260 JERBOURG AND ITS FORTIFICATIONS. 



par dedans des murailles de cette fortresse . . . tout 

 l'enclos de Gerbourg ; je veux dire tout le terrain plainforme 

 des coteaux qui joignent a la mer jusqu'a la maison de Guet. 

 Et remarquons que ce chateau etoit (a parler plus precise- 

 ment) une citadelle avec tout ce terrain qui lui servoit d'une 

 esplanade bien etendue." 



From the Calendar of Patent Rolls under date 1351, 

 we have : " To Sir John Mautravers, keeper of the island : 

 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, have ordered 

 that our town of St. Pierre-le-port should be enclosed with 

 a strong wall." 



We thus have evidence that a small garrison was main- 

 tained at Jerbourg during the war which Edward was then 

 waging against France, and that all the inhabitants of the 

 island were in duty bound to defend the place against the 

 attacks of the King's enemies. This was the case in all 

 countries where the feudal system prevailed : all the inhabi- 

 tants were bound to take up arms in case of invasion. 



It is curious to notice that at this very period when these 

 24 witnesses declare that the castle of Jerbourg existed, and 

 when it had been so sumptuously repaired, Guernsey was 

 invaded by a French force under Behuchet on September 8th, 

 1338 ; the enemy burned all the island except one castle, 

 viz., Castle Cornet, and that no effort was made to garrison 

 and hold this fortress at Jerbourg ; the words are : " Insula 

 etiam de Gnernesiaco mediante vorante flamma, excepta uno 

 castro qui ibi erat, totaliter consumpsit " (Dupont, page 268, 

 taken from Contin. de Guill. de Nangis). Perhaps it was 

 on this occasion that the buildings at Jerbourg were 

 destroyed, as reported to. the King under date 1351. 



We have evidence, at a somewhat later date, that a 

 Square Tower was built within the trenches at Jerbourg, 

 the only building of the nature of a castle ever mentioned 

 as existing there. It would serve as quarters for the 

 garrison (if one were still maintained) and as a capital 

 look-out for following the movements of the enemy's ships, 

 and any attempt at landing. It occurs in the accounts of 

 Nicholas de la Sale, King's Receiver, under date 1372-3. 

 Colonel J. H. C. Carey copied the extract from the original 

 documents at the Record Office, and both Miss E. Carey and 

 Mr. De Guerin have placed their copies at my disposal. It 

 runs thus : "Item VIII sols est. es bremauxqui deschargirent 

 une charge de froment de la tour quarreie de divette de 



