ENGLISH GARRISON OF GUERNSEY. 69 



the garrison. This may in great measure be due to the fact 

 that both Edward I., before he came to the throne, as 

 Seigneur of the Isles, and afterwards for upwards of 50 years, 

 Otho de Grandison, as Warden, enjoyed the whole revenue, 

 subject only to the charge of repairing the castles and guard- 

 ing the islands, consequently no account was rendered to the 

 Exchequer. 



Covering the period of the reign of Edward III., how- 

 ever, we have many documents relating to the defence of the 

 islands, lists of the men serving in the castles, accounts of the 

 Wardens and Receivers, <&c., &c. Of these one of the most 

 interesting is the report of John de Eoches to the king in 

 1328, which was published a few years ago by the Societe 

 Jersiaise.* From it can be gathered a very clear insight 

 into the scheme for the defence of the islands at the beginning 

 of the 14th century. He reviews the possibilities for defence 

 of all the islands. Alderney, he tells the king, could not be 

 defended on the outbreak of war except at too great a cost, 

 nor could the other islands be guarded from invasion, with the 

 exception of Serk, which was a strong position, high and 

 difficult for a hostile force to enter. The others, owing to the 

 many places where the landing of a force could be effected, 

 might easily be invaded by the enemy. But so long as the 

 castles were well furnished with men, arms and stores, they 

 would not be lost, as the enemy could be expelled by the 

 defenders. Further, the castles could never be left without a 

 garrison, even in time of peace, as at such time they were if 

 anything more exposed to sudden attack than in time of war. 



" Nous ne savions lequel nos sumes de pees ou de gerre 

 mes en la meer nos ne trovoins qe gerre." 



On his arrival in the islands he found a garrison of 50 

 men in Castle Cornet, and one of 30 men in Mont Orgueil 

 Castle, Jersey, who had been placed there by Sir Girard 

 d'Oroms, Lieutenant of Otho de Grandison, and paid at the 

 rate of 2d. per day. Besides these he had brought over with 

 him six men-at-arms. The castles were partly in ruins, with- 

 out arms or stores, and de Roches was also without funds even 

 to pay the men in garrison, so he tells the king that he was 

 leading them on "with fine speeches" (par beles paroles) 

 until he received money and instructions as to the number of 

 men he was to retain. 



" Kar vos chastiaulx ne pount pas estre desgarni en nul 

 temps qe si ensi feut qe vos illes feussent perdieuz par flote de 



* Bulletin XX., Soci4t6 Jersiaise, pp. 289-292. 



