ST. PETEK-i><urr IX r,v(;<)XE times. 837 



In the second year of Edward's reign he ordered that the Castle 

 of Jerbourg, lately begun to be built, should be completed with 

 all convenient speed, for the defence of the inhabitants in case 

 of attack, and after an interval of eight years spent in arming 

 to the teeth, the dreaded event occurred. The assailants on this 

 occasion were adherents of David Bruce, the exiled King of 

 Scotland, who, taking every opportunity of resenting Edward 

 the Third's support of the usui'per Baliol, came hither in the 

 year 133G, and to quote the King of England's own comment 

 upon their exploits — "fell upon the Islands of Guernsey and 

 Jersey, burning, mui-dering and inhumanly perpetrating various 

 other crimes and villainies." Two years of terror passed over 

 after this, during which England and France had openly come 

 to blows, and in September, 1338, the subjects of Philip of 

 Yalois (to quote King Edward again) " invaded our island of 

 Guernsey, committing churches and all other buildings as a 

 miserable prey to the flames, killing every person they found 

 there, without sparing age, sex, or rank, and otherwise injuring 

 ourselves and our subjects." 



From another account we learn that a castle, probably 

 Castle Cornet, was alone spared, in the otherwise general 

 conflagration, and, however much our patriotism may be hurt 

 by the consideration, we must admit that from the date of this 

 invasion, Castle Cornet remained in the hands of the French 

 for nearly eight years, although the English recaptured the rest 

 of the island in October, 1340. The enemy was only finally 

 expelled from Castle Cornet in the summer of 1345, and the 

 sufferings of the townspeople during this long occupation may 

 well have been very great. Three times within 50 years had 

 their homes been laid in ashes, and some means must now be 

 devised for the prevention of another such calamity. 



Accordingly about 1350 an order came from the King 

 for surrounding the town with a strong wall. To this the 

 Guernseymen were short-sighted enough to object on the score 

 of expense, and a second message was sent insisting that the 

 King's directions should be carried out. This is an important 

 event in the history of St. Peter-Port, but it again has been 

 barely noticed by our historians. Apparently no copy of the 

 first order has been preserved, but here is a copy of the second, 

 that of 1351, w^hich recites the other, and is almost unknown in 

 Guernsey, no writer having ever quoted half-a-dozen words 

 from it. It is very interesting, and is addressed to John 

 Mautravers, the Governor, and to this effect: — "We, having 

 heard that our Castle of Jerbourg, which the people of 

 Guernsey had been accustomed to use as a place of refuge in 

 time of war, had been destroyed, had ordered that our Town of 

 Saint Peter-Port, which is a place adapted for such a refuge, 

 shoulfl be enclosed with a strong wall. And, in order to 



