ENGLISH GARRISON OF GUERNSEY. 71 



died in 1323, fifteen years previous to the capture of Castle 

 Cornet. 



The garrison at Mont Orgueil Castle, Jersey, at this 

 period was considerably larger than ours, for from the 12th 

 September, 1337, to the 10th September, 1338, it consisted of 

 the Constable, John de Barentin, eight men-at-arms, 44 

 archers and cross-bowmen and 22 archers and serviens^ a total 

 of 95. These were increased to 120 on the 11th September, 

 1338, and by a petition of the people of Jersey to the king in 

 1343, we find the number had been still further increased to 

 about 300, who, according to the petitioners, were robbing and 

 murdering the people who earnestly desired to get rid of 

 them.* 



Previous to the arrival of Godfrey de Harcourt and the 

 Captains of Bayonne, in August, 1345, to recapture Castle 

 Cornet from the French, Thomas de Ferrers' forc^^. in Guern- 

 sey consisted of about ^0 to 100 men, and after the recapture 

 of the castle it was garrisoned by 10 men-at-arms and 20 

 archers, whilst 12 archers were also placed in Jerbourg 

 Castle, t 



The names of the men in garrison at this period are given 

 on the pay lists of Thomas de Ferrers' Accounts, and are of 

 value, for they show the force was composed of about two- 

 thirds English and one-third Guernseymen. These latter, 

 however, were not trained men of the island doing servi(;e in 

 the castle at their oAvn cost for a temporary period, but bona 

 fide soldiers serving in the gariison and in receipt of pay. 



A few years after this date, in 1 352, we find the first serious 

 attempt made to fortify the island proper by the walling-in 

 of the town, and the erection of a citadel called " La Tour de 

 Beauregard," on what we still call Tower Hill. This we are 

 told by the king's letter was to serve as a place of refuge 

 instead of Jerbourg Castle, which had been burnt sometime 

 subsequent to 1345. J The latter was, however, shortly after- 

 wards restored, for we find in the Accounts of the Receiver, 

 ^S^icholas de la Sale, in 1372-3, mention of the Constables of 

 both Castle Cornet and Jerbourg Castle, showing that it had 

 still a small garrison to guard it.§ It is ciuious that in none 

 of these accounts do we find mention either of the Yale Castle 

 or of the Chateau des Marais. One might almost imagine 

 they had no existence so far as documentary evidence is 



-^ Ancient Petitions, pub. by Soci6t(^- Jersiaise, p. 75. 

 + Bulletin XVI., Soci6t6 Jersiaise, pp. 47-53 

 J Julien Havet, Serie Chronologique des Gardiens et Seigneurs des lies Nor- 

 mandes. Appendix. 



§ Col. J. H. C. Carey's Notes from Record OflEice. Excheq. Accounts, Bundle 89, 

 No. 26. 



