president's address. 165 



pirates became more and more severe ; besides, they found 

 these islands a safe place to which to retreat and repair their 

 vessels ; so the native population was almost destroyed, and 

 we find when St. Helier first came to Jersey he estimates the 

 number of islanders at only 40. But when these Danish and 

 Norman marauders made permanent settlements on the 

 mainland, both in Britain and France, and, in extending 

 their territories, made war upon the original population, 

 many of these once more took refuge in our islands, some even 

 may have come over from Britain, and again the population 

 increased ; and, incited by the monks and encouraged by their 

 presence and the building of the Vale Castle, they drove off 

 the pirates and became a prosperous agricultural, fishing and 

 trading, community. Such we find them when the authentic 

 history of the island commences at the beginning of the 

 eleventh century. In A.D. 1030 Guernsey was divided into 

 parishes and, from this time onward, it is repeatedly men- 

 tioned in ancient deeds which mostly recite the gifts, by the 

 Dukes of Normandy, of parts of the island to various barons 

 or ecclesiastical dignitaries. 



