Snippets from the Actes des Etats - 1780-1800 - Part 3

Snippets from the Actes des Etats - 1780-1800
Translated by Francis Le Cornu, Comments by Tony

During the 18th century, France and England were almost constantly at war as the European nation states struggled to achieve a balance of power. And the States had to pay their way for the war preparations. Jersey, no more than 15 miles from the French coast, was clearly at risk of invasion.

June 1780

"Upon the proposal of Monsieur the Lieutenant Governor, it is ordered by the States, in order to prevent any delay in the execution of orders given by said Mr. Governor for the defence of the island, that any order addressed by him to the Colonels concerning any provisions falling within the Connétables' responsibility shall have a copy of such orders, as they pertain to said Connétables, sent to them by the respective Colonels, so that they may provide what may be necessary on their part, and as for the ordinary expenses that the Colonels may incur on the Governor's orders for the preservation of munitions, the Connétables shall be obligated to pay such expenses upon the attestation of the Colonel."

The following segment of proceedings is fascinating because it not just mentions the coastal defences, but goes into the provisioning of them, both with ammunition, and with "biscuit bread" - this was bread, which was dried out in a cooling oven until it was like a rusk. 

"The Storekeepers or Magazines Keepers in the Batteries or Towers of different Districts shall be appointed by Monsieur the Governor on the recommendation of the Colonel, and biscuit bread at the rate of three pounds per person shall be provided in each parish at the respective parish's expense. Two pierriers shall be provided for each of the Towers, along with the necessary ammunition for their use. Three platforms shall be constructed near the Cross Well in the Bay between St. Helier and St. Aubin for the cannons located there, and those at Anne-Port, St. Helier, and St. Laurent shall be repaired if found necessary. Furthermore, it is ordered that whenever Monsieur the Governor deems it necessary, individuals with horses shall be obliged to transport them to the locations he deems appropriate for use in opposing enemy landings."

War also led to the seizure of French shipping, which was forfeit, a spoil of war, and was to be broken up for wood for defensive platforms.

"It has been reported to the States that two French vessels, named La Syrene and La Navire Madeleine, were detained on this island by Monsieur the Lieutenant Governor at the beginning of hostilities between England and France, and that they would be harmful in the St. Aubin Harbour. The States, taking this matter into consideration and finding it very difficult to obtain suitable wood for constructing several platforms ordered for the defence of the island, have requested Monsieur the Lieutenant Governor to remove the said vessels from the harbour where they are harmful and to meet the public needs for the defence of the island by allowing the said vessels to be appraised by experts before the Officer of Justice for public use, paying the amount of such appraisal for the benefit of whomever it may concern. Subsequently, the Connétable of the Parish of St. Helier is authorized to dismantle one of the said vessels for the works on the east side, and Ph. Robin, Esquire, Justice, and the Connétable of St. Brelade for the one remaining in St. Aubin, all for the public interest."


July 1780

Tumbrils, mentioned here, were a specific kind of open cart that tilted backwards to empty out its load. Famously, or infamously, there were used during the French revolution (which began in 1791) to ferry condemned prisoners to the gullotine.

"Upon the representation of Monsieur the Lieutenant Governor, the States have ordered that the Connétables shall have sheds constructed to shelter the tumbrils that are expected from England, in the places that are found most suitable in the parishes where the magazines are insufficient, at the expense of each parish." 

"In the event of opposition regarding the locations proposed by said Mr. Governor for the encampment of troops, the Committee for the Defence of the Island is jointly authorized with him to make the necessary arrangements for this purpose. Specifically, in St. Marie, the common land of the Fief des Craquevilles near Crabey, in Trinity to the west of Bouley, at Tas de Geon, and at Nez du Guet to the northwest of Rozel, and in St. Martin, at Verd Clû, the lands of Mr. Charles Ph. Godfray Senior and at La Crête. Furthermore, it is ordered that the platform at the Rozel Harbor shall be raised higher to accommodate two cannons, and the Connétable of the Parish of Trinity is authorized for this purpose."

August 1780

In August 1780, the States were aware of the wider world, as news came of "insurrections" in London. In parliamentary procedure, a "humble address" as we see here is a communication from the houses of States to the monarch.

"Monsieur the Lieutenant Governor, having presented to the States a letter he received from one of His Majesty's Secretaries of State, along with copies of His Majesty's Address to Parliament and the Addresses from both Houses to His Majesty regarding recent insurrections in the capital of his kingdom, the States have deemed it necessary on this occasion to send a humble Address to His Majesty. To this end, they have approved an Address, which the Clerk is authorized to sign so that, once transmitted to His Excellency General Conway, our Chief Governor, it may be presented to His Majesty in the manner he deems most suitable."

What was this insurrection in the capital? They were the Gordon riots.

The Gordon Riots of 1780 were several days of rioting in London motivated by anti-Catholic sentiment. They began with a large and orderly protest against the Papists Act 1778, which was intended to reduce official discrimination against British Catholics enacted by the Popery Act 1698. Lord George Gordon, head of the Protestant Association, argued that the law would enable Catholics to join the British Army and plot treason. The protest led to widespread rioting and looting, including attacks on Newgate Prison and the Bank of England and was the most destructive in the history of London.

Violence started later on 2 June 1780, with the looting and burning of Catholic chapels in foreign embassies. Local magistrates, afraid of drawing the mob's anger, did not invoke the Riot Act. There was no repression until the government finally sent in the army, resulting in an estimated 300–700 deaths. The main violence lasted until 9 June 1780.

Concluding Remarks

In the final section (for the time being) of the Actes des Etats, we see plans being laid for the defense of the Island, for platforms for cannons, for the provisioning and transport of troops. The burden of the logistics for this was laid at the feet of the Connétables, and the cost of much of this was also a burden on the Connétables, or to be more exact, funded from the ratepayers of the Parishes. There was, of course, no income tax.