Jersey

Jersey, the largest member of the group known as the Channel Islands, lies to the W. of the French peninsula of Cotentin, at a distance of 16 miles from the nearest point of the coast and of 95 miles from Weymouth. It is 30 miles S.E. of Guernsey. The length from E. to W. is 12 miles, and the oreadth 5a miles, the superficial area being 49 square miles. The N. coast is bold, high, and rocky, and offers few safe harbours; but the table-land trends to the S., where the sea-level is reached and the outline deeply indented by the bays of St. Brelade, St. Aubin, St. Clement, and Grouville, that of St. Catherine, facing E., also offering some degree of shelter. The approaches, however, on all sides are beset with dangerous rocks and banks, of which the Corbiere, the Dirouilles, the Ecrehous, and the Minquieres are the most conspicuous. Geologically, the base of the island is syenite, with overlying masses of quartzite, metaruorphous sandstone, porphyry, trap and other igneous rocks, interspersed "with occasional beds of shale and china-clay Topping these in many parts is a layer of deep and rich loam, which, under the influence of a genial climate, is highly productive. Cattle-rearing is, however, more profitable than agriculture, the Jersey cows being famous for their milk; and at present potatoes and tomatoes are the only vegetable products that find favour, fruit being little cultivated. The land is mostly in the hands of peasant-proprietors, owing to the prevalence of the French system of subdivided inheritance, and the population generally is thrifty and prosperous. Fishing affords a livelihood to many inhabitants, and lobsters are exported in considerable quantities. The name of the island is a corruption of Caesarea, and traces of Roman occupation are not lacking, whilst cromlechs attest the existence of an originally Keltic race. St. Maglorius introduced Christianity in the 6th century, and in 916 the island was ceded by Charles the Simple to Rollo of Normandy. It practically became united with the Crown of England at the Conquest, and in spite of many -endeavours to recover it, the latest being foiled by Major Pierson in 1781, possession has been held continuously by England since the time of Henry I. It is governed by the "States," an assemblage consisting of a bailiff or judge with twelve jurats of the Royal Court - the first being a nominee of the Crown, the others elected for life by the ratepayers - of the rectors of the twelve parishes, of twelve constables and fourteen deputies elected for three years. A Lieutenant-Governor sent from England controls the executive, and has power to join in the deliberations of the States, but has no vote, though he has the exercise of a veto. The militia, too, consisting of every man between seventeen and sixty-five, is under his control. The only town of importance is St. Heliers on St. Aubin's Bay, which is the administrative centre. It has an inner and an outer harbour protected by fortifications, and it contains, besides the official buildings, a church dating from 1341, Victoria College, and a large Jesuit seminary. On the rocks in front stands Elizabeth Castle, built in the reign of that queen upon the site of an ancient abbey. Montorgeuil Castle and St. Brelade's Church (1111) are also structures of much interest.