262 JERBOURG AND ITS FORTIFICATIONS. 



latter occupied so much stronger a position, why should 

 great works have been carried out at the less defensible site ? 



Notice, too, that we have orders that certain work 

 should be done, none say that it was done. 



Passing on to much later times. The present Lord De 

 Saumarez found, among the C ottoman manuscripts in the 

 British Museum, a map or bird's-eye view of Guernsey, 

 Herm and Sark, taken in the reign of Henry VIII; this, 

 Miss E. Carey exhibited to the members of this Society. 

 On this map Castle Cornet is marked as the principal fortress, 

 the next in importance are Ivy Castle and the Vale Castle, 

 then one at the Becquet, overlooking Fermain Bay ; smaller 

 stations or towers are marked at Beauregard and Jerbourg. 



Then in Queen Elizabeth's reign the fortifications of 

 Guernsey were once more overhauled, but no mention is 

 made of any works at Jerbourg; Castle Cornet was very 

 considerably strengthened, the main entrance erected and 

 the outer walls built much as we see them at present. 



Lastly, in 1627, when Charles I., urged on by Buckingham, 

 was going to war with France, Jerbourg is mentioned in the 

 Acts of the States, pages 88, 100 and 144, thus : " Que 

 tous ceulx qui ont des charettes feront chacun une journee 

 de charoy de pierres tant pour le bouchement du Havre 

 que pour le Chateau de Jerbourg," and in 1629 the island 

 was taxed in money and in labour for said fortifications of 

 Jerbourg, " du consentement du Lieutenant-Colonel Peperel, 

 principal ingenieur de sa Majeste, envoy e expres en cette 

 ile pour faire faire les dites fortifications." 



Even to the present day Miss E. Carey assures me 

 that there are persons in St. Martin's parish who have to 

 pay chef-rents of oats to keep in repair the famous Castle 

 of Jerbourg. 



I consider this justifies me in saying that similarly in 

 1627 and 1629 the money and works were expended on a 

 non-existent castle, for if it stood up to 1629 surely some 

 records or ruins of it could be found. My view is borne out 

 by the contemptuous expression used by Heylin who visited 

 Guernsey as chaplain to the Earl of Danby, in March, 1629. 

 In his Survey he says : " The flourishing beauty of the 

 Castle (Cornet) ; I say the Castle, as it may so be called by 

 way of eminency; that in the Vale, and those poorer trifles 

 all along the coasts not any way deserving to be spoken of."* 



Turning now to the spot itself and collecting the 

 evidence still extant there, we find : — 

 * Tupper, page 219. 



