JERBOURG AND ITS FORTIFICATIONS. 261 



Gierbourg et la portirent es greniers de Cornet et montirent* 

 une charge de siegle de divette en la tour quarreie de 

 Gierbourg. Item V sous qui est es bremauxj qui chargirent 

 de la grange au bateilt et le montirent de divette en la tour 

 quarreie de Gerbourg." 



The translation is : "8 sous sterling were paid to the 

 workmen, who discharged a load of wheat from the square 

 tower of Divette at Jerbourg and carried it to the granaries 

 of Castle Cornet, and brought up a load of rye from Divette 

 to the square tower at Jerbourg." 



In this same year, 1372, according to most historians, 

 (I should rather favour 1371), occurred the famous descent 

 of a French force under Yeuwains (Ivan or Evan) de Galles 

 and Johans de Roy, bourgignon. Froissart gives the account 

 of the fight near Vazon, after which the garrison retired 

 towards Castle Cornet, and distinctly says that at this time 

 there was no other fortress in the island ; his words are : 

 §" Depuis cette disconfiture n'y eut riens retenus sur tout 

 le pays, car il n'y a nulle fortriche." 



Thus, at no one of these numerous invasions do we 

 find the Castle of Jerbourg held as a fort ; on the contrary, 

 in every case the garrison appears to have deserted it and 

 joined the main body at Castle Cornet. 



In 1373, Guillaume d'Asthorp is appointed to administer 

 Guernsey, Sark, Alderney, Herm, Castle Cornet and Beau- 

 regard Tower. Now that St. Peter-Port had been enclosed 

 by a wall, Beauregard Tower (at the top of Tower Hill) 

 is mentioned as the second fort of the island ; had Jerbourg 

 been so strong a castle and fortress, it would have been 

 mentioned. 



I consider that none of these documents prove that a 

 castle proper, i.e., an outer wall, with gate and towers and 

 an inner keep, was ever erected on this locality. Mr. Le 

 Marchant, and Mr. Tupper,|| the historian, both agree in this 

 opinion, asserting that the term chateau was applied to it 

 because it was a fortified spot, enclosed by the wall erected 

 in 1328, and trenches outside the wall. Castle Cornet is 

 the only one referred to as being besieged, and as this 



* Miss Carey has " et a Mont Crevelt." This appears to me a mistranscription 

 for "montirent" as in the second extract. 



t Bremaux is an unknown word. ; the accounts come under the head brema- 

 nape, so it must mean labourers of some kind. 



t Grange au bateil=Barn of the boat. Bateil= bateau, just as chasteil= 

 chateau. 



§ Froissart : Brussels edition, 1869, by Kervyn de Lettenhove : Vol. 8, page 140. 



II Page 36 : Under date 1328, " We think that the Castle was never worthy of the 

 name, and that its chief defence consisted of one outer earthen embankment. 



