The 'Bailiwick of Guernsey' () is a
British crown dependency in the
English Channel off the coast of
Normandy.
As well as the
island of Guernsey itself, it also includes
Alderney,
Sark,
Herm,
Jethou,
Brecqhou,
Burhou,
Lihou and other
islets. The defence of all these islands is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. However, Guernsey is not part of the UK, nor the European Union, but is rather a separate possession of the Crown, comparable to the Isle of Man. The island of Guernsey is divided into . Together with the
Bailiwick of
Jersey, it is included in the collective grouping known as the
Channel Islands. Guernsey belongs to the
Common Travel Area.
History
Rising sea levels transformed Guernsey first into the tip of a
peninsula jutting out into the emergent
English Channel, then, around
6000 B.C., into an
island when it and other promontories were cut off from
continental Europe.
At this time,
Neolithic farmers settled the coasts and created the
dolmens and
menhirs that dot the islands. The island of Guernsey contains three
sculpted menhirs of great archaeological interest; the dolmen known as ''L'Autel du Dehus'' also contains a
dolmen deity.
During their migration to
Brittany, the Britons occupied the ''Lenur Islands'' (former name of the Channel Islands) including ''Sarnia'' or ''Lisia'' (Guernsey) and ''Angia'' (Jersey). It was formerly thought that the Island's original name was ''Sarnia'', but recent research indicates that may have been the Latin name for
Sark; although ''Sarnia'' remains the island's traditional designation. Coming from the
Kingdom of Gwent, Saint
Sampson (abbot of
Dol, in Brittany) is credited with the introduction of
Christianity to Guernsey.
In
933 the islands, formerly under the control of the kingdom, then
Duchy of Brittany were annexed by the
Duchy of Normandy. The island of Guernsey and the other
Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy. In the islands,
Elizabeth II's traditional title as
head of state is
Duke of Normandy.
During the Middle Ages the island was repeatedly attacked by French pirates and naval forces, especially during the
Hundred Years War when the island was occupied by the French on several occasions, the first being in
1339.
In 1372 the island was invaded by
Aragonese mercenaries under the command of
Owain Lawgoch (remembered as ''Yvon de Galles''), who was in the pay of the French king. Lawgoch and his dark-haired mercenaries were later absorbed into Guernsey legend as an invasion by
fairies from across the sea.
[1]
During the
English Civil War, Guernsey sided with
Parliament, while Jersey remained
Royalist. Guernsey's decision was mainly related to the higher proportion of
Calvinists and other Reformed churches, as well as
Charles I's refusal to take up the case of some Guernsey seamen who had been captured by the
Barbary corsairs. The allegiance was not total, however, there were a few Royalist uprisings in the Southwest of the island, while
Castle Cornet was occupied by the then Governor, Sir Peter Osbourne, and Royalist troops. Castle Cornet was the last Royalist stronghold to capitulate, in 1651.
During the wars with France and Spain during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Guernsey shipowners and sea captains exploited their proximity to mainland Europe, applying for
Letters of Marque and turning their
merchantmen into
privateers.
The nineteenth century saw a dramatic increase in prosperity of the island, due to its success in the global maritime trade, and the rise of the stone industry. One notable Guernseyman,
William Le Lacheur, established the
Costa Rican coffee trade with Europe.
During
World War I approximately 3,000 island men served in the
British Expeditionary Force. Of these, about 1,000 served in the
Royal Guernsey Light Infantry regiment which was formed from the Royal Guernsey Militia in 1916.
The Bailiwick of Guernsey was
occupied by German troops in
World War II. Before the occupation, many Guernsey children were evacuated to England to live with relatives or strangers during the war. Some children were never re-united with their families. During the occupation, some people from Guernsey were deported by the Germans to camps in the southwest of
Germany, notably to
Biberach an der Riß and interned in the Lindele Camp ("Lager Lindele"). There was also a concentration camp built in
Alderney where forced labourers, predominantly from Eastern Europe, were kept. It was the only concentration camp built on British soil and is commemorated on memorials under the Alderney's name in French: 'Aurigny'.
According to some reports, Guernsey was the second most heavily fortified island in occupied Europe during World War II with German defences dotted all round the coast and German additions to
Castle Cornet. Certainly, the Channel Islands as a whole were the most fortified area in occupied Europe. Most of the German fortifications still remain intact and the majority of them are open for the public to explore (some having been renovated) with the exception of the Mirus Battery and some privately owned bunkers.
Politics
Main articles: Politics of Guernsey
The States of Guernsey, officially called the
States of Deliberation, consists of 45 People's Deputies, elected from multi- or single-member districts every four years. There are also two representatives from
Alderney, a self-governing dependency of the Bailiwick, but
Sark sends no representative. There are also two non-voting members - the Attorney General and the Solicitor General both appointed by the monarch.
Laws made by the States are known as ''Projet(s) de Loi'' before they are passed and ''Loi'' or ''Law(s)'' afterwards (e.g. ''The Human Rights (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2000''.
A Projet de Loi is the equivalent of an UK Bill or a French projet de loi, and a Law is the equivalent of a UK Act of Parliament or a French loi. Laws have no effect until promulgated by Orders-in-Council of the Crown. They are given the Royal Sanction at regular meetings of the
Privy Council in London after, which they are returned to the Islands for formal registration at the Royal Court.
The States also make delegated legislation known as 'Ordinances (Ordonnances)' and 'Orders (Ordres)' which do not require Royal Assent. Commencement orders are usually in the form of Ordinances.
The Lieutenant Governor is the representative of
the Crown. The
official residence of the Lieutenant Governor is Government House. Since
18 October,
2005 the incumbent is Vice-Admiral Sir Fabian Malbon, born in Southsea, Portsmouth in 1946 and a serving naval officer 1965-2002. His last naval posting before retirement from the Royal Navy was deputy commander-in-chief of fleet.
Each parish is administered by a Douzaine. Douzeniers are elected for a six year mandate, two Douzeniers being elected by parishioners at a Parish Meeting in November each year. The senior Douzenier is known as the Doyen. Two elected
Constables carry out the decisions of the Douzaine, serving for between one and three years. The longest serving Constable is known as the Senior Constable and his or her colleague as the Junior Constable.
The legal system is Guernsey customary derived from
Norman French customary law, heavily influenced and overlaid by
English common law, justice being administered through a combination of
Magistrates Court and the
Royal Court. The legal profession is fused - there is no difference between
solicitors and
barristers as in
England and
Wales: Guernsey
Advocates fulfil both roles. The Royal Court is presided over by the
Bailiff and twelve
Jurats (a permanent elected jury), the ultimate court of appeal being the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
Several European countries have consulate presence in the island. The French Consulate is based at
Victor Hugo's former residence at Hauteville House. The German and Swiss Consulates are based in offshore bank branches of
Credit Suisse and
Fortis MeesPierson.
Geography
Map of the Bailiwick of Guernsey
At , Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands have a total area of 30
square miles (78 km²) and a coastline of about 30
miles (50
km). By itself, the island of Guernsey has a total area of 25 square miles (63 km²). Guernsey is situated 30
statute miles (48 km) west of France's
Normandy coast and 75 statute miles (121 km) south of
Weymouth in England and lies in the Gulf of
St Malo.
Lihou, a
tidal island, is attached to Guernsey by a
causeway at low tide. The terrain is mostly level with low hills in southwest.
Elevation varies across the bailiwick from sea level to 375
feet (114
m) at Le Moulin on Sark. The highest point in mainland Guernsey is Hautnez (363 ft; 110 m), in Alderney at Le Rond But (306 ft; 93 m), in Jethou (248 ft; 75.6 m) and Herm (322 ft; 98 m). Natural resources include cropland.
Guernsey itself contains two main geographical regions, the ''Haut Pas'', a high southern plateau, and the ''Bas Pas'', a low-lying and sandy northern region. In general terms, the ''Haut Pas'' is the more rural of the two, and the ''Bas Pas'' is more residential and industrialised.
There is a
large, deepwater harbour at
St Peter Port.
The climate is temperate with mild winters and cool sunnier summers. The hottest months are August and September where temperatures are generally around 20 °C (68 °F). On average, the coldest month is February with an average weekly mean air temperature of 6°C. Average weekly mean air temperature reaches 16°C in August. Snow rarely falls and is unlikely to settle, but is most likely to fall in February. The temperature rarely drops below freezing, although strong wind-chill from Arctic winds can sometimes make it feel like it. The wettest months in terms of rainfall are on average December (average 108mm), November (average 98mm) and January (average 89mm). July is on average the sunniest month with 250 hours recorded sunshine; December the least with 50 hours recorded sunshine.
[2] 50% of the days are overcast.
The
Casquets, a group of islets, are notable for the
lighthouse facility constructed there.
Parishes
The island of Guernsey is divided into ten
parishes (the
parish of
St Anne, Alderney is not generally included in the enumeration of parishes in the Bailiwick):
|  Map of the parishes of Guernsey. |
Economy
Unlike many countries, Guernsey has not delegated money-creation to the central bank and has instead issued interest-free money since 1816. As a result the government has not had to use increasing amounts of tax revenue to repay debt to the central bank, which has led to low income tax rates, no goods and services tax and no capital gains tax.
Financial services, such as
banking,
fund management, and
insurance, account for about 32%
[3] of total income in this tiny
Channel Island economy.
Tourism,
manufacturing, and
horticulture, mainly
tomatoes and cut flowers especially
freesias have been declining. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular
offshore finance centre for Private Equity Funds. However while Guernsey is not a member of the
European Union the EU is forcing Guernsey to comply more and more with its own rules. As with other offshore centres, Guernsey is also coming under increasing pressure from bigger nations to change its way of doing business in many ways. Guernsey is currently changing the way its tax system works in order to remain OECD and EU compliant. From 1 January 2008, it will operate a Zero-Ten corporate tax system where most companies will pay 0% corporate tax and a limited number of specific banking activities will be taxed at 10%. As a result it is confronting what it terms a financial "black hole" of forty-five million pounds or more according to some estimates which it aims to fill through economic growth and indirect taxation. Guernsey now has the official
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code '
GG' and the official
ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code '
GGY';
market data vendors, such as
Bloomberg, will report products related to Guernsey using the alpha-3 code.
Guernsey also has a thriving non-finance industry. It is home to
Specsavers Optical Group , which manages the largest optical chain in the UK and Ireland and also operates in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Australia and Spain. Healthspan also has its headquarters in Guernsey.
Guernsey issues its own
sterling coinage and
banknotes. UK coinage and English and Scottish banknotes also circulate freely and interchangeably.
Public services, such as electricity, water, and postal services have been commercialised by the States and are now operated by companies wholly owned by the States of Guernsey. Guernsey Telecoms which provided telecommunications was sold by the States in a 'fire sale' to
Cable & Wireless. Wave Telecom, (owned by Jersey Telecom) also provides some telecommunications excluding local loop services. Gas is supplied by an independent private company. Both the
Guernsey Post postal boxes and the telephone boxes are painted blue, but otherwise are identical to their British counterparts, the red
pillar box and
red telephone box.
Transport
Ports and harbours exist at
St Peter Port and
St Sampson's. There are two paved airports in the bailiwick (
Guernsey Airport and
Alderney Airport), and 3 miles (5 km) of railways in
Alderney.
The ''Guernsey Railway'', which was virtually an electric tramway, and which began working on
20 February 1892, was abandoned on
9 June 1934. It replaced an earlier transport system which was worked by steam, and was named the Guernsey Steam Tramway. The latter began service on
6 June,
1879 with six locomotives. This leaves
Alderney as the only Channel Island with a working railway.
[4]
Demographics
The population is 65,031,
as of 2004. The median age for males is 39.6 years and for females is 41.5 years. The population growth rate is 0.31% with 9.16 births/1,000 population, 9.87 deaths/1,000 population, and 3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population. The life expectancy is 77.17 years for males and for females. 1.38 children are born per woman. Ethnic groups consist of
British and
Norman-French descent, Portuguese and increasingly, Latvian. The
Anglican,
Roman Catholic,
Presbyterian,
Baptist,
Congregational, and
Methodist religions are practiced, the most common being the Anglicans and Methodists.
For immigration and nationality purposes the United Kingdom generally treats Guernsey as though it were part of the UK; however, Guernsey is constitutionally entitled to restrict immigration by non-Guernsey residents and maintains its own immigration and border controls.
The housing market is split between local market properties and a small number of open market properties. Anyone may live in an open market property, but local market properties can only be lived in by those who qualify - either through being born in Guernsey, by obtaining a housing licence, or by virtue of sharing a property with someone who does qualify.
Housing licences are for fixed periods, and are usually only valid for as long as the individual remains employed by a specified Guernsey employer.
These restrictions apply equally regardless of whether the property is owned or rented, and only applies to occupation of the property. Thus a person whose housing licence expires may continue to own a Guernsey property, but will no longer be able to live in it.
There are a number of routes to qualifying as a "local" for housing purposes. Generally it is sufficient to be born in Guernsey, or to at least one Guernsey parent, and to live in the island for ten years in a twenty year period. Once "local" status has been achieved it remains in place for life. Even a lengthy period of residence outside Guernsey does not invalidate "local" housing status. More details may be obtained from the States Housing Control Department.
Although Guernsey's inhabitants are full
British citizens, an endorsement restricting the right of establishment in other European Union states is placed in the passport of British citizens connected solely with the Channel Islands and
Isle of Man. Those who have a parent or grandparent born in the United Kingdom itself (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), or who have lived in the United Kingdom for 5 years, are not subject to this restriction.
Education
Guernsey adopts mainly the United Kingdom's
National Curriculum, including the use of the
GCSE and
A Level system, in terms of content and structure of teaching. Children are allocated a primary school on a basis of catchment area, or are allowed to attend either two Catholic primary schools. In terms of admissions however the island continues to use the
11 plus exam to decide on whether a child should receive education at the
Grammar School, or receive state funded places at the independent schools
Elizabeth College for boys, and The
Ladies College for girls or Blanchelande Girls College for
Roman Catholics. Parent have the choice to send children to independent schools as fee payers. For children who are not selected for the Grammar School or colleges, they attend the secondary schools of
La Mare de Carteret School, Les Beaucamps School, St. Peter Port School and St. Sampson's School.
Students may leave school at the end of the term in which they turn 15, if they so wish: a letter must be sent to the Education department to confirm this. However, this option is undertaken by relatively few students, the majority choosing to complete their GCSEs and then either begin employment or continue their education.
In 2001 along with planned redevelopment of secondary schools the then Education Council tried unsuccessfully to abolish this system. Nevertheless there is now a planned redevelopment of state schools across the island, however most of the plan is subjected to securing state funding.
Post
GCSE students have a choice of transferring to the state run The Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre, or to the independent colleges for academic AS/A Levels. Or subjects more vocationally at the islands Guernsey College of Further Education.
There are no established universities on the island. Instead students go to the United Kingdom to receive state support toward maintenance and tuition fees. Recently however, the States of Guernsey Education Department has proposed the introduction of student loans due to the black hole deficit in state spending in 2008, for middle and upper income earners. This has been meet with much opposition by local politicians, families and students who argue that it will deter future students from going and returning from university, due to very high housing and living costs in Guernsey. The department argues that it had no choice but to introduce them. However the decision has been deferred until 2009, with postgraduate funding being restored.
Culture
Main articles: Culture of Guernsey
English is the only language spoken by a majority of the population, while
Dgèrnésiais, the
Norman language of the island, is currently spoken fluently by 2% of the population (according to 2001 census). However, 14% of the population claim some understanding of the language. Until the early twentieth century French was the only official language. Family and place names reflect this linguistic heritage. Portuguese is also spoken by around 2% of the population.
George Métivier, considered by some to be the island's national poet, wrote in Dgèrnésiais. The island's loss of the language and subsequent anglicisation of its culture was due to the majority of the island's children having been evacuated, prior to German invasion of
World War II, returning home, having received an education in the UK during the war and afterwards, speaking English and familiar with English customs.
Victor Hugo wrote some of his best-known works while in exile in Guernsey, including
Les Misérables. His home in
St Peter Port, Hauteville House, is now a museum administered by the city of
Paris. In 1866, he published a novel set in the island, ''Travailleurs de la Mer'' (
Toilers of the Sea), which he dedicated to the island of Guernsey.
The best-known novel by a Guernseyman is ''
The Book of Ebenezer Le Page,'' by
GB Edwards which, in addition to being a critically-acclaimed work of literature, it also contains a wealth of insights into life in Guernsey during the twentieth century.
The national animals of the island of Guernsey are the
donkey and the
Guernsey cow. The traditional explanation for the donkey (''âne'' in French and Dgèrnésiais) is the steepness of
St Peter Port streets that necessitated beasts of burden for transport (in contrast to the flat terrain of the rival capital of
St Helier in
Jersey), although it is also used in reference to Guernsey inhabitants' stubbornness.
The Guernsey cow is a more internationally famous icon of the island. As well as being prized for its rich creamy milk, which is claimed by some to hold health benefits over milk from other breeds
[2], Guernsey cattle are increasingly being raised for their beef, which has a distinctive flavour and rich yellow fat. Although the number of individual islanders raising these cattle for private supply has diminished significantly since the 1960s, Guernsey steers can still be occasionally seen grazing on L'Ancresse common.
There is also a breed of goat known as the Golden Guernsey, which is distinguished by its golden-coloured coat At the end of
World War II, the Golden Guernsey was almost extinct, due to
interbreeding with other varieties on the island. The resurrection of this breed is largely credited to the work of a single woman, Miss Miriam Milbourne. Although no longer considered in a 'critical' status, the breed remains on the "Watch List" of the
Rare Breeds Survival Trust[3]
Guernsey people are traditionally nicknamed ''donkeys'' or ''̢nes'', especially by Jersey people (who in turn are nicknamed ''crapauds'' Рtoads). Inhabitants of each of the parishes of Guernsey also have traditional nicknames, although these have generally dropped out of use among the English-speaking population. The traditional nicknames are
[5]:
| St Peter Port | ''Cllichards'' | (spitters) |
| St Sampson's | ''Rôines'' | (frogs) |
| Vale | ''Hann'taons '' | (cockchafers) |
| Castel | ''Ânes-pur-sà ng'' | (pure-blooded-donkeys) |
| St Saviour's | ''Fouormillaons '' | (ants) |
| St Pierre du Bois | ''Etcherbaots'' | (beetles) |
| Forest | ''Bourdons'' | (bumblebees) |
| St Martin's | ''Cravants '' | (ray fish) |
| St Andrew's | ''Les croinchaons'' | (the siftings) |
| Torteval | ''Ânes à pids d'ch'fa'' | (donkeys with horses' hooves) |
The
Guernsey Lily ''Nerine sarniensis'' (''Sarnia'' is the traditional name of the island of Guernsey in
Latin) is also used as a symbol of the island.
A local delicacy is the
ormer (''Haliotis tuberculata''), a variety of abalone harvested from the beach at low spring tides, although strict laws control their harvesting.
[6]
In July 2006 smoking in enclosed public places was banned, a law put in place to protect workers' right to a healthy working environment.
Sport in Guernsey
Guernsey participates in its own right in the
Commonwealth Games.
Guernsey participates in the
Island Games, which it hosted in 2003. In sporting events in which Guernsey does not have international representation, when the British
Home Nations are competing separately, islanders that do have high athletic skill may choose to compete for any of the Home Nations – there are, however, restrictions on subsequent transfers to represent another Home Nation. The football player
Matt Le Tissier for example, tried out for the
Scotland national football team but ended up playing for
England.
The island's traditional colour (e.g. for sporting events) is
green. The Corbet Football Field donated by Jurat Wilfred Corbet OBE in 1932 has fostered the sport greatly over the years.
Guernsey has recently been declared an affiliate member by the
International Cricket Council (ICC).
Guernsey also enjoys various motor sports. In season, regular races take place on the sands on Vazon beach on the west coast. Le Val des Terres, a steeply winding road rising south from St Peter Port to Fort George, is often the focus of both local and international
hill-climb races. In addition, the 2005 and 2006 World Touring Car Champion
Andy Priaulx is a Guernseyman.
The
racecourse on
L'Ancresse Common was re-established in 2004, and races are held on most
Bank Holidays, with competitors from Guernsey as well as Jersey, France and the UK participating.
Famous Guernsey people
The following famous people were born in Guernsey:
★
James Saumarez (1757-1836), Vice Admiral of the Blue and first Baron de Saumarez
★ Sir
Isaac Brock (1769-1812), hero of Upper Canada
★
Thomas de la Rue (1793-1866), printer and stationer
★
William Le Lacheur (1802-1863), sea captain and merchant
★
Warren de la Rue (1815-1889), astronomer and chemist
★
Jean Thomas Corbet (1837-1927), wealthy quarrier of granite at the Catelain and Corvee sites
★
William Corbet (1866-1956), horticulturalist known as the "Melon King"
★
Roy Dotrice (born 1923), actor; and his daughters, actresses
Michele Dotrice (born 1948) and
Karen Dotrice (born 1955)
★
Gerald Basil Edwards (1899-1976), author of ''
The Book of Ebenezer Le Page''
★
Wilfred Hansford Gallienne (1897-1956), British Ambassador to
Cuba
★
Arthur Maurice Hocart (1883-1939),
anthropologist
★
Barry Jones (1893–1981) Actor
★
Andrew Lawrence-King (born 1959), baroque harpist, director of
The Harp Consort
★
George Métivier, the island's national poet
★
Sarah Montague (born 1966), BBC journalist and news presenter
★
Matthew Le Tissier (born 1968), retired
Southampton FC and
England footballer
★
Andy Priaulx (born 1974), motor racing driver and reigning
World Touring Car Champion for
BMW Team UK
★
Ronnie Ronalde,
music hall performer famous for his
singing,
whistling,
yodelling, and imitations of bird song was not born in Guernsey, but lived there for a number of years; he owned the then
four-star St Martin's hotel, which at that time was known as Ronnie Ronalde's Hotel. A great number of famous figures visited here from the
1960s to the
1980s
★
John Savident (born 1938), actor in ''
Coronation Street''
★
Oliver Reed (1938-1999), actor in ''
Gladiator'' and ''
Oliver!''. Reed lived in Guernsey for many years although was not born there.
★
John Le Mesurier (1912-1983), actor in ''
Dad's Army''. Le Mesurier lived in Guernsey for the majority of his life, although he was not born there.
★
Gary John Smith (1971-), swimmer competed in ''
1986 Commonwealth Games''. Though born in Guernsey, Gary now lives in Essex.
★
Len Duquemin, footballer played for Tottenham Hotspur early 1950s
★
Peter Root (born 1978), artist. Recently exhibited artwork in conjunction with the Saatchi Gallery.
[4]
Gallery
References
1. ''Folklore of Guernsey'' by Marie de Garis (1986)
2. http://www.metoffice.gov.gg/index1024.html Meteorological Observatory
3. CIA World Factbook [1]
4. Notes on the Railway taken from ''The Railway Magazine'', September 1934 edition
5. ''Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernésiais''
6. http://www.goodfoodguernsey.gg/fromthesea/ormer.aspx
External links
★
States of Guernsey - official government site
★
VisitGuernsey/ Guernsey Tourism
★
BBC Guernsey - features and news
★
This Is Guernsey - information and news from Guernsey Press and Star
★
The Guille-Allès Library - public library
★
The Priaulx Library - local studies library
★
Map of Guernsey
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