Jersey - the American connection

One historical fact that I heard more than once on Jersey concerns the reasons why a US state came to be named after it. I have friends who live in the state in question, so I thought the story was worth retelling.

During the Civil War, Jersey remained loyal to the Crown, and in 1649 the Bailiff of Jersey, Sir George Carteret, allowed Charles I’s sons, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York (respectively, the future Charles II and James II) to take refuge there. They stayed at the Elizabeth Castle, a landmark located in St Aubin’s Bay that is only accessible from the rest of the island at low tide. Built in the late 16th century, it was for many years the residence of the Governor of Jersey (one of the most famous of whom was Sir Walter Raleigh; he has nothing to do with this particular story but he does have American connections, being credited with bringing potatoes and tobacco to England).

It was while the future Charles II was on the island that he was proclaimed as King by the afore-mentioned Bailiff (in Channel Islands terms, the Bailiff was and still is the chief justice). Although Jersey later had to surrender to Oliver Cromwell, Charles never forgot that Jersey was the first of his realms to recognise him as King. When the Dutch colonies in North America were acquired by England in 1664, he decided that Carteret should be rewarded for his loyalty. He gave him the lands between the Hudson and Delaware rivers – which is how New Jersey came to be named.

Why the Channel Islands aren't French

I’ve just been to Jersey for the weekend – it’s a place I’ve always fancied visiting but I never really got round to going. So when Allison went there on business and I had the chance to fly out and join her for the weekend, I jumped at it. I found out many interesting things about the place, and none of them involve Bergerac.

Officially, Jersey is not part of the United Kingdom but is a self-governing Crown dependency (the same status as Guernsey – which has jurisdiction over most of the other Channel Islands – and the Isle of Man). It has its own parliament (called the States of Jersey) and makes its own laws – including financial regulation, which is why it’s so popular with tax exiles. Although sterling is the currency, Jersey prints its own banknotes (including a £1 note, which the Bank of England stopped doing in the 1980s) and mints its own coins.

Jersey’s actual status with regards to the Crown (and the reason why it’s not French) is an interesting one that has its origins in the Middle Ages. The Channel Islands were originally part of the Duchy of Normandy, and as such their link with England began with the Norman Conquest in 1066. When King John managed to lose his remaining French possessions in 1204, the Channel Islands were omitted from the list of lands he handed over to the King of France. No-one seems to know whether this was deliberate or accidental, although as they were not officially incorporated into the Kingdom of England I suspect it may be the latter. This non-incorporation, by the way, explains why they’re self-governing to this day. An historical consequence of this is that, whenever she visits Jersey, the Queen is informally referred to by the title Duke of Normandy. Going by the way she’s depicted on the pound notes, I’m guessing she’s happy with this arrangement.