68 



FEUDALISM IX GUERNSEY. 



except from the Abbot of Mont St. Michel's manors of 

 the Clos du Vale, and Lihon, and from Matthew de 

 Saumarez's fief of Jerbourg ; also the right of chase through- 

 out the whole island. 



Sausmarez Manor, St. Martin's, originally the Fief of 

 Jerbourg, was held by grand serjeantry of acting as the 

 third butler to the king whenever he should visit the island. 

 Undoubtedly this tenure places it in the first rank of Guernsey 

 manors, but why the seigneur was to act as third butler 

 is puzzling, for it is the only manor mentioned in the Extente 

 of 1331 as held by serjeantry of butlership. The seigneur 

 owed suit at the three Chief Pleas, and held the Castle of 

 Jerbourg, built on his lands, about 1327, by the people of the 

 island. This castle was granted to .Matthew de Sausmarez by 

 Edward III., in 1 330, on condition " that the men of the 

 commonalty of the said island shall be received there with 

 their goods and chattels in time of war." * 



He had also right of court for his tenants, held by his 

 vavassors under his prevot, " who would execute his justice for 

 him, and owed him certain spurs valued twelve sols tournois," 

 t as well as " wreck of the sea on his fief, free warren, right 

 of chase, and his windmill, to which his men ought to bring 

 timber and millstones at their own cost." 



The Fief of Anneville was held by petty serjeantry of 

 keeping the king's prisoners convicted of minor- offences. 

 The seigneur owed suit of court at the Chief Pleas, and had 

 right of free warren by grant of Prince Edward (afterwards 

 Edward I.), 9 June, 1261. 



The manors of Rohais and of La Refrerie at St. 

 Andrew's, were also held by petty serjeantry of keeping the 

 king's prisoners. The other military fiefs of Bruniaux, St. 

 Martin's ; Mauxmarquis, St. Andrew's ; Bruniaux de Ner- 

 mont, Vale ; Vaugrat, des Philippes, Canelly and Fantome, 

 were held in common with the above by homage, relief and 

 suit of court, with right of court for their tenants and of 

 chase. 



It is probable that most if not all of the military fiefs 

 had also the right of colombier, or the cherished privilege of 

 possessing a dovecot standing as an isolated tower. The 

 remains of two such buildings exist, one at Le Colombier, 

 Torteval, originally the dovecot of the Fief au Canelly, and 



*In 1811, the Governor, Sir John Doyle, issued an order to Mr. Matthew de 

 Sausmarez, Seigneur of Sausmarez, saying that as he had been shown documents 

 proving that he was warden of the Castle of Jerbourg from the earliest times, he 

 should take command of the peninsula of Jerbourg in case of invasion. 



t Special Publication Societe Jersiaise, 1902, pp. 91-94. 



