Island Life   

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 History Timeline of the Channel Islands 1613 - 1836 


 

1613

James I attempts to impose Anglicism in the Bailiwick.

1642

The English Civil war began and surprisingly Guernsey backed the Parliamentarians. Castle Cornet under the command of  Lieutenant Governor, Sir Peter Osborne held out for 8 years and lobbed over 10,000 cannon balls onto St Peter Port.

1644

Parliamentarian forces invade Jersey but do not defeat the Royalist forts until 15 December 1651

1651

Royalists under Sir Peter Osborne surrender Castle Cornet on 19 December 1651. He went down in history as the last person to take down the Royal Standard

1663

Anglicism established in Guernsey

1664

Sir George Carteret becomes Lord of Alderney ( a friend of Samuel Pepys

1672

The Keep at Castle Cornet blows up killing the Governor's wife

1689

Guernsey's neutrality is revoked by William III.

1736

Braye Harbour established in Alderney.

1742

Town Hospital established in Guernsey

1751

Castel Hospital building begins

1769

Sir Isaac Brock born

1780

Work begins on Fort George

1783

Thomas de la Rue born

1787

John Wesley visits Guernsey

1789

Aristocrats fleeing from France settled in the islands and became loyal British subjects. However with the threat of attack from Napoleon, Martello towers started to appear all around Guernsey and Jersey, based on a design from Cape Mortella in Corsica.

1792

Glasshouses started to be built in Guernsey in which grapes for table wine were grown and even to this day, a collection of glasshouses is known as a Vinery.

1799

Royal Court House built in Guernsey. 6,000 Russian troops billeted in Alderney following Allied defeat by Napoleon

1810

Granite exports from Guernsey begin. Many quarrymen came to the island from Cornwall and between 1810 and 1841, the population of St Sampson parish more than doubled from 650 to 1,567.

1815

Prison built in Guernsey and large ships launched.

1816

First Guernsey bank notes printed to pay for the Vegetable market building - 40,000 £1 notes.

1822

Guernsey's Meat Market built

1827

First mail to arrive by steam on PS Watersprite

1834

Silver was discovered in Sark and by 1841 the population had grown to 790. The major shareholder, Ernest Le Pelly, Seigneur was the major shareholder but following a flood of the mine, he almost became bankrupt and sold his Fief to Mrs T G Collings. Her descendant is the present Seigneur

1836

Tomatoes started to be grown in Guernsey. 

In Alderney over the ensuing years, the Victorians built 13 forts in Alderney and completed the Murs de Haut. However, none were ever used in war. The massive Alderney breakwater was also built to provide protection to the British fleet but could not withstand the massive storms and the 1471 metres originally built is now down to half that length

 
 
 
 
 
 

  

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