OUR HEREDITARY GOVERNORS. 



BY LIEUT.-COL. T. W. M. I)E GUERIN. 



We are apt to forget that in the middle ages the government 

 of the Channel Islands differed much from ours at present. 

 For over two hundred and seventy years, from 1200 to 1471, 

 there was but one Governor, except in a few isolated cases, 

 for all the Islands, whu was usually styled " custos " keeper 

 or warden, and whose powers were much greater than those 

 of our modern Lieutenant-Governors. During the 13th cen- 

 tury, for instance, not only was the Warden the military 

 governor of the Isles, but he was also the Bailiff, the 

 President of our Royal Court — a combination of offices by 

 no means peculiar to our Islands, but also to be found in many 

 of the free towns, bastides or bourgades of Gascony, as well as 

 employed by Edward I. after the conquest of Wales. The 

 constables of the castles which he built to keep the Welsh 

 in check, being also cx-officio the mayors of the free towns 

 that grew up round them. As onr Warden was always a 

 great baron and often held high posts at Court, and some- 

 times even acted as Seneschal of Gascony, as well as Governor 

 of the Isles, he was frequently absent, and then his powers 

 were exercised by his lieutenants, two officers of his own 

 appointment, usually one for each island. It was only as late 

 as 1292 that the bailiffship of the Islands became permanently 

 separated from the office of Governor, William de Saint 

 Remy being the first Bailiff of Guernsey by Royal Patent. 



Our early Governors usually held their office for an 

 annual sum, or farm, paid to the crown, which varied in 

 amount considerably from time to time. Occasionally we find 

 the Islands granted to prominent persons as a reward for their 

 services to the king on a different tenure. These enjoyed the 

 whole of the surplus royal revenue, after paying for the 

 garrisons and repairs of the royal castles in time of peace. 

 The Islands were held in this manner by Henry de Trubleville, 

 1233 to 1240, Otho de Grandison, 1275 to 1328, and Edmund 

 Duke of York, 1396 to 1415. The first with title of Lord of the 

 Isles and the two latter with only that of Warden. Again at 

 other times the Channel Islands were given in appanage 

 to Royal Princes. First to Prince Edward, afterwards 

 [1910.] 



