JERSEY. 
m 
a (land in. this bay, and annexed to Cherburg-abbey in 
Normandy in the reign of Henry I. and fuppreffed as an 
alien-priory. The town of St. Helier (lands at the foot 
of along and high rocky hill at the eaft end. If is a 
well-built and populous place ; greatly improved and en¬ 
larged within the lad century ; and contains about 400 
lioufes, moftly (hops, and near 2000 inhabitants. The 
market-place in the centre is fpacious, furrounded with 
handfome houfes, among which is the Cohue Royale, or 
court of judice. At the top of the-market-place is a 
ilatue of George II. of bronze gilt. The market is held 
on Saturday, and much frequented. St. Aubin at the 
weft end of the bayis principally inhabited by merchants 
and mailers of (hips, whom the neighbourhood of the 
port has invited hither. It is not more than half the fize 
of .the other town, though greatly increafed within t'tiefe 
hundred years ; and has a good (tone pier carried far into 
the fea, where (hips of confiderable burden lie Cafe under 
the guns of the adjoining port. The ifle of St. Kelier, 
more to the eall in the fame bay, is in circuit near a mile, 
furrounded by the fea at or about every half-flood. On 
the fcite of the abbey before mentioned is now Elizabeth 
Caftle, one of the larged and ftrongeft fortrefles in Britain. 
Queen Elizabeth began it, and gave it. her name. Charles I. 
enlarged it, and Charles II. who was twice here, com¬ 
pleted it. It was the lad fortrefs that held out for the 
king. It is the refidence of the governor and garrifon, 
and occupies the whole ifle, from whence at low water is 
a paflage called the bridge, half a mile long, formed of 
land and (tones. Mount Orgeuil caftle, called alfo Gour- 
ray from the neighbouring village of that name, lies to 
the fouth of Roi’el harbour in the bay of St. Catharine. 
It was a place of ftrength before Henry V’th’s time, and 
bade defiance to the attempts of the French under the 
conftable Du Guefclin in 1374, at the end of the reign of 
Edward III. It was repaired by queen Elizabeth, but is 
jiow neglefted, yet prelerves an air of grandeur anfwering 
its name even in ruins. The afcent to its top is by near 
two hundred Heps; and from thence by a telefcope may 
be feen the two front towers of the cathedral of Coutance 
in France. The famous William Prynne was confined in 
it three years. The illand is divided into twelve parilhes, 
which are fo laid, that each has a communication with 
the fea ; thele are fubdivided into fifty-two vintaines , fo 
called from the number of twenty houfes, which each is 
fuppofed to have formerly contained, juft as in England 
ten houfes anciently made a tithing. The whole num¬ 
ber of inhabitants is computed at about 20,000, of which 
3000 are able to bear arms, and are formed into regiments. 
The chief officer is the governor, who has the cullody 
of his majefty’s caftles, with the command of the garri- 
fons and militia. The civil government is adminillered 
by a bailiff, affilled by twelve jurats. They have here alfo 
what they call an affembly of the dates : thefe are con¬ 
vened By the governor or his deputy, the bailiff: they 
eonfift of himfidf and the jurats, the dean and clergy, 
and the twelve high conftables. 
~ There were formerly many druidical temples and altars 
in Jerfey, fome remains of which are dill to be feen. The 
cromlechs are here called pouquelays, and there are fome 
tumuli and keeps. Roman coins have alfo been dug up 
in this ifland; and there are the remains of a Roman 
camp in the manor of Dilamant. Chriftianity was fird 
planted here in the middle of the (ixth century, and the 
ifland made part of the fee of Dpi in Bretagne, and it is 
now governed by a dean. Befides the abbey of St. He¬ 
lier, here were four priories, Noirmont, St. Clement, Bon- 
nuit, and le Leek; and above twenty chapels, now moftly 
in ruins. 
During the American war, this ifland, together with 
that of Guernfey, became an object of defire to France, 
whofe vanity, no lefs than her intereft, was concerned in 
depriving Britain of thofe lad remnants of her continental 
poffeflions. The fird attempt to achieve this conqued 
Yol. X, No. 714, 
took place in the year 1779. A force of five or fix 
thoufand men was embarked in flat-bottomed boats, and 
endeavoured to land in the bay of St. Ouen, on the fird 
of May. In this attempt they were fupported by five 
frigates and other armed veffels; but met with fuch a vi¬ 
gorous refinance from the militia of the ifland, aflided by 
a body of regulars, (the 78th regiment,) that they were 
compelled to retire without landing a Angle perfon. 1 
Much difcontent and mutual recrimination took place 
among the French naval and military officers on this fai¬ 
lure; and, though the expedition was reprefented by 
many as ill conceited, and deditute of every hope of fuc- 
cefs, another attempt was refolved on. Both the troops 
and feamen that had been employed in the former expe¬ 
dition were equally defirous of retrieving their honour; 
but they were for fome time prevented from making any 
attempt of this kind by bad weather: and, before another 
opportunity offered, the fquadron which was defigned to 
cover their defcent was attacked by fir James Wallace, 
who drove them afliore on the coad of Normandy, filenced. 
a battery under whofe guns they had taken (belter, cap¬ 
tured a frigate of 34 guns, with two rich prizes, burnt 
two other jarge frigates, and a confiderable number of 
fmaller veffels. Thus the fcheme of invading the ifland 
of Jerfey was totally difconcerted, and laid afide for that 
time ; but was refumed in the year 1781. The condufl of 
this fecond expedition was given to the baron de Rulle- 
court, who had been fecond in command when the forrner 
attempt was made. He was a man of courage, but fierce 
and violent in his difpofition, and feems to have been very 
deficient in the prudence and condufl neceffary for bring¬ 
ing any military enterprife to a fuccefsful illiie. The 
force entruded to him on the prefent occafion confided 
of 2000 men ; with whom lie embarked in very tempef- 
tuous weather, hoping that he might thus be able to fur- 
prife the garrifon. Many of his tranfports, however, were 
difperfed, and he himfelf,■ with the remainder, obliged 
,to take (belter in fome iflands in the neighbourhood of 
Jerfey. As foon as the weather grew calmer, he feized the 
opportunity of a dark night (the 6th of January) to effect 
a landing at a place called Grouville, where he made pri- 
foners of a party of militia. Hence he proceeded witlr 
the utmod expedition to St. Heiier’s, the capital of the 
ifland, about three miles dillant. His arrival was fo un- 
expefled, that he feized on a party of men who guarded 
it, together with the commanding officer, (lieutenant- 
governor Corbett,) and the magidratCs, of the ifland. 
Rullecourt then drew up a capitulation, the terms of 
which were, that the ifland ffiould be indantly furrendered 
to the French, and the garrifon to be fent to England; 
threatening the town with immediate dedrudlion in cafe 
of non-compliance. It was in vain reprefented to him 
that no a cl of the deputy-governor and magidrates could 
be valid while they remained in his power ; but, as Rulle¬ 
court dill infilled, they were obliged to comply, led his 
menaces ffiould have been carried into execution. This 
point being gained, he advanced to Elizabeth Cadle in 
the neighbourhood of the town, fummoning it to furren- 
der in virtue of the capitulation for the town and ifland 
juft concluded. To this a peremptory refufal was given, 
and followed hy fuch a vigorous dilcharge of artillery, 
that he was obliged to retire into the town. In the mean 
time the Britifh troops llationed in the idand began to 
affemble from every quarter under the command of ma¬ 
jor Pierfon, who, on being required by the French com¬ 
mander to fubmit, replied, that if the French themfelves 
did not, within twenty minutes, lay down their arms, he 
would attack them. This being, refufed, an attack was 
indantly made with fuch impetuolity, that the French 
were totally routed in lefs than half an hour, and driven 
into the market-place, where they endeavoured to make 
a dand. Their commander, exafperated at this unexpedl- 
ed turn of affairs, endeavoured to wreak his vengeance on, 
the captive governor, whom he obliged to dand by his 
9 M fide 
