AN EXCUKSIOX. 129 



which were paid to the Abbot of St. Michel. The rector's 

 income at that time is given at 40 livres tournois ; St. Pierre 

 le Port was worth 80, Sark 40, the Catel 40. But besides 

 this, 400 livres tournois went to the Abbot, for, the parent 

 church, to which St. Michel in the Vale and these others were 

 attached, took all the great tithes, i.e., those of corn, fish, &c. ; 

 the rector only had what was presented to the altar. 



The Abbey, therefore, from the numerous properties it 

 possessed in various parts of Normandy, Brittany and the 

 islands, was very rich, and the monks were able to expend 

 vast amounts in extending and beautifying Mont St. Michel, 

 which is one of the most marvellous and interesting of 

 ecclesiastical structures ; they could also afford to build good 

 churches in the parishes dependent on the original foundation. 



Supposing that at this early date any church had been 

 erected in this district, there are no indications of it ; it has 

 completely disappeared. It would probably have been con- 

 structed of wood, and therefore likely to be destroyed in any 

 of those forays of piratical bands from which the island 

 suffered so frequently at this period. 



Later, we find St. Pierre mentioned in connection with 

 an enquiry into the revenues of the Crown. In this document 

 occurs the " Fief of Notre Dame," which is probably named 

 from" the church on Lihou Island, which was a dependency of 

 St. Pierre-du-Bois, not of Torteval. And here Mr. Lee 

 mentioned that the church on Lihou contained apparently the 

 best carvings and mouldings to be found in Guernsey ; some 

 remnants of them can still be seen inside the house enclosure 

 there. 



In 1358 there was another enquiry, and among prominent 

 men in the parish at that date are named Penouf, De Vic, 

 Adam, ecc. At that time two-thirds of the tithes, 50 livres 

 tournois (£5 sterling), went to the Abbot. 



In early deeds at the Greffe, many confraternities are 

 mentioned in connection with the ecclesiastical establishments. 



In 1031 this Robert the Magnificent collected ships and forces 

 to invade England, bnt was driven by a gale to the neighbourhood of 

 Guernsey, where the fishermen assisted in bringing his ships into a 

 safe anchorage, almost certainly St. Sampson's harbour. Robert then 

 led his expedition against Alain, Duke of Brittany, and compelled him 

 to sue foi peace, which was signed at the Abbey of Mont St. Michel. 

 Both Dukes evinced great liberality to the Abbey ; Robert gave it the 

 half of Guernsey which had belonged to the Yicomte de Bessin 

 (Bayenx), but Duke William II. restored it to the Yicomte de Bessin, 

 although the Abbey retained its four churches, viz., Yale, Catel, St. 

 Sauveur, and St. Pierre-du-Bois, with their tithes. 



