Guernsey Fief System - Resources

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 Click Here - An unknown book & chapter details Jersey's fiefs and argues for their noble nature 

Click Here - The Seigneur d'Anneville (Guernsey) provides this scholarly research from Guernsey Ancestry

Click Here - A blog post lists royal visits to the Channel Islands and the homage paid in-person by seigneurs 

Click Here - A look at the Fief de Blanchelande (Guernsey) helps us understand fiefs in general 

Click Here - Digression into now abandoned coronation traditions residual from English holdings in France 

Click Here - Seignorial Rights (Abolition) (Jersey) Law 1966 - legal act removing most fief rights in Jersey

Click Here - The Seigneur d'Anneville (Guernsey) maintains this widely focused website - grail connection?!

Click Here - Feudalism in Guernsey, by De Guerin is reproduced here - big file - use CTRL+F then "Feudalism" 

Click Here - Chief Pleas in Guernsey is photographed in full - including seigneurs paying homage   

Click Here - Some incredibly helpful soul posted this map of Guernsey fiefs - accuracy not verified

Click Here - Guernsey Legal Resources website - all documents related to the word "fief"

Click Here - A handy legend is provided for the map referenced directly above

Click Here - The Baronage Press website is a helpful (albeit out of date) resource for students of feudal titles

Click Here - The Guernsey Royal Court provides helpful links regarding seigneurs, fiefs and Chief Pleas

Click Here - Guernsey provides this explanation of the abolition of conge - true for all except for fief sales

Click Here - The Seigneur of Blondel maintains a large reference website - lots of material here

Click Here - Legal opinion exploring traditional seigneurial rights to foreshore - related to Les Pas settlement

Click Here - A letter to the editor detailing Richard Falle's objections to HM's gift of foreshore in Jersey

Click Here - A review of The Queen's gift of foreshore to Jersey, it's conflict with seigneurial law & Les Pas

Click Here - The Seigniory of Sark is compared to The Duchy of Cornwall by Dr. John Kirkhope - fascinating 

Click Here - Priaulx Library, in Guernsey, provides a list of fiefs & seigneurs from Guerin's Almanack, 1890

Click Here - The Priaulx Library, in Guernsey, provides helpful notes related to Chief Pleas c. 1680

Click Here - Seaweed and its Use in Jersey - relating to the seigneur's right of early access to 'Vraic' 

Click Here - What is a dovecote anyway and why did they matter? Wikipedia tries to explain 

Click Here - The Island Wiki (aka Jerripedia) provides lots of helpful resources for understanding fiefs

Click Here - Argument that Channel Islanders have the right to assume arms without The College of Arms

Click Here -  Société Jersiaise provides his helpful online list of Jersey fief owners circa 1970 

Click Here - GuernseyDonkey.com provides this helpful summary of "Guernsey and Her Island Fiefs"

Click Here - Feudal Dues (Guernsey) Law, 2002, explains abolition of some feudal rights - and what remains

Click Here - A slightly different (older?) version of The Feudal Dues (Guernsey) Law, 1980 

Click Here - A children's book focused on teaching the native language of Guernsey -  Guernésiais 

Click Here - Kevin Boone, who has both been there & done that, provides a description of feudal titles

Click Here - Why did "fake" Dukes of Normandy and Aquitaine attend English coronations - for centuries?

Click Here - This 1921 Royal Visit bulletin details the homage ceremony performed by seigneurs of fiefs

Utilize built-in keyword search capabilities to identify areas of specific interest within each book. Enjoy!

Click Here - Berry, William, The History of the Island of Guernsey, London, 1815

Click Here - Black, Adam and Charles, Black's guide to the Channel Islands, Edinburgh, 1885

Click Here - de Chenilly, M. Roupnel, Coutume de Normandie, Rouen, 1771

Click Here - Collins, J.E., An Historical and Descriptive Guide to the Channel Islands of Guernsey, Jersey - The Strangers Guide, S. Barbet, Guernsey, 1833

Click Here - Dicey, Thomas, An Historical Account of Guernsey From Settlement to Present, 1751

Click Here - Durand, Pedone-Lauriel, Coutumes de Normandie, Paris, 1869

Click Here - Falle, Phillip, Isles de Jersey et Guernsey, Traduite de L'Anglois, Paris, 1757

Click Here - de Gruchy, G.F.B., The Court of the Fief and Seigneurie of Noirmont, Société Jersiaise, 1926

Click Here - Inglis, Henry D., The Channel Islands: Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, etc, London, 1834

Click Here - Kelleher, Alexander, The King's Other Islands of the Sea: The Channel Islands in the Plantagenet Realm, 1254-1341. Journal of the Historical Association, Vol 107, Issue 376. 453-483. 2022.

Click Here - Manorial Rights in Jersey by Abraham Jones le Cras details a number of feudal rights - especially dying without heirs

Click Here - Mesnil, Marie, Chroniques Neustriennes ou Precis de L'Histoire De Normanie, Caen, 1825

Click Here - Oxenham, John, Carette of Sark, London, 1908

Click Here - Ozanne, EC, Orders in Council and Other Matters of General Registered on the Records of the Island of Guernsey, 1903

Click Here - Payne, J. Bertrand, Armorial of Jersey, 1860 (evidence of supporters for seigneurial families)

Click Here - Société Jersiaise, Rolls of the Assizes held in the Channel Islands in the Second Year of the Reign of King Edward II, A.D. 1309, Labey et Blampied, St. Helier, 1903

Click Here - Syvret, George S., Chroniques des Ilses de Jersey, Guernsey, Auregny et Serk, Guernsey, 1832

Click Here - Taylor Esq., Edgar, Master Wace: His Chronicle of the Norman Conquest, William Pickering, London, 1837

Click Here - Tupper Esq., Ferdinand Brock, The History of Guernsey and Its Bailiwick, London, 1876

Click Here - Warburton, A Treatise on the History, Laws and Customs of the Island of Guernsey, 1822

Click Here - Whitmore, William H., A Memoir of Sir Edmund Andros, Knt., 1868

Click Here - Societe Jersiaise, Rolls of the Assizes held in the Second Year of King Edward II, 1309

La Société Guernesiaise was founded in 1882 to encourage the study of the history, natural history, geography and geology of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the conservation of the Bailiwick’s natural environment and the preservation of its historic buildings and monuments. In many respects, La Société Guernesiaise is similar to the UK Wildlife Trusts. However, its activities extend into many other areas, including history, archaeology and astronomy. 

The Priaulx Library, set in picturesque Candie Gardens, has since 1889 been collecting, cataloguing and preserving records, artefacts and books that document Guernsey's history and unique identity. The Library aims to make this important collection as accessible as possible and the archives are open to the public. You can also search our collections online from the Guernsey Libraries catalogue. Our staff are also able to assist with enquiries and work closely with individuals, schools and other institutions on research and educational projects.

 The Island Archives was created in 1986 to collect, preserve and provide access to public and private records relating to the history of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Spread over three floors of the deconsecrated St Barnabas Church in Cornet Street the Archives houses thousands of documents, files, books and images that date from the 14th century to the present. They maintain an extensive collection of records of the States of Guernsey, both ancient and modern. Others of historical value are obtained by purchase, deposit or donation from institutions or private individuals. Whilst most of the records concern Guernsey, they also hold a number covering the rest of the Bailiwick, including an extensive Alderney collection. 

The States of Guernsey's current museum service could be said to have originated in the early 1970s with the appointment of the first full-time professional curator. However, in reality the pedigree of the service is much older and includes several earlier private and public museum collections with nineteenth century origins.