Jersey Local history topics
CHANNEL ISLANDS
Battle of Jersey
Jersey lies close to France, while owing
allegiance to the English sovereign. As England and France have frequently been
at war during the last thousand years, Jersey’s position has made her
vulnerable, particularly around the coast of Grouville nearest to France.
In the 14th, 15th and 16th
centuries, there were eight planned attacks on Jersey by the French. Only one
of these succeeded (in 1461) when Pierre de Breze came to the island; his brief
success was ended when the Admiral and his fleet arrived in 1468. The most
serious threat to the Island came in 1781, and it was this invasion that led to
the Battle of Jersey.
The French and English were at war, and the
French thought that the capture of Jersey would be a good military (or
political) move. Baron de Rullecourt landed at La Rocque, early on January 6th.
He and his army were unchallenged as they moved towards St Helier: those
responsible for coast defence at La Rocque had concentrated on their Christmas
festivities and were not at their posts.
De Rullecourt and his small army marched into
St Helier and took over the Market Place (now the Royal Square). He ordered the
Island’s Lieutenant-Governor (Moses Corbet) to surrender; Corbet was deceived
by the Baron’s description of his army and he believed there were thousands of
trained men who had overthrown the town and would soon take the whole island.
He surrendered.
Jerseymen were not so easily beaten. Captain
Mulcaster at Elizabeth Castle had refused to surrender. Major Peirson marched
his regiment to the edge of the town, joined up with other confused groups of
soldiers who had been told not to fight, and led his army down from Gallows
Hill (Westmount).
The Battle of Jersey took place in the Royal
Square. It was short but fierce, and both military leaders were fatally wounded
in the fighting. As Peirson died, Lieutenant Dumaresq urged the saddened
soldiers to finish off the battle. Jersey had survived an invasion force, and
retained her independence
The painting
of The death of Major Peirson
There is no evidence that the artist John
Singleton Copley (1738-1815) ever visited Jersey. His painting of the climax of
the Battle of Jersey is well-known within the Island, but only occasionally
does it receive wider interest. A copy was painted by William Holyoake
(1834-94); this was purchased by the Island in 1866, and hangs in the Royal
Court. The original painting is in the care of the Tate Gallery.
Other
invasions
La Croix de la Bataille,
at the top of Grouville Hill, commemorates a more mercenary invasion in the
fifteenth century. A Spanish nobleman made his career looting and plundering
coastal areas. He landed in 1406 at St Helier Hermitage. His men were involved
in fights and skirmishes which were inconclusive until after the last battle
which was fought on the top of Grouville Hill, giving it the name of Blood
Hill.
There have been other attempts to land in
Jersey. Les Minquiers is
the local name for an area of islets and rocks to the south of Jersey. At low
water the area exposed is larger than Jersey, but at high tide, there remains a
much smaller area, with a small group of houses. These were used as a base for
Jersey fishermen. There has often been argument over ownership of this area,
resulting in a ruling by the International Court of Justice in 1953 that the
Minquiers are part of Jersey; they are included in the parish of Grouville
Following de Rullecourt’s landing at La
Rocque, the next foreign invasion force would be the German army, who stayed
for 5 years in what became known as The Occupation
(1940 – 1945).
Look out for
v Streets
named after Major Peirson and Captain Mulcaster
v The
1781 war memorial in the churchyard of Grouville parish church
v The
plaque which marks the spot where the invaders landed in 1781
v The
illustration on the Jersey £10 note, depicting the Battle of Jersey
v The
memorial at the top of Grouville Hill for the battle in 1406
v The
stone in the Town Church marking Peirson’s burial
v Marks
of cannon balls on the building of the Peirson Pub
v Postage
stamps of Copley’s painting
◄ Select
a different Topic or Parish