CASTLE OOTCXET. 341 



had been Warden in succession to John de Cliveden, when, 

 during the war with France in 1324-5, the king had 

 temporarily deprived Otho of his governorship, on account of 

 his long absence from the islands and his neglect of their 

 defences. 



De Roches immediately set himself to the task of 

 restoring the defences of the islands to a state of efficiency 

 and of remedying the grievances of the people. Of his term 

 of office several most interesting records exist, namely, several 

 petitions of the people of the Isles on the state of their 

 defences, de Roches reports to the king in reply to the latter's 

 letters on the same subject, and a valuable collection of 

 accounts. From these we gather that at the end of Otho's 

 governorship the castles were partly in ruins, absolutely 

 denuded of arms and munitions, the small quantity of the 

 former found by de Roches in Castle Cornet being claimed by 

 Sir Gerard d'Oroms, Lieutenant of de Grandison, as his 

 personal property. 



The people of the Isles urgently drew the king's attention 

 to the imminent danger of the state of their defences, 

 entreating that — 



" the defects which are or shall be found in the castles 

 . . . be made good and put in a fit state ... as 

 we are so near the land of Normandy our enemies in 

 time of war may twice a day cross the seas, between us 

 and them," reminding him that, "in the time of Lord 

 Edward your grandfather ... in default of safe- 

 keeping, the islands were burnt and destroyed and in 

 peril of being lost, and more than 1,500 men were killed 

 by the enemies. And, forasmuch as this is the refuge of 

 your ships of your real power, going towards Gascony 

 and coming back towards England, and they (the 

 islands) lie so near the lands of Normandy and 

 Brittany that there would be danger of their being taken 

 out of your hands ; as for a long time the King of France 

 and his people have shown a wish, and still desire to 

 have them in their lordship, whereby it seems to them 

 that they would be lords of the sea ; for the wmich may 

 it please you to command Sir John de Roches, there 

 assigned your keeper, in whom your people have much 

 confidence for the great care he puts in the safe-keeping 

 of your islands and people, and for his great loyalty, to 

 strengthen your castles, and your fortresses of the islands, 

 as well with arms, as w T ith victuals, with repairs of walls, 

 towers and other things suitable to the said custody 

 . . . . and besides there is great need for it, for the 

 pirates of the sea and their other enemies ; and especially 



