinct and 

 was responsible to the Duke for all purposes. The entries on 

 the Rolls of 1180 rather point to the latter, for we find each 

 fermor accounting separately for the whole revenue of his 

 district, for the fines of the old pleas, the chattels of criminals, 

 the escheated lands of felons, and for fines inflicted on them- 

 selves or their deputies for maladministration of justice in 

 their own districts. These all point to three separate admini- 

 strative units rather than to a central local authority for the 

 administration of justice for the whole island. W 



(1) Stapleton. Rot. Scacc. Norman niae L, xcv., ii. 



(2) Stapleton. Mag. Rot. Scacc. Norm. I., xcv. 



(3) Stapleton, Mag. Rol. Seacc. Norm. I., p. 25-26. 



(4) Stapleton Mag : Rot : Scacc : Norman I., 25-26. 



R-ogerus Godel reddit compotum de nova firma ministerii de 



Groceio in Insula de Grersui Idem reddit compotum de xij lib. 



et xv sol. de remanente veterum misericordiarum Idem reddit 



compotum de c. sol. quia interfuit concordie de meiliaimato 



Robertus Alius "Vital reddit compotum de 1. sol. remanente finis 

 pro catallis fratris sui mortui usurarii 



