1919.] EARLY CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY. 183 



formerly existed in the archives of the Bishop of Coutancei 

 an interesting document, now unfortunately lost, of which 

 an 18th centurv copy is printed in "Berry's History of 

 Gruernsey," a) and another copy is now in the Bibliotheque 

 Nationals, Paris/ 2 ) It is stated by Berry to have been drawn 

 up by Hugues de Morville, Bishop of Coutances, and the 

 King's officers, but as this bishop died in 1238 and the King 

 only became possessed of the L'Ingenieurs' portion of the 

 island in November of that year, it is more probably that it 

 was drawn up shortly after under de Morville's successor. It 

 is an important document, for it is the earliest detailed 

 account of the Constitution of any of the Channel Islands that 

 we possess. It sets out minutely the respective rights of the 

 King and the Chapter, and it would seem by it that the whole 

 island and its revenue was equally divided between, them. 

 The most interesting clause is that referring to the execution 

 of justice in Alderney. This was also divided, the King's 

 court being held by his prevost, and that of the Chapter by 

 their own prevost, while the six Jurats elected by the people 

 of the whole island sat as judges in both Courts. This pecu- 

 liar constitution has no resemblance to any of those of the 

 Norman Communes, and its nearest analogy is to be found in 

 the charters of Laon, and some of the towns of Picardy. At 

 Laon,< 3) for instance, the 20 eehevins elected by the burgesses, 

 judged all causes of the citizens either under the presidency of 

 the King's prevot or of the Bishop's vidame, according as 

 the suitors concerned were the tenants of the King's fief or of 

 that of the Bishop. 



Sark belonged in the 12th century to the de Vernons, 

 Barons of Yernon in the county of Evreux and of Nehou in 

 the Cotentin. Between 1160 and 1174 William de Yernon 

 gave the church of St. Magloire, the mill, mill pond, and 

 certain lands and tithes to the abbey of Montebourg,^ which 

 gifts were confirmed by his son Bichard de Yernon by several 

 charters. The latest, dated 1196, is interesting, as it was 

 given by Richard de Yernon when in exile in Sark, and it was 

 witnessed by the prevost of his barony of Nehou as well as by 

 his prevost of Sark.< 5 > 



Let us now see what we can trace of the administration 

 of Guernsey at this period and of the powers of the Yicomte's 



(1) " Berry's History of Guernsey," pp. 289-290. 



(2) J. Havet. Les Cours Royales des lies Normandes, p. 165 seq. MS. Lat. 

 10068 fo. U. 



(3) Luchaire. Communes Francaises, p. 170. 



(4) Cal. Documents in France, J. H. Round, p. 317, No. 889. 



(5) Cal. Documents in France, J. H. Round, p. 317, No. 890. 



