The Jersey Channel Islands have a rich and complex maritime history, shaped by their strategic location in the English Channel, close to both the coast of France and the southern coast of England. Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands, has played a pivotal role in maritime trade, defense, and cultural exchange throughout its history. Here’s an overview of key themes in Jersey’s maritime past:

1. Strategic Location and Early History

• Location: Situated about 14 miles (22 km) from the French coast and 100 miles (160 km) from England, Jersey lies at the crossroads of major sea routes, historically making it a crucial point for trade and military defense.
• Prehistoric and Roman Era: Jersey was inhabited in prehistoric times, and evidence of early human activity includes ancient burial sites and rock carvings. During the Roman occupation of Britain (43–410 AD), Jersey was part of the Roman province and used for trade, though its direct involvement with Roman maritime activities is not fully known.
• Medieval Maritime Economy: After the fall of the Roman Empire, Jersey’s maritime role grew as it became part of the Duchy of Normandy. The island’s position made it a key stop for trading vessels between France and England, particularly in the medieval period.

2. Viking and Norman Influence

• In the 9th and 10th centuries, the Vikings raided and eventually settled in parts of the Channel Islands. The Normans, who were originally Scandinavian but had settled in what is now Normandy (France), began to exert control over Jersey and the other Channel Islands by the 10th century.
• In 1066, when William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy) became King of England, Jersey came under the control of the Norman rulers. This strengthened the island’s maritime connections with both France and England.
• Norman Shipbuilding: Under the Normans, shipbuilding became a significant industry, and Jersey became a hub for naval activity, especially during conflicts between England and France.

3. Medieval and Early Modern Maritime Trade

• Ports and Trade: The medieval port of St. Helier, which became Jersey’s principal town, grew in importance as a trading hub. The island’s economy during this period was largely based on fishing, shipbuilding, and trade with England, France, and beyond.
• Fishing Industry: Fishing was a cornerstone of Jersey’s maritime economy, with the cod fishery being particularly important. Jersey fishermen ventured as far as Newfoundland and Iceland by the late Middle Ages, establishing a prominent presence in the North Atlantic.
• Shipbuilding: The island’s shipyards produced various types of vessels, from merchant ships to military vessels, and Jersey’s maritime industry contributed significantly to England’s naval strength.

4. The Channel Islands in the Wars between England and France

• Throughout the medieval period and into the Early Modern era, Jersey’s location in the English Channel made it a key site of conflict between England and France.
• During the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453), Jersey was frequently contested. In 1341, Jersey was seized by French forces but was recaptured by English forces in 1350. French attacks continued, but Jersey’s defenses, including fortifications like Elizabeth Castle, helped ensure the island remained in English hands.
• Piracy and Privateering: During the 16th and 17th centuries, Jersey’s maritime economy was also intertwined with privateering and piracy. Jersey privateers (licensed pirates), under English authority, were active in disrupting French and Spanish shipping during the conflicts between the major European powers. The island’s strategic location made it a base for such operations, and privateering was an essential part of Jersey’s maritime history.

5. The 18th and 19th Centuries: The Rise of Commerce and Naval Power

• The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815): During the Napoleonic Wars, Jersey became a focal point in the conflict between Britain and France. The island’s strategic location was crucial for controlling access to the English Channel. While Jersey was never invaded by Napoleon’s forces, the island’s defenses were heavily fortified, with new forts like Fort Regent built to ward off potential French attacks.
• Commerce and Industry: In the 19th century, Jersey’s maritime economy became more commercialized. Jersey was involved in trade with the Americas, particularly in commodities like sugar, cotton, and rum. The slave trade also played a role in Jersey’s economy, with the island’s merchants sometimes involved in the triangular trade between Africa, the West Indies, and Europe.
• Fishing and Shipping: The island’s fishing industry continued to thrive in the 19th century, particularly for herring, cod, and mackerel. The development of steam-powered ships also transformed Jersey’s maritime landscape, as steamers were used to link the island with mainland England and France more efficiently.

6. World War II: Occupation and Resistance

• German Occupation (1940–1945): During World War II, Jersey and the other Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by Nazi Germany. The Germans built extensive fortifications on the island as part of the Atlantic Wall, including bunkers, gun emplacements, and airstrips, many of which are still visible today.
• Naval Action and Maritime Resistance: The island was a focal point for maritime operations, both in terms of German naval activity and British naval attacks. The Royal Navy launched several operations to disrupt German supply lines, and Jersey became a key site for espionage and resistance activities. The Jersey Underground worked to sabotage German operations, while the island’s residents lived under difficult conditions during the occupation.
• Post-War Impact: After the war, Jersey’s maritime activity was focused on rebuilding, but the occupation left a lasting mark on the island’s landscape and culture. The fortifications and wartime history are still an important part of Jersey’s maritime heritage.

7. Modern Maritime Economy

• Tourism and Sailing: In the post-war period, Jersey shifted towards a more tourism-driven economy. The island’s maritime heritage is a major part of its modern identity, attracting tourists interested in the island’s rich history and beautiful coastline.
• Fisheries and Marine Protection: Today, fishing remains important to Jersey, although the industry faces challenges such as overfishing and environmental concerns. The island has also developed marine protected areas and sustainable fisheries management to ensure the long-term viability of its maritime industries.
• Port and Shipping: Jersey continues to serve as a key port for the region, particularly for ferries linking the island to mainland Britain and France. It also has a vibrant recreational boating and sailing community, and events like the Round the Island Yacht Race are held regularly.

8. Maritime Museums and Heritage

• Jersey’s maritime history is preserved and celebrated through various museums and cultural sites, including the Jersey Maritime Museum, which highlights the island’s long history of seafaring, shipbuilding, and maritime trade. The museum features exhibits on Jersey’s role in the Atlantic trade, the island’s wartime experiences, and its fishing heritage.
• Elizabeth Castle, which was originally a fortress used for defense during the medieval and Napoleonic periods, also has a maritime theme, as it was historically an important naval base.

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Conclusion

Jersey’s maritime history is deeply intertwined with the political, economic, and cultural shifts of Europe. From its strategic military importance in medieval times to its role in global trade, privateering, and fishing, the island has seen centuries of human activity on the sea. Today, Jersey’s maritime heritage continues to influence its economy, tourism, and cultural identity, serving as a reminder of the island’s enduring relationship with the sea.

What was the involvement of Jersey mariners in the Canadian cod-fisheries and the Transatlantic carrying trade?

It has been more than 400 years since the first Islanders crossed the Atlantic in search of pastures new. They went to plunder the cod-rich seas of the American and Canadian coast. European fishermen were making the transatlantic voyage to the area each year to fish for cod.

Jerseys famous men

A jersey merchant, Charles Robin ,operated one of the biggest companies on the Gaspé coast where he set up the fishing post at Paspebiac in 1767 right after Canada passed to the English.

This included Jerseys lieutenant-governor sir George Carteret, who was the founder member of the royal Africa company which traded ivory, golf and enslaved people in the early 17th century.

People like Captain François Messervy of Jersey who was murdered in 1722 during an uprising on board his slave ship off in the coast of Africa and the Jersey trader Josué Mauger who in 1752 advertised enslaved people for sale in Nova Scotia, Canada, where his business was based were involved in the enslavement of slaves.

Which ports did Jersey ships sail to and trade with?

Channel Island fishermen were among these and by the 1750s they had set up lucrative trade routes between Canada, Europe and America, establishing bases on the Gaspé Coast (eastern Quebec province, Canada. The peninsula extends east-northeastward for 150 miles from the Matapédia River into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.) where they could salt and prepare the cod. 

The earliest harbours known in the island were areas such as Havre des Pas, St Brelade, St Aubin and La Rocque were used as ‘mini’ harbours. There was mention of an apparent Spanish ship taking on a cargo of wheat “in the harbour of St Obin”.

As ships became increasingly larger, Gorey, which is first mentioned as a port in 1274, began to grow its importance and on the year of 1685 Dumaresq map appeared a small pier was shown although a survey, Dumaresq describes as it being decayed. On the map it also appears a simple stone pier at St Brelade. However there were no type of facilities in St Helier at this time.

St Helier was the main harbour that was used for ships to sail and trade with.

What type of goods did Jersey merchants exchange for cod-fish?

Jersey merchants exchanged cod-fish for many types of goods. For example:

• Rum
• Tobacco
• Sugar
• Plantation goods
• Coffee
• Cotton
• Malasses

Jersey seamen braved the ocean to bring back cod fish and oil, skins, furs, sugar, tobacco, etc. 1806- 4,000 tods of wool were imported into Jersey.  In exchange, Robin would load his ship with plantation produce such as sugar, rum, molasses, cotton, coffee and tobacco before sailing across on the third leg of the Atlantic triangular trade route to the Mediterranean, England and Jersey.

To what extend, has the island of Jersey benefitted from its constitutional relationship with Britain and the legacies of colonialism based on a slave plantation economy during the first Industrial Revolution (1760-1840)?

Due to the cod trade and related shipping industry, the spawn of shipbuilding industry with a significant number of shipyards on the south and east coasts of jersey. Initially, fishing vessels for the jersey fleet had been built in the outposts in Canada. This activity then shifted to jersey, with the large scale commercial shipyard starting operation in 1815. In that year, 69 vessels with the total tonnage of 7,519 were registered in jersey and by 1865, these figures had increased to 422 and 48,629, about 80% of the tonnage having been built locally. It is estimated that in the 1860s about 6% of the total tonnage of wooden fishing fleets built in the British Isles had been built in the Channel Islands, mainly Jersey

The best indication of the growth of the economy in the first half of the 19th century was the doubling of the size in population from 28,600 in 1821 to 57,020 in 1851.

Some more important dates include:

1699 – Finally a Monsieur Maillet circa 1750 got the fishing industry profitable.

1766-1842 – Jersey profited by the British conquests in Canada. It almost transformed the Gaspé coast between these years into a Jersey colony.

 By the 1770s there may have been up to 70 Jersey ships and 2,000 Jerseymen engaged in the cod trade. By the 1840s it is estimated that the industry directly employed 4,000 people. Also, many others were engaged in manufacturing goods to be exported to the Canadian settlements.

Then, additional English speaking immigrant labourers, which many were Irish, came to work on the major building schemes such as the Esplanade, fort regent, St Catherines harbour project and the harbour development. The unskilled workers were underpaid and exploited which meant they lived in the poorest parts of town where they were exposed to cholera epidemics of 1832 and 1849. Other nationalities began their print on Jersey due to the work opportunities.

Fun Facts About Jerseys Maritime History

Rope Walk- Behind Jerseys shipyards there were a number of rope-makers and rope-walks (: a long covered walk, building, or room where ropes are manufactured.) This can be remembered by walking along Green Street in town, where you’ll find place names like Rope walk and La Corderie (Rope making in French).

St Brelarde- Record’s from 1810 show that this bay was very popular with smugglers. Large shipments of Brandy and Gin were taken on at the bay to be secretly delivered to the English coast.

Who was Charles Robin?

Captain of a ship working in the Newfoundland cod trade. Him and his two brothers formed a trade. (Robin & Co.) Sold dried cod to Portugal and Spain. He had connections to the Quebec government which gave him exclusive access to the best beach locations near fishing grounds. He died in St .Aubin on 14th June 1824, aged 81.

Jèrriais Maritime history

bete, bait, beita ;dranet, draw-net, dragnet;flie, a limpet, flie;greer, to rig, greidi;haler, to haul, hala;crabe, a crab, krabbi;mauve, a seagull, mar

During the German Occupation, Jersey folk were able to communicate with each other in secret without the invaders understanding the jargon. After the second world war, a boost in influence from the English language became much more popular, and sadly, the mother tongue began to fade away.

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