8;U ST. i'ETEu-]M)ur IN iJvrjoxK riMKs. 



eastwards, the other on his right, /.6'., southward. Between the 

 two rises a rocky islet, well sheltering the little harbour; to the 

 right and left close in shore are masses of rock forming natural 

 breakwaters, so that the place is easy of access in almost any 

 wind ; and once entered, a boat may be run on the beach and 

 left in perfect safety. 



The only rival to this haven lies two miles to the north, 

 where a narrow inlet cuts olV a small island from the rest of 

 Guernsey. This was also used by the ancient mariner of the 

 period. St. Sampson sailed into this port and founded his 

 church on the southern shore ; but though safer when once 

 attained, the strong tides sweeping across its mouth made the 

 entrance dangerous ; so the southern harbour, aH'ordi ng a safe 

 sheltered anchorage as well as convenient space for beaching 

 boats, gained the preference among a population depending 

 largely upon the sea for its food supply. 



And now, when do we get the first trustworthy mention of 

 St. Peter-Port in history ? At the accession of William, 

 afterwards the Conqueror, to the Dukedom of Normandy, in 

 1035, the eastern half of Guernsey, comprising, of course, St. 

 Peter- Port, l^elonged to a Norman baron, Neel, Yicomte de St. 

 Sauveur, a loyal .and faithful servant of the Dukes, his masters. 

 In about 1040 the Yicomte died, and w^as succeeded by his son, 

 another Neel, who far from following in his father's footsteps, 

 joined in a revolt against Duke William. In consequence of 

 his rebellion, his possessions w ere forfeited to the Ducal Crown, 

 and among the rest his lands in Guernsey, which lands subse- 

 quently became the Fief Le Koy. 



In 1048, William gave the patronage of the six churches 

 upon this Fief to the Abbey of Marmoutier, in Touraine, and 

 the first church named in the deed of gift is "Ecclesia Sancti 

 Petri de Portu," the church of St. Peter of the Port. The fact 

 of this church being named first is significant, and although 

 we have no mention as yet of a town, still w^e may suppose 

 that at least a considerable village had already sprung up about 

 the church ; the well-sheltered roadstead having probabh- 

 formed the greatest attraction to the spot in the eyes of a 

 population chiefly consisting of fishermen. Its progress is 

 evidenced by the fact that wdien King Henry Beauclerc, half-a- 

 century later, confirmed his father's gift to the Abbey, he was 

 able to add to it — "a certain water-mill in the churchyard of 

 the same church of St. Peter- Port." 



From this time, we learn nothing more about the place for 

 nearly a century. The isolated and defenceless state of these 

 islands had always made them peculiarly liable to invasion ; 

 but when Continental Normandy was separated from the 

 English Crown, early in the reign of King John, the former 

 friends and fellow-subjects of the islanders, and their nearest 



