For an island so small, Jersey has a wealth of heritage, tradition and customs, woven together through time creating a rich tapestry which has formed the foundation of Jersey in the 21st century. Its independent existence started just 8000 years ago when the rising sea level finally separated the island from the mainland of France. Up to this time it had been populated by nomadic hunter gatherers who had wandered over the plains between Jersey and France. Neolithic settlers lived in communities and left their mark on the landscape in the form of ritual burial sites known as ‘Dolmens’ and standing stones known as ‘Menhirs’.

Jersey’s recorded history does not start until much later, little is known of Jersey before then. The island was relatively insignificant supporting a small population, frequently attacked by pirates and other raiders.

In the 9th century, Vikings or ‘Northman’ settled on the mainland of France and the islands. Their presence was formally recognised by a French king in 911, when he granted the Norsemen’s leader, Rollo, lands around the
mouth of the River Seine.

In 933 Rollo’s son, William Longsword, seized the islands and added them to his domain. In 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings and was crowned King of England thus Jersey’s link with the English crown was established. From 1066 to 1204, England, Normandy and the Channel Islands were united under one rule. England and Normandy were administered separately from London and Caen with different languages, laws and money.

In 1204, King John lost Normandy to King Phillippe-Auguste of France. The islanders remained loyal to John. To retain their loyalty the King decreed that the island should continue to be governed by the laws which they were accustomed. Consequently a separate legal system came into existence which continues to this day.

During the following centuries the island was a hostile place, with several attempts by the French to capture it. It was occupied during the early 1380s, and for seven years between 1461 and 1468. Because of its strategic importance, plus islander’s loyalty, in recognition, successive monarchs conferred many privileges and franchises by Royal Charter. One of the earliest related to the freedom to export goods free of duty, granted by Edward III in 1341. These Royal Charters have secured the independence of the island’s judicial system from the English courts and granted important privileges including freedom from UK taxes.

The island’s strategic importance is shown by many examples of fortification across the centuries. Early examples show the development from the use of bows and arrows to the advent of gunpowder, therefore fortifications were adapted and new ones built. These included St Aubin’s Fort (1540s) and Elizabeth Castle, (1590s).
In the 16th century, Jersey’s main export was woollen goods; by the early 17th century, the production of knitwear was so great that it threatened the ability of the island to grow its own food. The island government of the time intervened and passed laws regulating who was allowed to knit and when they could do it.

Towards the end of the 16th century, Jersey fishermen were returning to the island with cargoes of salt cod from the Great Banks of Newfoundland. This was the start of a thriving industry that would last over three hundred years. By the end of the 18th century, Jersey merchants had built up thriving business empires in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Gaspé, transporting goods from North America to Europe and South America.

During the 1640s England was divided by civil war. Islanders were sympathetic to Parliament but the de Carteret family held Jersey for the King. In 1646, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York sort refuge in the island, they returned a second time in 1649, following the execution of their father Charles I. In December 1651, the Parliamentarian invasion force captured the island and the English Civil War was over. Following the restoration of Charles II in 1660, he rewarded the island for its loyalty and presented it with a ceremonial mace in 1663. The King also granted George de Carteret a parcel of land between the Hudson and Delaware rivers; in America and this became known as New Jersey.

In the 18th century, political tension grew between England and France as a result of the expansion in trade worldwide. Clashes occurred between the two countries, resulting in the island being continually on a permanent state of alert. The most famous invasion being The Battle of Jersey in 1781, fought in the Royal Square and won by the local militia.

After the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, the island changed for ever; as a result of the rapid growth in the number of English speaking families stationed on the island. After 1815, many retired British army and naval officers moved to Jersey to enjoy their retirement. Between 1820 and 1840, there were large numbers of English speaking labourers on the island involved in the construction of the harbour and the esplanade. During the next fifty years Jersey developed as one of Britain’s major ship building centres. The island’s shipyards launched over 900 vessels, but with the introduction of steam engines and iron, the island’s ship builders could not compete and the industry disappeared.

As the island’s maritime industry declined, its agricultural industry started to flourish with the development of the Jersey cow and the Jersey Royal Potato. The Jersey cow was developed by selective breeding during the first half of the 19th century; a steady export business grew as a result of international recognition of the quality of the breed. Hugh de la Haye grew the first Jersey Royal Potato, and within 10 years over 65,000 tons were being shipped out to the English market.

During the Second World War, the Channel Islands were the only part of Britain to be occupied by German Forces. Since the Liberation of the island in 1945, it has experienced prosperity and growth. Agriculture was rapidly re-established; this was then overtaken by tourism, which has now been eclipsed in its contribution to the island’s economy by the development of Jersey as a thriving offshore finance centre.

Whatever the challenge, throughout history, Jersey has adapted to changing circumstances while maintaining its own unique heritage.