discover the historic island

Military History A very brief history of Alderney by Brian Bonnard

Prehistoric Times features) resulted in the French King, Charles the Simple, ceding the province of to Rolfe the Ganger The island was cut off from the land mass of Europe on () as ‘Patrician’ or ‘Count’ in 911, to gain protection several occasions over the previous million years, as the against further raids, provided he became a Christian sea levels rose when the ice caps of the various ice ages and married his daughter. Many years later this resulted melted and was finally permanently separated about in the creation of the , after the 6 - 7,000 BC, some 3,000 years before the gradually and the had been forming English Channel cut off the British Isles from added to the province by his son William Longsword in Europe. Prior to this, the only inhabitants of the mainly 933. His descendant, William the Bastard, became 7th deciduous forests covering the area, were wandering in 1035 and subsequently, in 1066, hunter-gatherers and stone and flint tools and weapons, William I of England. William did not then incorporate going back about 150,000 years, have been found here. the Duchy into the realm of England but retained it as There is considerable evidence of continuous occupation a personal possession, a situation which has resulted for at least the last 5 - 6,000 years, from the late Stone in today’s independence of the islands from the British Age, through the Bronze and Early Iron Ages, in the Parliament, whilst retaining allegiance to the Crown. form of Neolithic Dolmens (burial chambers) and an Iron The earliest known charter referring to Alderney, dated Age pottery, dated around 490BC, excavated on Longis between 1028 and 1042, is the gift by William’s father, Common in the 1960s. It is assumed that the earliest Robert, 6th Duke, of land in to the Abbey of settlements were all in this area. Weapons, tools, pottery St. Michel. This was modified on the original charter, and other artefacts from many excavations here, over by William, in 1042, by exchanging this land, for land the past 170 years, can be seen in the Alderney and in Alderney and Sark. One of the witnesses to this Guernsey museums. document, was Edward I of England. In another charter dated 1057 William transferred this grant of about half of Alderney to the Bishop of Coutances, where it mostly Early History remained until 1568 when the Channel Islands were finally incorporated in the diocese of Winchester on the The Romans used Alderney as a staging post en route direct orders of Elizabeth I. from Brittany to Britain using Longis Bay as their harbour. The old fort, now known as The Nunnery, contains King John, 13th and last Duke of Normandy proper, substantial elements of the fort built about 320 AD to lost the mainland part of his Duchy to the French in protect it. Many Roman burials have been excavated in 1204, but retained the Channel Islands and kept the the area, with pottery of Italian origin dating from 130 title. Our present Queen is still the Duke (not Duchess) - 20 BC and coins from as early as 78/79 and 190 AD of Normandy. All Channel Island men between 16 and have been found. 60 were formed into Militias to defend their islands, but were not required to serve the Crown outside their own As Christianity spread across Europe in late Roman times, island, unless the sovereign was captured by an enemy. the islands were attached to “Constantia” (the modern Small garrisons of English troops were maintained in the Diocese of Coutances) and legend has it that Christianity islands from then until 1930, with reinforcements sent to was first brought to Alderney by St. Vignalis, about help at various times of danger. 575AD from the monastery already established on Sark.

Three centuries later Viking raids along the Channel coasts (a legacy of which is the Norse origin of the names of many of our coastal and offshore rock

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Military History A very brief history of Alderney by Brian Bonnard

The Crown usually appointed someone as Governor or During the “Hundred Year’s War” Alderney was Commander of the islands to represent them. Assizes at captured and looted by the French for a short time in which justice was dispensed, complaints heard and tithes 1338 and the island seal lost. After 1471 Edward IV and taxes collected, were held in each island every few appointed separate Governors for the “Bailiwicks” of years by travelling Justices, sometimes accompanied by and Guernsey, (the latter including Alderney, Sark the sovereign. and Herm), which have remained separate jurisdictions ever since. From earliest times the agricultural land in Alderney was cultivated communally on an open strip system, which survived the English and other island land enclosures of the 16th and 18th centuries. The individually owned plots 16th to 19th Century were marked by boundary stones and any disputes referred Another French raid, by Captain Malesarde of Cherbourg to the Douzaine, the 12 parish officials. Strong measures in 1558, shortly after England finally lost Calais to the were taken to ensure that Crown (or Governor) and Church French, resulted in the island being occupied for a few received their proper dues in the form of tithes and customs weeks until he was captured and sent to the Tower of arose about planting, harvesting, collecting “vraic” or London by a force headed by George Chamberlain, a seaweed for manure and communal grazing of the stubble, son of the Governor of Guernsey, a Catholic family. As after harvest and through the winter, which were adhered a reward, Elizabeth I granted him a 1,000 year lease to, right into the 20th century. on the island in 1559. Later, in 1584, after George A surviving document signed by Henry III in 1238/9 sets got involved with the faction supporting Mary, Queen out the rights of Crown and Church in their respective of Scots and fled to Europe, this was passed to his halves of Alderney and notes, in 13 clauses, amongst brother John, in a new charter, for £20 down and an other things, that the King had a windmill and the annual fee of £13.6s.8d. and started the hereditary Bishop a watermill, each had a court consisting of a rule of the Chamberlain family which lasted until 1640, Provost and six jurats, to administer their rights. These through several vicissitudes, mainly caused by the were in fact the same people and were expected to family’s Catholic faith; disputes with the islanders; and a judge impartially for either King or Bishop at whichever temporary holding of the lease by Elizabeth’s favourite, court was sitting. The courts were held in the open air the Earl of Essex from 1591, (when he lent John in the churchyard and the priest was to be paid “with a Chamberlain £1,000, with the island as security), until pound of copper”. Essex was beheaded for treason in 1601. They left little permanent mark on the island and nothing still bears An “extente” dated 1274 in the second year of the their name as a reminder. reign of Edward I, sets out the various rents and tithes paid to the crown which were valued in total at 60 livres During the English Civil War the island was held by the tournois 9 sols 2 deniers. (£60.46). With few changes Parliamentarians. Captain Nicholas Ling was appointed these rents were still payable to the “Farmer” or crown Lt.-governor of Alderney in 1657 and continued to hold representative in the island in 1666, and many continued the post after the Restoration in 1660 under de Carteret, until the 19th century. (a Jerseyman, the “Fee-farmer” or Governor appointed by Charles II, before his restoration), until Ling died in The Assize held in Alderney in 1309 names the officials 1679 and was buried in the (old) churchyard, near the and court and five of their surnames could still be found vicarage wall. Ling built the jetty at Longis on the orders in the 1989 Alderney telephone book. of the King about 1666, the first residence on the site of the present Island Hall, as the official residence; and the Vicarage was rebuilt about this time.

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Military History A very brief history of Alderney by Brian Bonnard

His second wife was a member of the Andros family Rev. John le Mesurier, son of the last Governor, built from Guernsey. De Carteret died the same year and, in the present parish church in 1850, as a memorial to his 1680, his widow sold the patent to another Guernsey parents. Andros, Sir Edmund, whom Charles II later appointed Governor of New York. Sir Edmund delegated his After Napoleon’s defeat in 1815, smuggling and authority in Alderney to another Guernseyman, Thomas privateering officially ceased, the garrisons were Le Mesurier, also connected by marriage to the Andros withdrawn and the island fell on hard times. In 1830, to family and, after Andros died, through various changes, relieve the poverty a little, the Crown agreed to divide the Le Mesuriers continued as hereditary governors until most of the Crown lands amongst the inhabitants, only 1824, when John Le Mesurier sold the Patent back to retaining a strip around the island coast for military the Crown in return for a pension. purposes. Barely ten years later the French started building large naval harbours at Cherbourg and St. Malo. During their almost 150 year tenure, there were almost The English retaliated with new naval bases along the continuous wars between Britain and the French, and/ S. coast and planned “Harbours of Refuge” in Alderney or the Americans and the Spanish. The Le Mesuriers Jersey and Guernsey. Alderney’s was, after several too were frequently in dispute with various of the changes of plan, to be big enough to shelter the entire inhabitants; the English customs officers appointed by Channel fleet. Much of the land so recently given to the Crown; and the officers of the British garrison; but the inhabitants was purchased by the Government, to still left a great legacy of their presence in the island. The provide sites for the Breakwaters to enclose the harbour; island was granted its own seal in 1745, the Militia was the necessary defences; quarries for the stone; and land put on a proper footing and, for the first time became for a railway to transport it where needed. Hundreds an effective force to repel the feared French invasions. of stonemasons, engineers, various craftsmen and Many batteries were built, a proper uniform was issued labourers and troops for a garrison were brought in from in 1781 and, as a result of the rise in smuggling caused about 1846. The island buzzed with activity, prosperity by the wars with France and the issue by the Crown of returned, the population rose from about 1,200 to “Letters of Marque” to privateers, to prey on all enemy almost 8,000 by 1861 and a huge building spree lasting shipping, much employment was given to the islanders until 1870 commenced. Queen Victoria made two visits and much profit, especially to the Le Mesuriers and the to observe the progress and a tourist industry started as other leading families. A new harbour was built at Braye a result. in 1736, with warehouses to store the smuggled goods close by, between then and about 1750, (now mostly The first breakwater proved far more difficult to build hotels). The Casquets lighthouse was built in 1724 as a than had been anticipated, costs greatly exceeded warning to shipping of the dangerous rocks and reefs estimates and winter storms destroyed at least part of round Alderney. They rebuilt Capt. Ling’s house as the most year’s work. It eventually got to almost a mile in Government House in 1763 and, in 1779 a new private length by 1864, but, after large sections of the outer mansion, Mouriaux House, just across the road for length were damaged over the next year or two, was themselves. They extended the parish church in 1761 shortened to the present 2,850 feet and all work ceased and again in 1790; added the tower in 1767; built an in 1870. The second arm from Château à L’Etoc, to almshouse for the poor, the first public school (now the protect the harbour entrance from the NE had barely Museum) in 1790; refurbished the Nunnery and built the been started and was abandoned. Meanwhile 12 forts present entrance in and batteries had been built all round the island to 1793; built a defend the harbour and the island against attack. The new Vicarage on full complement of muzzle loaded cannon was about the old site 140, needing a large garrison to service both them about 1810 and the and, as a artillerymen final gift to who manned the island, them. Naval exercises were

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Military History A very brief history of Alderney by Brian Bonnard held on a couple of occasions but were abandoned as a earning themselves the names of ‘Little’ and ‘Big’ Courier result of two new ships, including the fastest Torpedo- respectively and played a large part in the island’s history boat destroyer in the Navy at the time, being sunk on for 80 years. Excursion boats came from England and the reefs round the island. Well before the time the France. “Boat days” became important social occasions construction work finished, the “Entente Cordiale” was and anyone who had nothing better to do went down established with France, naval vessels were equipped to the harbour to see SS Courier, the “Mailboat”, come with rifled guns and armour plating, against which in. Taxi and bus services were started to transport the cannon balls would be of little use and the whole project passengers to town. was rendered redundant. The stone trade provided work for a quarter of the male Schools, Catholic, Wesleyan and Presbyterian churches, population when the island was evacuated in 1940, but a new Court house and small prison had been built was not restarted after the war and the later, pre-war, and houses to accommodate the married soldiers and crusher was finally demolished in the 1960s. NCOs, the workers and their families. Many of them and the soldiers, married island girls and stayed after their When war was declared in 1939, Alderney was enjoying service was finished. The island at one stage had a total fine weather and a good tourist season. Most people of over 30 public houses and on several occasions the went home immediately and a Machine Gun training civilians were terrorised by drunken undisciplined troops unit was sent to garrison the island. In a short time, and disputes between civilian and military officials were after Dunkirk, it became obvious that the islands could frequent. The garrison was eventually withdrawn in not be defended against the German armies sweeping 1930. rapidly across Europe. In June 1940 all the troops were withdrawn and the civilian populations given an opportunity to evacuate to England. About 20% of the population of Jersey, 50% of that of Guernsey and 20th Century virtually the whole 1,450 population of Alderney left the islands. Most of the Sarkees decided to remain. Six small The building of the breakwater and forts gave rise, after cargo ships arrived in Braye Harbour around 4am on the government work was finished, to an expanding Sunday 23rd June. The inhabitants turned their animals quarrying industry and the present commercial jetty was loose, packed just what they could carry with them opened in 1897 to facilitate the export of cut blocks and and buried or hid the valuables they could not take. By crushed roadstone, as well as the increasing numbers of midday the island was left with a few officials destroying tourists. A new stone crusher was built in the harbour fuel stocks, disabling vehicles, etc., a couple of farmers area in 1905. Most of the Militia volunteered for the who would not leave their stock and a dozen or so old Great War in March 1916 and 44 men lost their lives in people who simply refused to leave their homes. The the fighting. evacuees arrived safely at Weymouth and about 2 weeks Tourism flourished, the first official, land based, airport later the first batch of German troops arrived in the in the Channel Islands was opened in February 1936, almost deserted island. with flights to Southampton, London and the unofficial aerodromes in the other islands and there were frequent boat services to Guernsey, Jersey, Cherbourg and The Occupation England, many of them provided by SS Courier. Two ships of that name, specially built for the service, served Over the next 5 years Alderney was gradually turned the island from 1876 to 1947. Both were in service into a vast concrete at the same time from 1883-1913, fortress, part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. At first volunteer civilian labour was brought in from northern Europe by the Organisation Todt, but

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Military History A very brief history of Alderney by Brian Bonnard these workers were soon replaced by forced labour, from their profits. Craftsmen would be paid by those mainly young men from eastern Europe dragged from they worked for, whilst the rest of the male workers their homes and turned into slaves and four camps, each would be paid £3 a week and the women 1/- (5p) an holding about 1,500 were built to house them. hour, by the States, out of the sales of the farm produce. Any remaining profits would be put aside to repay the There was no deliberate extermination of the prisoners British Government for their expenses on repairing and here but, inadequate food, excessive labour, frequent rebuilding the houses, a total in the end of £174,000, beatings, poor living conditions, with no medical help which was repaid by 1952. and insufficient clothing, meant that considerable numbers died from malnutrition, dysentery, septicaemia The remaining Germans and the British troops were and pneumonia. A few were shot “trying to escape”. withdrawn in June 1946 and by July about 685 people The exact number who died will never be known. At had returned. The islanders became very unhappy about the peak of the work there were about 5-6,000 slave the way they had no control over their own land and a workers and 3,500 German troops and technicians in committee of enquiry was set up by the Home Office the island. When the island was eventually freed by a in 1947. The end result of this was the “Government small British force and the German garrison surrendered of Alderney Law 1948”, which came into force on 1st on 16th May 1945, more than a week after Jersey January 1949, setting up a written constitution, with and Guernsey were freed on the day after VE Day, the universal franchise for persons over 21 who had been German records and the marked graves found showed resident for more than a year, the make up and election 437 deaths amongst the workers, but many of the of the States and the justice system and the imposition survivors claimed that hundreds more were buried in the of income and some other taxes (for the first time ever trenches where they fell, or, if they died in their barracks, in Alderney). It was thought that the small population their bodies were piled into lorries and tipped into the of Alderney could not be self-sufficient in running the sea off the Breakwater. Many more slaves were taken airport and harbour and in providing the services and back to France after D-Day and some died en route for benefits most people had come to expect in UK. These Germany, or trying to escape from the trains. taxes would be collected into the general Bailiwick revenue funds, at the same rate as in Guernsey, and Some 1,100 Germans were kept on the island to help administered by them. Guernsey would be responsible the British troops clear up the 37,000 mines laid; the in future for providing many governmental functions, miles of barbed wire; the various booby traps; and the education, social services and pensions, health, police, rubble from buildings they had destroyed; and to repair roads, water supplies, sewage, running the airport, etc. as many as possible of the houses. It was December Local rates would be levied in Alderney to pay for refuse 1945 before any islanders were allowed to return. By this disposal, street cleaning and lighting, official building time about 300 houses had been made habitable. The maintenance, States housing and employees, etc. first small groups consisted of members of the pre-war Alderney administration and islanders with useful skills Before the war Alderney only had a small electricity and just before Christmas about 100 more returned. generating station, started in 1936, serving just a small area of the town with direct current and another at the harbour, producing AC to operate the stone crusher Post-War and related buildings. Lighting in the town was either by gas, generated at the Gas Works in Newtown, or by oil It had been decided in England lamps. that the island would, for the first two years, be run as a Communal Farm. Shopkeepers were provided with shop fittings and an initial stock and then had to get on as best they could, replacing the stock

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Military History A very brief history of Alderney by Brian Bonnard

The school was run by two teachers, there were no charges and to resume responsibility for providing State Pensions and no public piped water supply. Some and administering some of the public services. Rising seven public pumps around the town, the principal administrative costs, particularly in running education, ones being in Marais Square and Sauchet Lane, had health and social benefits, the airport and harbour and served for generations. Many houses and all the forts falling tax revenues from about 1994-7, when interest had substantial underground tanks built to collect roof rates dropped rapidly, caused the island to need support water, used for most domestic purposes except drinking. from the Bailiwick general taxation pool, to cover the The Germans had installed a piped supply to many of theoretical deficit between the amount it paid into the the houses they occupied and set up a number of AC general revenue and the costs of the services provided. generating stations around the island to light houses and fortifications and operate their radio transmitters, guns The electricity supply services are well run, appear to and other equipment. From about 1947, these facilities suffer few breakdowns and are more than adequate were extended and consolidated and soon all but the to meet peak demands in the worst weather. Water most outlying properties had the benefit of piped water supplies are generally adequate, despite huge increases and mains electricity. in the daily demand per head in recent years, through the use of automatic washing machines and dishwashers The Germans had removed most of the boundary and occasional droughts. marker stones and the British Government appointed a land surveyor to try and re-establish the ownership of land and create an official land registry. Before the 21st Century war any property boundary disputes were settled by the island Douzaine, 12 elected, unpaid officials, whose Today, education, health, unemployment benefits, responsibility was to see that people obeyed the few pensions, and most governmental services are on a par simple property and agricultural laws and who appointed with, or in some cases such as pensions, better than some of their number to serve on the States. This those in Britain. Individual basic tax rates are slightly work proceeded very slowly and, between 1947 and lower, there is no higher rate income tax and no its completion in 1964, three surveyors were involved, inheritance or capital gains taxes. Domestic rates and two of whom died in office. By then the population had water charges and petrol taxes are considerably lower risen to about 1,650, many of whom were wealthy, not than in UK. locally born and, as the British Empire broke up, included a considerable number of ex-colonial administrators and These benefits more than make up for a cost of living officials. generally much higher than in UK, through the need to import most of the necessities of life and exceptionally In the 1950s and early 60s, a considerable horticultural high air and sea transport costs (on a per mile travelled business developed, exporting flowers and produce basis), with the resulting high fuel costs for bottled gas, to UK markets. Increasing transport costs, a reduction heating oil, coal and electricity. in the boat services and competition from subsidised production in UK and Europe gradually killed this. Several Much of the island’s employment and income over the attempts were made to start light industrial businesses, last 30-40 years has come from tourist related businesses but the same factors and the double transport cost, and the service industries providing building and through having to import most of the raw materials, maintenance work for both locals and recent immigrants. affected these and the only one to survive and prosper In the last few years the small finance industry has has been the Channel Jumper Ltd’s factory, producing made considerable contributions and most recently, knitwear. electronic betting and e-commerce, Despite the 1947 predictions, sufficient have begun to supply tax revenue was generated over most increasing employment of the next 50 years, for Alderney to and revenues. be economically self sufficient, cover all Guernsey’s administrative costs and

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