Jersey (Isle Of) in County England History and Geography

JERSEY (ISLE of), the largest of a cluster of islands in the English channel, dependent on the British crown, ten leagues (S.S.W.) from Cape de la Hogue, and 7 (S.W.) from the Isle of Guernsey, containing 28,600 inhabitants. This island, the C'sarea of Antoninus, is supposed to retain its ancient name in the modern appellation into which it has been corrupted. That it was occupied by the Romans, at least as a military station, seems more than probable, from the name of part of Gorey, or Mount Orgueil, castle, being still called 'Le Fort de César,' from the vestiges of a camp at Dilament, an immense rampart of earth near Rosel, and from numerous Roman coins having been found in various parts of the island. After the conquest of the western part of Gaul by the Franks, Jersey and the neighbouring islands became part of the province of Neustria, and, about the middle of the sixth century, were annexed, by Childebert, King of France, to the see of Dol in Armonica (Brittany), of which St. Sampson, who had emigrated from Britain, was at that time bishop. St. Magliore, his successor in that see, anxious to convert the inhabitants to the Christian faith, left the administration of his diocese to his disciple, St. Budoc, and retiring to Sark, founded there a small monastery: from that island he proceeded to Jersey, where, by his powerful exhortations and the sanctity of his life, he induced the inhabitants to renounce idolatry, and receive the rites of baptism. The progress of Christianity was greatly accelerated by the exertions of Pr?textatus, Archbishop of Rouen, who, being banished to Jersey in 577, lived there in exile for ten years. In the ninth century, a band of Normans having made a descent upon the island, committed great depredations, and murdered St. Helier, a venerable anchoret, whose cell is still to be seen on a rock near Elizabeth castle. In 912, these islands, as part of the ancient province of Neustria, were, by treaty, ceded to Rollo, by Charles IV., King of France, on the establishment of the duchy of Normandy; and the Normans having been, about that time, converted to Christianity, one of the principal nobles, a descendant of one of the party who put St. Helier to death, founded an abbey here, and dedicated it to that martyr, from which the principal town in the island derives its name.

From this period nothing important occurs in the history of these islands till the time of the Conquest, when, as forming part of the duchy of Normandy, they became dependent on the British crown. In the reign of John, the French having obtained possession of Normandy, attempted to reduce these islands also, but were vigorously repulsed by the inhabitants; and King John, having visited them in person, bestowed various privileges, franchises, and immunities, which have formed the basis of all subsequent charters to the present time. On their separation from Normandy, such landowners as had possessions in both were compelled to make their election, and, confining themselves to those on which they preferred to reside, were obliged to abandon the other: the greater number became subjects of that prince in whose territory they had the larger possessions; but the Seigneur de St. Ouen, of the name and family of Carteret, remaining fixed in his allegiance to the crown of England, abandoned his lordship of Carteret in Normandy, and retained possession of his smaller estates in Jersey. In the reign of Edward I., that monarch incorporated the inhabitants, and gave them a common seal. In that of Henry III., Philip D'Aubigny, Governor of Jersey, intercepted a fleet conveying French troops to England; and in this and the following reigns the French made frequent attempts upon the island, in which they were invariably defeated. During the reign of Edward II., the judges of assize, who were sent over from England for the administration of justice, flagrantly invaded the most valuable privileges of the inhabitants, and violated their acknowledged rights; but these abuses were amply redressed by Edward III., on petition from the two principal islands. In this reign, the French again attempting to take possession of Jersey, were vigorously repulsed before Le Chasteau de Gouray, which, in commemoration of that event, has been since distinguished by the name of Mont Orgueil castle; they were more successful in their attack upon Guernsey, of which they gained possession, and continued masters for three years: on the arrival of a fleet from England, the inhabitants of Jersey raised a contribution of six thousand four hundred marks to assist the English in recovering that island. On a subsequent [p.472?] invasion, under the conduct of the celebrated Bertrand de Guesclin, Constable of France, the castle of Mont Orgueil was saved from falling into the hands of the French, by an English fleet, which, being sent to its relief, compelled the assailants to raise the siege. In the reign of Henry IV., the French renewed their attempts on the island, and ravaged the open country, but could make no impression on the castle.

During the war between the houses of York and Lancaster, Margaret of Anjou having gone over to France, in order to raise troops for the assistance of Henry, entered into a treaty with Pierre de Brezé, Count de Maulevrier et de la Screrme, one of the courtiers of Louis XI., who agreed to raise a body of troops, and make a descent upon England in favour of her party, on condition of having these islands assigned over to him and his heirs, to hold independently of the English crown; and secret orders were sent to the governor of Mont Orgueil, who was an adherent of the Lancastrian party, to deliver up that fortress to Surdeval, a Norman, whom the count had sent to take possession of the island. The count himself soon afterwards arrived, but in all his public acts styling himself Pierre de Brezé, &c., Lord of the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and others adjoining, and adding to his titles that of Counsellor and Chamberlain of our Sovereign Lord the King of France, the inhabitants were so exasperated, that all his endeavours to reconcile them to his government were unavailing; and, influenced by Philip de Carteret, Seigneur de St. Ouen, ancestor of the present Lord Carteret, who held the castle of Grosnez, as a place of defence against the French and Normans, they set his power at defiance, and refused submission to his authority. In the reign of Edward IV., Sir Richard Harleston, Vice-Admiral of England, arriving off Guernsey with a squadron, the seigneur applied to him for assistance, and having previously concerted their plan, the castle of Mont Orgueil was so closely invested both by sea and land, that, after a spirited but unavailing defence, the garrison surrendered at discretion, and the vice-admiral was invested with the government of the island, which he held for sixteen years. The king, to reward the islanders for their conduct upon this occasion, granted them a new charter, in which their loyalty was highly extolled, and the phrase 'in perpetuam rei memoriam,' expressive of the royal approbation, has been inserted in all subsequent charters. The arbitrary conduct of Matthew Baker, who succeeded Sir Richard, induced Henry VII. (who, while Earl of Richmond, had here found an asylum, on his passage to the continent) to issue an order, restraining any governor from appointing a dean, or bailiff, in the island, and from interfering either in the civil or ecclesiastical courts; and ordered all differences, in which the governor might be interested, to be submitted to the king in council. He also issued ordinances, comprised in thirty-three articles, for the government of the island, which continued in force till superseded by a regular code of laws, in 1771. The harsh measures of Sir Hugh Vaughan, governor in the reign of Henry VIII., who was protected in his tyranny by Cardinal Wolsey, induced Helier de Carteret, bailiff of the island, to seek redress by a personal application to the king; and in the court of Star chamber, in presence of the cardinal, he so powerfully pleaded the cause of his countrymen, that he obtained the removal of the governor, who had for more than thirty years abused his authority. Jersey suffered not only from the arbitrary tyranny of its governors and their deputies for many years, but also from the continual broils that were kept up between its seigneurs under the feudal system, which prevailed in the island till a very late period. After frequent attempts on the part of the kings of England to put an end to these internal dissensions, by which the peace of the island was continually disturbed, they were finally suppressed by a comminatory bull, obtained from the pope by the influence of Henry VII. In the reign of Edward VI., the French having taken Sark, and made an unsuccessful attack upon Guernsey, anchored in Boulay bay, and disembarked their troops, with a view to effect the reduction of this island; but they were promptly driven back to their vessels, with the loss of a thousand men. To guard more effectually against these external attacks, an additional fortress was erected, in the reign of Elizabeth, in honour of whom it was named Elizabeth Castle. Two commissioners were sent by the queen to remedy some abuses in the island, which, notwithstanding the continued anxiety of successive sovereigns, was distracted by the unequal distribution of justice, and the oppression of the wealthy and the powerful, in whose favour sentence was almost invariably pronounced, by commissioners of their own appointment. To destroy this undue influence, the queen issued an order in council, directing all appeals from the royal court of Jersey to be brought before the privy council, and not before any other tribunal. During the latter period of this reign, Sir Walter Raleigh was appointed governor; and in that of James I., the canons and constitutions forming the basis of the ecclesiastical polity of Jersey (which are noticed in that department of its history) were framed.

In the reign of Charles I., the islanders repulsed another attack of the French; and, to secure them still more effectually from the repeated assaults to which they were exposed, that monarch, at his own charge, added the lower ward to Elizabeth Castle, and repaired and strengthened the other fortifications. On the breaking out of the parliamentary war, Captain George de Carteret, comptroller of the navy, having refused the appointment of vice-admiral under the parliament, retired with his family to Jersey, and openly declaring for the king, equipped a fleet of ten light vessels, to intercept merchantmen trading under the parliamentary banners, which, from its activity and spirit, soon spread alarm around the coast. Prince Charles, eldest son of the king, being no longer able to maintain a contest with the parliamentarians in the West of England, repaired to this island, attended by many of the nobility, among whom was Sir Edward Hyde, afterwards Earl of Clarendon, who, with several of the prince's retinue, remained for a considerable time after the prince had departed, on a visit to his mother, at that time in France. A plan was organised here for delivering the king from his confinement in Hurst castle; but, from some cause not distinctly known, it was rendered abortive. After the decapitation of Charles, his son, being obliged to leave Holland, where he had been residing, landed with a numerous retinue in Jersey, and was joyfully received and proclaimed king. Soon after his arrival, Sir George de Carteret assembled the states, in order to raise a sum of bmoney for the service of his majesty, when about £633 sterling was contributed for that purpose. The king, after staying for several months, retired to Scotland: during his stay, an additional outwork was erected for the defence of Elizabeth Castle, which he named Charles Fort. The parliament, enraged that an asylum had been afforded to the king, and indignant at the numerous captures made by the squadron of Sir George de Carteret, resolved on the reduction of these islands, and for that purpose despatched a fleet, under the command of Admiral Blake, together with a formidable land force, under Major General Haines. After fruitless attempts, for three days, to disembark on the western shore of this island, in which they were driven back by Sir George and the natives, the admiral, dividing his fleet into squadrons, and favoured by a dark night, effected a landing in St. Ouen's bay. On the day following, a violent gale arose, by which one of the largest of the vessels in the parliamentary squadron was driven on the rocks, where it went to pieces, and every soul on board perished. The inhabitants, unable to meet in the field the overwhelming force which was sent against them, and determined on resistance to the last extremity, retreated into their fortresses, and for some time held out against the assailants; but the enemy having made themselves masters of the fort of St. Aubin, and of Mont Orgueil castle, the fortifications of which, after the erection of Elizabeth Castle, had been neglected, and were not in a condition to withstand a siege, they were ultimately obliged to yield. Sir George, having retired into Elizabeth Castle, with a garrison of three hundred and fifty men, continued to defend that post with heroic valour; but having applied in vain to the king, who was then in France, for assistance, and finding all hopes of relief vain, he capitulated upon honourable terms, and went over to join the king. The parliamentarians having thus become victors, gave free quarter to their troops, amounting to five thousand men, who committed dreadful havoc, defacing the churches, which they converted into barracks and stables. On the Restoration, Charles II., after conferring upon Sir George de Carteret many marks of distinction, presented the corporation with a silver gilt mace, with the appropriate motto 'Tali haud omnes dignantur honore,' which is borne before the bailiff and magistrates, upon all public occasions of importance.

The circumstances which led to the abdication of James II., the troubles which arose in Ireland in consequence of that event, and the subsequent rebellions and commotions which were excited in favour of the exiled family, had no influence on the tranquillity of Jersey, which, from the revolution of 1688 to the reign of George III., enjoyed uninterrupted peace. In 1779, the Prince of Nassau, commanding a force of six thousand men, appeared with a fleet off St. Ouen's bay, destined for the reduction of the island, which at that time was ill provided with regular troops; but the enemy, on attempting to disembark, was repulsed with loss by the regiment then stationed here, assisted by the militia, and supported by artillery, who, after a forced march, arrived in time to prevent their landing. Frustrated in this attempt, the prince sailed to St. Brelade's bay, where he hoped to effect a landing; but there finding adequate preparations made to oppose him, the design was for that time abandoned. After much recrimination among the officers of the fleet, another effort was resolved upon; but before it could be carried into execution, the squadron appointed to cover the attack was met by a British naval force, under Sir James Wallace, and almost annihilated. The last attempt made by the French to obtain possession of the island was in 1781. On the night of the 25th of December, 1780, when no British ship was on the station, a fire was observed between Rozel and La Coupe, which continued to burn for about eight minutes, and was immediately answered by a similar fire on the French coast, which blazed for about a quarter of an hour. On the following morning, the Baron de Rullicourt embarked with two thousand French troops, thinking to surprise the inhabitants while engaged in celebrating their Christmas festivities, and carry the island by a coup de main. The tempestuous state of the weather was unfavourable to his enterprise; several of his vessels were dispersed, and he was obliged to put back for shelter into the small rocky island of Chauzey, and postpone the attempt, after losing several of his ships and men. On the 5th of January, however, he again put to sea with the remainder of his ships, and with the rest of his troops, which had decreased to one thousand two hundred men, and towards midnight arrived off the island. At day-break, on the 6th, the market-place of St. Helier, which now forms the royal square, was filled with their troops, which, under the command of the Baron de Rullicourt, had effected a landing, during the night, at a small point near La Rocque, in the parish of St. Clement. Several of their vessels having been dispersed by the severity of the weather, and the difficulties experienced in landing having greatly diminished their numbers, scarcely more than seven hundred reached the shore; but these proceeding unobserved, secured a small battery of four guns, in which they left a company for the protection of their ships and, in case of necessity, to cover their retreat, established themselves in the town of St. Helier, and took prisoner Major Corbet, the lientenant-governor. Having induced him to make a promise of surrendering the island, they extorted from him a signature of capitulation, by representing that they had landed four thousand troops, and made prisoners the guard which protected the coasts near La Rocque; and compelled him to sign an order to the commanding officers of the several stations to remain in their quarters; but this order was disregarded, and the troops stationed in various parts, in defiance of repeated injunctions to the contrary, continued to advance upon the town. Part of the French troops left St. Helier to take possession of Elizabeth Castle, the garrison of which they summoned to surrender, according to the terms of the extorted capitulation; but the commander answering only by a discharge of artillery, they prudently retired into the town, and concentrated their forces, in order to sustain a conflict, which now appeared inevitable. On the capture of the lieutenant-governor, the command of the troops devolved on Major Pierson, to whom Rullicourt despatched a messenger, exhorting him to accede to the capitulation, in order to prevent the effusion of blood. Major Pierson had much difficulty in restraining the ardour of the militia, till the various troops had reached their respective destinations, which was not fully accomplished before an impetuous attack was made on the enemy, who, hopeless of escape, cfought with desperate obstinacy; the major was killed at the commencement of the action, but his troops, by no means discouraged, maintained the conflict with determined valour, and obtained a triumphant victory. Rullicourt, and the greater number of his men, were slain, a small number escaped to their ships, and the remainder surrendered: only about eighty of the militia and regulars were killed, or wounded, in this action. Since that period, Jersey, though subject to many alarms, has not been again assaulted. From the year 1779 to 1793, it was distracted by internal dissensions, the most inveterate animosity being cherished by the parties into which the islanders were unhappily divided; and notwithstanding these feuds have subsided, their effects may still be traced in the acrimony displayed in more recent disputes. In 1814, the Duke de Berri, nephew of Louis XVIII. of France, took up his abode in the island, where he remained till the peace with that country, which was joyfully proclaimed, on the 12th of the following July, at St. Helier's and at St. Aubin's.

The island of Jersey is about ten miles in length from south-east to north-west, of an average breadth of five miles (in no part exceeding seven), and about sixty miles in circumference, measuring the indentations of the bays. It is greatly elevated on the north side, and shelves considerably towards the south-east; the cliffs on the northern coast are in general about one hundred feet in height, though in some places they rise to more than double that elevation: the whole of this side is indented with small coves and bays, and a precipitous ridge of granitic rocks stretches for a considerable distance from cast to west: the remainder of it consists of rocks of sienite, of various elevation, exhibiting broad and perpendicular masses towards the sea, every where intersected by perpendicular veins of granite to the north and south, and, where they have been exposed to the action of the waves, forming numerous caverns of remarkable appearance. The rocks of Mont Mado, in the centre of this coast, are particularly abundant in felspar of a flesh colour, and susceptible of a high polish. The west, east, and south sides of the island are formed of shelving shores, with wide sand bays, separated by lofty rocks, with which they are thickly studded. About four leagues to the south are the Minquais, a dangerous group of rugged rocks of considerable elevation, reaching more than ten miles from east to west; the passage between them and the island is always hazardous, even at high water, as the flood tide sets in upon them with a direct current. A little further to the south-east is an extended chain of rocks, the largest forming the barren island of Chausez, or Chozé. The bay of St. Ouen, a large flat tract of sand, occupies the principal part of the western side of the island, and is bounded by an extensive ridge of sienitic rocks, terminating in the Corbieres, a cluster which stems the current of the Atlantic tide, and is rendered extremely dangerous, from the number of sunken reefs lying near it to the north-west. From this point to the bay of St. Aubin, by which the south side of the island is deeply indented in the centre, and to the westward of which is the smaller bay of St. Brelade, is a succession of points of the same sienitic rocks, their sides every where covered with schistus: the castle of St. Aubin, to the west of the bay, and Elizabeth Castle, to the east of it, are built on rocks of similar composition. On the eastern side of the island is Mont Orgueil, where the rocks of granite become continuous, and on one of the most prominent of which the castle of that name is built. From Mont Orgueil the coast, with the exception only of a flat shore in the centre of St. Catherine's bay, is an uninterrupted cliff, extending to Rosel harbour, at the northern extremity of the island. At this point a rock of very singular appearance commences, which seems to occupy the whole of Boulay bay; it is an argillaceous breccia, consisting of large and small masses of schistus, cemented by a basis of the same nature.

The sea around Jersey varies more in depth than round any of the other islands, from the greater number of banks and shoals by which the coast is environed. The tides are not influenced by others in the channel; they flow, in a direction east-south-east, to the bay of Mont St. Michel, where the declivity of the shore is so inconsiderable, that the bay is filled in the course of two hours; they then take a northerly direction along the Norman coast, and having encircled the islands in the course of twelve hours, return, after a course of from twelve to sixteen miles, to the spot where they began to flow. These tides rise from forty to forty-five feet round the islands, and at St. Malo's their height exceeds fifty feet. It is high water at Jersey at six o'clock every new and full moon; but as the flood commences by rushing full against the rocks on the northern shore, it is high water half an hour earlier on that and on the western shores, than on the southern and eastern. The currents, in consequence of being frequently intersected, succeed each other with extreme rapidity, and are in perpetual motion. The principal bays are those of St. Ouen, St. Aubin, Grouville, St. Catherine, and Boulay. St. Ouen's is the most capacious, and the stupendous rocks of L'Etac, which form its northern extremity, are exposed to all the violence of the great wave that breaks upon them from the Atlantic. St. Aubin's opens exactly to the south, and is equally admirable for its extent and for the variety and beauty of its scenery. Grouville bay stretches from La Rocque to the venerable castle of Mont Orgueil, and is inferior only in extent to those already described; the picturesque harbour of Gorey adds greatly to its beauty. St. Catherine's, though comparatively small, is rich in every variety of picturesque and pleasing scenery; a few farm-houses, half concealed by woods extending to the edge of the beach, are scattered round its shores, and the points forming its boundaries are composed of lofty and irregular rocks. Boulay bay is surrounded by rocks of bolder elevation than are found in any other part of the island, but they are destitute of wood, and of every kind of vegetation. The stupendous barriers which form the northern coast contrast finely with the interior of the island, which is richly clothed with wood, and studded with cottages, built of stone and thatched, with orchards attached, and inhabited by the proprietors, who are far removed from poverty, many of them, by a long course of industry, having even acquired a degree of comparative wealth. The island is intersected, in every direction, by beautiful vallies, watered by numerous streams, which issue from their wood-crowned banks, and, after irrigating the meadows and turning many mills, empty themselves into the sea. The coasts abound dwith a great variety of fish; most of those known in England are found here, but the haddock, the smelt, and the muscle, are rarely seen, nor is the cod found to any great extent; the fish most esteemed are the red mullet and the ormer, the latter being highly prized by the natives; the rocks swarm with conger-eels, of which some are fourteen feet in length.

The climate, though tending to humidity, may be considered as temperate and mild; the westerly and south-westerly winds, which prevail generally for three-fourths of the year, convey an abundance of vapour from the Atlantic, a large proportion of which is arrested in its progress by the high lands: no observations have been made to ascertain the quantity of rain that falls during the year, but it is supposed to be about the same as in the western part of Ireland. The dews are also heavy in summer and autumn, and are favourable to vegetation; and though the weather is more variable than in England, the temperature of the air is more genial. The heat of the sun is mitigated in summer by the sea breezes, and the frosts in winter are neither intense nor of long continuance; the snow seldom remains on the ground more than two or three days. Shrubs, which in Devonshire and Cornwall require to be sheltered during the winter months, flourish here in the open air; and carnations, and various other flowers, in a favourable aspect, blossom in the winter. Plants, which cannot be raised in Guernsey, will thrive here in the greatest luxuriance, this being ascribed to the inclination of the shore, which gradually slopes towards the south, while Guernsey, on the contrary, shelves to the north. This island also derives great protection from its proximity to the French coast, which breaks the force of those winds to which Guernsey is constantly exposed. The climate and soil are extremely favourable to the growth of the apple-tree, which is extensively cultivated, and forms a fruitful source of profit to the farmer: thriving orchards are seen in every part of the island, of which they form a distinguishing feature. The Chaumontel pear, cultivated in almost every garden, attains a degree of perfection, both in flavour and size, not elsewhere to be found: it not unfrequently weighs nearly a pound, and so highly is it esteemed, that a hundred of the finest sort will readily sell for £5. 5. Melons are produced in great perfection, the strawberries are remarkable for the richness of their flavour, and the peach and apricot attain a very large size.

The whole of the western end of Jersey consists of light land; the subsoil, in the neighbourhood of Grosnez Point, is chiefly formed of granite in a state of decomposition; on approaching the bay of St. Ouen, the schistose rock may be observed rising nearly to the surface, and the soil is consequently light and thin; but nearer the bay are small fertile glens, which produce the earliest corn in the island. The mielles, or hillocks of sand, by which the bay is skirted, extend for about three miles and a half in length, and are about a mile and a half in breadth; and a tract of high land of nearly seven hundred acres, communicating with them to the south and cast, and being completely open to the western gales, is inundated with sand drifted from these hillocks, which, in some places, rise to the height of one hundred feet above the level of the shore, whereby a constant sterility is produced. In this tract, called Les Quenvoais, vegetable mould is found, at irregular depths below the surface, interspersed with fragments of granite, chrystalized quartz, and schistus. Fragments of coarse French earthenware have been dug up here, but there are few traces of ancient dwellings, or of fences. A few acres of this land have been enclosed by order of General Don, the natural soil having been reached by deep trenching. The soil of the island generally is so fertile, that the produce of ten vergees, less than four acres and a half, is sufficient for the maintenance of a large family; but from the difficulty of procuring labourers, from the dislike of innovation, and the propensity in the possessors of small estates to manage their lands without other assistance than what they obtain from their own families, a less efficient system of agriculture prevails here than in the neighbouring islands. The practice of stacking hay, and cutting it in trusses, is seldom observed, it being loosely stowed away in barns. Jersey formerly produced more corn than was sufficient for the supply of its inhabitants, but at present it does not yield more than two-thirds of the quantity consumed: this decay in the tillage of the lands may be attributed to the improvement of navigation and foreign commerce, which, by furnishing employment to an additional number of the inhabitants, has increased the price of labour; and to the introduction and growth of the stocking manufacture, which has withdrawn considerable numbers from agricultural pursuits. Owing to the increase of the population, a greater number of oxen and sheep were imported from England and France, a greater number of horses became necessary for the military stationed here, and the vast number of cows (of the Alderney breed) exported to England, have led to the conversion of considerable quantities of arable into pasture land. A blue and a yellow clay is met with occasionally, but neither limestone, chalk, nor any calcareous substance has been discovered, except in very trifling portions, nor is either marl or gravel to be found: the walks in gardens and pleasure grounds are laid with fragments of broken rock, which being of a very argillaceous nature, binds well, and serves instead of gravel, sometimes even resembling it in colour. Near the town of St. Helier is a superstratum of brick earth, which, though of inferior quality, has been greatly in demand since the improvement of the town, many of the buildings having been erected with that material. The principal manure is a species of sea-weed, called vraic, which from time immemorial has been highly esteemed, its growth being protected by the laws of the island, which allow it to be cut from the rocks only at one particular time of the year on the western, and at two different periods on the eastern, coast. It is either, in its natural state, dug in with the spade, or burnt to ashes and spread thickly over the surface of the land; when burnt, its efficacy is supposed to be so much increased, that one measure of wheat is willingly exchanged for eight measures of the ashes.

The mode of agriculture very much resembles that of Guernsey, being greatly inferior to the system practised in England; it has been invariably pursued by many succeeding generations, without the smallest deviation, or any attempt at improvement. The large plough is generally used, but neither drilling, nor the horse or hand hoe, is used; and the necessary operation of weeding is but little practised: parsnips and potatoes, eof which there are abundant crops, are kept tolerably clean, but the corn is in general greatly intermixed with weeds. Fallowing is seldom, if ever, practised. From the most accurate calculations, the Jersey wheat is ascertained to be lighter than that produced in England, in the ratio of fifty-two pounds thirteen ounces to sixty-two pounds; but the produce per acre exceeds the English wheat, in a ratio of seven hundred and twenty-seven to four hundred and ninety-six, and the average crop of potatoes, in a ratio of twenty-nine to twenty nearly. The Coteaux, or slopes, yield timber, broom, gorse, and fern; and, where neither too steep nor too rocky, afford good pasturage. Most kinds of forest trees thrive well, particularly the chesnut, the elm, and the white oak; but these and other species of timber would attain a much greater height and girth, were it not for the circumscribed area of the enclosures round which they are planted: some fine beech and ash trees are occasionally seen, and in the parish of St. Clement there is an ever-green oak of extraordinary growth. The fields are enclosed with high banks of great breadth, which, on the side towards the roads, are faced with stone, and most of them are planted with hedge-row trees. The approach to most houses of respectability is by a long narrow avenue, called 'Une Chasse,' the number of which, from the minute subdivisions of property; is exceedingly great. The highways were formerly of various widths, and in that respect were under very strict regulations: in each parish, one of these, called 'Perquage,' led directly from the church to the sea-coast, and was privileged to enable such persons as, for any capital crime, had taken sanctuary in the church, to reach the sea in safety to embark for exile. Along most of the old roads is a paved foot-path, which, as well as the carriage road, is extremely rugged; and, as the breadth of the road will not admit of quartering, the ruts are very deep: the high banks, planted with trees, afford a pleasant shade, and preserve a refreshing coolness in the summer; but in the winter the roads are generally damp and muddy: some fine military roads have been made across the island, which are not inferior to those of England. The horses are small, and not remarkable for beauty; but they are strong, capable of bearing fatigue, and require but little attention, being therefore well adapted for agricultural purposes. The cows, in England distinguished as the Alderney breed, are too generally known and appreciated to require any description; they are common to all these islands, but at least ten times more are exported from Jersey than from Alderney; the number sent annually to England is about one thousand seven hundred. The sheep are of an inferior breed; they are hardy, but the flesh is indifferent, and the wool coarse and of comparatively little value: the degeneration of the breed is attributed to the discontinuance of the manufacture of knit woollen stockings, which formerly prevailed here to a great extent, but has been superseded by the more profitable pursuits of agriculture and commerce. The island affords various kind of game, but the liberty of shooting, which is now denied to no person, has very much contributed to reduce the quantity. Formerly the jurats, the king's officers, and the lords of the manors, were the only persons privileged to shoot game, in which were included even pigeons and rabbits. The red-legged partridge, which formerly abounded, is now rarely seen; and it is remarkable, that the pheasant is not found in this island, which is thickly wooded, although it occasionally frequents the small island of Herm, which is destitute of timber; the wheatear is common, and, in cold seasons, the woodcock is frequently met with. The coasts are frequented by many species of sea-fowl, and the bernacle is occasionally seen in the winter. Toads, for which Jersey has always been remarkable, are found in every variety of species, some of enormous size, and lizards of every hue may be seen basking in the sun, during the summer.

The only branch of manufacture which ever prevailed was that of knit-stockings, which had attained to such perfection, that laws were framed to preserve its reputation by inflicting penalties on such as, by deteriorating the quality, might injure the sale, of the article; but the extent to which it was carried on being found injurious to the agricultural interest, by withdrawing the labourer from the cultivation of the soil, a law was passed, in 1608, to compel all persons above the age of fifteen to relinquish that employment, and assist the farmers during the seasons of vraicking and harvest: the manufacture still exists, but is confined to females, and to the aged and infirm.

The civil government is vested in the royal court of Jersey, and in the assembly of the states; and the military command is entrusted to a governor appointed by the crown. The royal court is composed of the bailiff, who is appointed by the crown, and, as the king's representative in the court, occupies a seat elevated above that of the governor; and of twelve jurats, who must be Protestants of the church of England, and are elected by the people. The bailiff presides; in all the debates he sums up the opinions, and pronounces the sentence of the court, but has no deliberative voice, unless on an equality of votes of the jurats, in which case he has a casting vote; in every other instance he is bound by the majority, and decides accordingly. The dignity and prerogatives of his office are very great; he is the keeper of the public seal, which, however, he cannot affix to any act without the concurrence of three of the jurats: the duties of his office require a thorough knowledge of the laws, and an almost constant attendance at his post. The jurats are appointed for life, but are removable at the pleasure of the sovereign, or may be dismissed on their own petition: their office is honorary and without emolument, and the few privileges attached to it are by no means commensurate to the labour of discharging its duties. There can be no proceedings unless the bailiff, or his lieutenant, be present, but neither of them can sit in judgment on any matter in which he is personally interested. The court is attended by the following officers; Le Procureur du Roi, or attorney-general; Le Vicomte, or high sheriff; L'Avocat du Roi, or solicitor-general; Le Greffier, or clerk, who has the custody of the rolls and records; two Denonciateurs, or under-sheriffs, who publish the injunctions of the court; six Avocats du Burreau, or pleaders at the bar; and l'Huissier, or usher, whose business it is to preserve order. To constitute a court, there must be present the bailiff, two jurats, the procureur, or the avocat du roi, the vicomte, or his deputy, or one of the denonciateurs, and the greffier, and, though not essentially a member of the court, L'Enregistreur, or keeper of the register for hereditary contracts. The froyal court has cognizance of all pleas, suits, and actions, whether real, personal, or criminal, arising within the island, treason alone excepted; some other matters are also reserved for the decision of the king in council, to whom alone this tribunal is immediately subordinate. The courts of Westminster have no authority within the island: even prior to the reign of John, by whom the court was in a great degree modelled, the governor held the pleas, and, in extraordinary cases, appeals were made to Normandy, but never to England. Subsequently to that time, appeals were sometimes made to the English courts, but the practice was discontinued in the reign of Edward III., and Lord Chief Justice Coke admits, 'that the king's writ runneth not in these isles,' but maintains, 'that the king's commission under the great seal does operate.' After the hearing of a cause before a Corps de Cour, or a full court, an appeal may be made to the king in council, under certain regulations, and by consent of the court; but in every case these appeals must be determined according to the laws and customs of the island. Should the court refuse to grant an appeal, a doleance, or complaint to the king, may be preferred: in criminal cases there is no appeal, nor can the governor even suspend the execution of a sentence till the king's pleasure be known.

The assembly of the states is composed of the bailiff, who is perpetual president; the twelve jurats, representing the inhabitants of the first class; and the clergy and the twelve constables, representing the several parishes: the procureur and avocat du roi, or attorney and solicitor general, and the vicomte, or sheriff, are also admitted, but have no vote; and the greffier of the royal court is, by virtue of his office, clerk of the assembly of the states. The assembly is convened by the bailiff, or his lieutenant, but the governor's assent is necessary to authorise the meeting; if, however, he postpone their assembling for more than fourteen days, he is bound to assign a reason. To constitute a meeting of the assembly, it is requisite that seven from each body should be present, unless upon occasions of very sudden emergency; foreigners preferred to benefices are not admissible till they have been naturalized. The principal business brought before the assembly of the states is, the granting of supplies for the public service, and the naturalization of foreigners; the governor possesses a veto on all their deliberations. The constables, who are the principal magistrates in every parish, are chosen in the same manner as the jurats; their appointment is triennial, but they may be re-elected, and their office is similar to that of mayors in corporate towns in England; besides being members of the assembly of the states, they preside at all parochial meetings on secular business. Under each of the constables are two centeniers, who preside over one hundred families, and, in the absence of the constable, the senior centenier performs his duty, and represents him in the assembly of the states. There are several vintainiers, each of whom has the charge of one of the vintaines, or double tythings, into which every parish is divided, except the parish of St. Ouen, of which the divisions are called cuillettes. There are also Officiers du Connetable, officers of the constable, whose duties are similar to those of constables in England, and two procureurs du bien publique, whose office it is to conduct any parochial lawsuits.

The laws may be comprised under two general heads; first, the ancient customs of Normandy, together with municipal and local usages; secondly, ordinances made by different sovereigns, and acts passed by the states and confirmed by the king; together with such orders as have been, at various times, transmitted from the council board. Acts of parliament, in which the island is particularly named, have no force unless transmitted from the king in council, and registered in due form. A code of laws was compiled by the states in 1771, and sanctioned by the king, which superseded the laws previously enacted by the court; and though the assembly of the states, or legislative body, can still make provisional statutes, yet they do not remain in force longer than three years, unless san?tioned and rendered permanent by an order of council; neither can any alteration be made in laws previously established, unless under the sanction of the same authority. As there is but one tribunal before which a great variety of causes requiring different kinds of process must be brought, the court necessarily assumes four distinct characters, and, according to the functions which it has to discharge, is termed, La Cour d'Heritage, La Cour de Catel, La Cour du Billet, and La Cour Extraordinaire, or La Cour de Samedi. La Cour d'Heritage takes cognizance only of hereditary causes, such as the partition of estates, differences concerning boundaries, trespasses, &c.; La Cour de Catel takes cognizance of rents and decrees; La Cour du Billet is chiefly for arrears of rents and the recovery of small debts; and La Cour Extraordinaire determines all personal actions. The procureur du roi is the prosecutor in all criminal cases, and every accusation is first examined by a petty jury, termed la petite enquete, composed of the parochial constable and twelve of his officers, of whom it is necessary that seven should concur in opinion to find a prisoner guilty: should the prisoner disapprove of the verdict, he may appeal to a grand jury, termed la grande enquete, composed of twenty-four persons chosen from the three neighbouring parishes, any of whom, on substantial grounds, may be objected to by him, but a peremptory challenge is not allowed: five concurrent voices are sufficient to acquit the accused party, to whom, if he cannot afford to employ counsel, one of the advocates of the bar is assigned by the court to plead his cause. A prisoner is seldom fettered while in confinement, and never while on his trial, as the laws of these islands, in harmony with the spirit of English law, presume every accused person to be innocent, till he has been pronounced guilty. Prisoners are not, as in England, found either guilty or not guilty; but, according to circumstances, are pronounced either plutot coupable qu' innocent (rather guilty than innocent), or plutot innocent que coupable (rather innocent than guilty); should the former of these verdicts be returned, his indictment is declared to be legal. When sentence of death is pronounced, the bailiff and the jurats put on their hats, and the prisoner kneels to receive it. Forgery is not punished with death, but is considered a fraud: in 1814, an individual convicted of this crime was sentenced to the pillory, and to have the tip of his right ear cut off; but mutilation of the person appears gto be now exploded: the crime of forgery is here of very rare occurrence.

In cases of insolvency, the insolvent makes a public cession of his property for the benefit of his creditors, which is termed 'renoncer,' and his estate is said to be 'en decret.' The creditors who have sued take precedence according to the date of their actions; arrears of rents, if registered, have a preference over simple contract debts, but they cannot be recovered after a lapse of five years. When the creditors are all assembled, those whose debts have not been sued for and registered are first applied to, with an offer of the insolvent's estate, subject to the condition of paying the claims of all the other creditors: should one or more accept the offer, the estate is adjudged to them; but should they refuse, their own claims are annulled: should they all decline the condition, the estate is offered to the last on the list of registered creditors, on the same terms; and, on his refusal, to the next in priority before him, till some one accepts the terms. It sometimes thus happens that the party accepting the estate will obtain, after paying the other creditors whose debts have not been cancelled by a refusal, more than the sum due to him; but if it should be less, it is, notwithstanding, a dividend upon his debt, which he would otherwise have forfeited. The property of those debtors not privileged, that is, of those who do not possess rents in the island, is immediately, upon an arrest being made, placed in the hands of the sheriff, for the benefit of such creditors as have sued, who, if the property be sufficient, are paid in full; but should there be a deficiency, the creditors are paid in the order in which they have sued, those on the first day in full, and the next day in full, if sufficient assets, if not, the whole is divided amongst them. Should a privileged debtor wish to have his effects secured, with a view to gain time for making an arrangement with his creditors, he may apply to the court, and, upon an assurance of his solvency, two jurats are appointed to superintend the collection of his debts and rents; a reasonable sum is allowed him for the maintenance of his family, and a year and a day are granted for the liquidation of his debts. In cases of imprisonment for debt, the prisoner is not entitled to the writ of Habeas Corpus, which, though said to extend to Jersey, is not registered in the island, nor allowed by the court. No proprietor of lands or rents can be imprisoned for debt, unless by order of the court. Ten years is the term of limitation on actions of debt, bonds, and other simple contracts. Rents are considered as mortgages on estates, and were formerly paid either in corn or in money, varying according to the value of grain. In all deeds the term corn rent is still retained, and the custom, though anciently originating in the poverty of the inhabitants, and in the scarcity of money, has been found so salutary in its effects, that it has been continued, and extended to every species of real property. Landlords may attach for rent accruing, though not actually due, and prevent the removal of any articles thus attached; and, should they be perishable articles, they may proceed to sell. The real and personal property of a person dying insolvent are equally liable to the liquidation of his debts.

In the division of property, the eldest son, or, in failure of male issue, the eldest daughter, is entitled to one out of every ten vergees of land in the estate, and to the principal house and all the avenues leading to it, to enable him to discharge the seigneurial services and ground-rent, payable in corn to the original lord of the soil; and to indemnify him for those military supplies which every estate, in proportion to its extent, is bound to furnish, should the defence of the island require it; and for the payment of all ground-rents now payable in money, which may have been due upon the estate for forty years. When these claims have been discharged, two-thirds of the remainder of the estate are divided among the other sons, and one-third among the daughters, each being charged with a due proportion of any other mortgages that may be due upon the property. No real property is devisable by will. A wife, on the death of her husband, may claim one-half of his personal property, if he have no children; if he have, she can claim only one-third; one-third becomes the portion of the children, and the remaining third may be disposed of according to the will of the testator. A widower, having no children, may dispose of his property as he thinks fit: a widow can claim, as her dower, one-third of her husband's estate. A widower, on the death of his wife, if there be issue, enjoys the whole of her real estate till he marries again, in which case, as also if there be no issue, it reverts to her next of kin. A wife, on her husband's death, may reclaim her estate, if it has been sold, or encumbered, by him, without her sanction being expressed by becoming a party to the deed; and should she die first, her heirs have the same privilege. A father cannot give to any one of his children a greater portion of his landed property than is specified by law; should be do so, his donation may be annulled by an action brought within a year and a day after his decease. The personal property of persons dying intestate is divided equally among all the children, if they be all sons or all daughters; but if there be both, two-thirds are divided equally among the sons, and the remaining third among the daughters. All sales of land belonging to minors may be revoked by them, on coming of age. Holders of estates owe homage to the lord of the manor, and, when required, are obliged to deliver into the baronial court an account of all the lands they possess, under a penalty of seizure of their property, till the contempt of court is cleared. In cases of collateral succession, the lords enjoy the estates of the deceased for one year: the undisturbed possession of an estate for forty years is equivalent to a title. Title deeds and mortgages must be inserted in a register, which is kept by a registrar duly appointed; the neglect of this insertion invalidates the mortgage. If an estate is overcharged with mortgages, the cessio bonorum, or relinquishment of property, is allowed to the mortgager, in the same manner as in cases of insolvency; the mortgagees institute proceedings to establish their claims, which last for a year, and during that time the lord of the manor enjoys the estate of the mortgager. At the end of that time, it is demanded of the last mortgagee whether he will take the estate and make good all the preceding claims upon it; if he refuses to do so, his own claim is cancelled, and the same offer is made to the next in succession, and continued, as in insolvency, till some one of the mortgagees is found who will accept the estate, and discharge all claims upon it which remain uncancelled.

The tenure of land purchased with money only cannot be considered stable till the expiration of a hyear and a day, within which time, the next of kin to the seller, or the lord of the manor, is privileged, by the law of Retraite, or pre-emption, to take the estate from the buyer, on returning the purchase money: if the estate be purchased with rents, the sale cannot be set aside, as the transaction is considered rather as an exchange of real property than as a purchase. All encroachments on property, and civil injuries, which require a prompt redress, may, as in Guernsey, be visited by the Clameur de Haro, after which an action is brought: this singular exclamation, of which the forms is 'Haro! haro! haro! ? l'aide mon Prince!' was anciently made use of in the duchy of Normandy, on occasions of great peril or importance, and was an appeal to Rollo, the first duke, for justice and protection: the word Haro is compounded of Ha, an earnest ejaculation, and Ro, a contraction of Rollo; and it operates as an instantaneous check, not to be disregarded. There are two regular terms in every year, in which the court meets for the dispatch of business, and they are fixed at such times as not to interfere with the seasons of vraicking or harvest; the court occasionally holds sittings out of term, for the decision of admiralty causes, and actions on bills of exchange, notes of hand, and commercial matters, which require a prompt decision. The processes are conducted, and all public acts and deeds are recorded, in the French language, which is spoken by the upper classes, but the general language of the island is what is called the Jersey French, a kind of patois, which differs in every parish, and also from the patois used in Guernsey.

The military government is vested in a governor, appointed by the crown, who enjoys the whole of the revenue arising from the royal demesnes: this revenue has varied at different times, and the privileges and prerogatives of the governor have also been subject to repeated fluctuation. In the earlier periods of the history of Jersey, the governor had not only the entire direction of military operations, but was also at the head of civil affairs, and was then styled bailiff; his office was of very considerable importance, and the name of it was adopted from the French, among whom it designated an officer invested with high judicial functions, being in Spelman's Glossary thus noticed, 'Ballivus apud Gallos splendidus Magistratus est.' These offices were separated in the reign of Edward L., in 1301; and the appointment of the bailiff was vested in the governor, but this privilege was abolished in the reign of Henry VII., since which time the appointment of the bailiff has been exercised solely by the crown. The governor still retains a small degree of civil authority, and has a negative voice in the assembly of the states; but his duties are principally confined to the military defence of the island. The lieutenant-governor, who is always a military officer, discharges all the duties of the governor, has under his immediate command the garrison of regular troops stationed in the island, and grants commissions to the officers of the militia, which is under his superintendence and control. The militia is a very numerous and efficient force; every native of the island, between the ages of seventeen and sixty-five, is liable to serve in it, and strangers, after a year's residence, are equally bound to contribute their personal service. Each regiment is composed of a certain number of men, furnished, in proportion to their extent, by a district consisting of a certain number of parishes. To each regiment is attached a company of artillery, and such as are judged least fit for actual service are appointed to man the coast bateries of their respective districts. The whole of the militia are provided with arms and clothing from the British government, but, with the exception of the adjutants and drill-serjeants, neither officers nor privates receive pay. During war the duty of the militia is very severe; detachments from the different regiments are successively employed in mounting guard round the island, and, in cases of alarm, they assemble with great celerity. In time of peace their discipline is by no means neglected: during winter they are frequently drilled in companies, and in summer as often exercised in brigade, They are annually inspected by the lieutenant-governor, and boys, who have not attained the age of admission into the ranks, are instructed in the use of arms, and rewarded with prizes, according to their proficiency. Exclusively of the regular force under the more immediate command of the lieutenant-governor, there are five regiments of militia, at all times ready to assemble for the defence of the island. Besides its natural barriers, jersey is strongly defended by forts at all those points where it is most easy of access, and consequently most liable to assault: of these, the principal are Fort Regent, the castles of Mont Orgueil and St. Aubin, and Elizabeth Castle.

The public revenue of the island is principally derived from a new impost on wine and spirits, and from the sums paid for licenses by the keepers of taverns and public houses: though small, it is sufficient for the general expenditure, and is levied in such a manner as to press lightly upon all classes of the inhabitants. The harbours are kept in repair by the dues of anchorage paid by every vessel entering them, for shelter or for commercial purposes, and by an ancient impost upon the importation of wine, which has been levied for that purpose almost from time immemorial. The great military roads are kept in repair by the several parishes, but a grant is generally made by the assembly of the states, when any important or extensive improvement is to be accomplished. The various parochial expenses are defrayed by a rate levied on the landholders, of which the proportion for each parish is previously fixed by an assembly, consisting of the principal landed proprietors in the island. When any extraordinary works are undertaken, which might draw too largely on the funds of the parish, the expense is generally provided for by lotteries, and in no instance are the needy required to contribute to the supply of the revenue, or to the public expenditure, of the island.

The ecclesiastical government is vested in a dean, appointed by the crown, who is also rector of one of the parishes. The dean holds an ecclesiastical court; in which he is assisted by the rectors of the several parishes: an appeal from his judgment lies to the Bishop of Winchester, and, in the event of a vacancy in that see, to the Archbishop of Canterbury: in these appeals the parties must attend in person, and the decision is irreversible. The ecclesiastical laws, which are regulated by the canons of James I., give the dean the power of granting special licenses for marriage; the probate of wills, which must be registered in his office, and approved by his seal; and letters of administration iof the goods of intestates dying without heirs, to the next of kin. The early inhabitants were followers of the Druids till the sixth century, when they were converted to Christianity by St. Magliore, who had previously established the Christian faith in the island of Sark; and the efforts of Pr?textatus, who, being banished from Rouen, remained for ten years in the island, completed the conversion of the inhabitants. The Normans, to expiate their former cruelty, erected, after their conversion to Christianity, numerous religious edifices in the island, and endowed them with ample revenues. After the alienation of the Norman isles from the parent state, the inhabitants remained under the spiritual control of its bishop, till after the Reformation, when the island was annexed to the see of Winchester, in the reign of Elizabeth. Edward VI. presented them with a copy of the English liturgy, in the French language, which was used in the several churches till the mass and the Roman Catholic religion were revived, in the reign of Mary. Paulet, the last papistical dean, was dismissed by Queen Elizabeth, and the reformed religion was restored, in 1565; but from that time till the year 1620, there was neither a book of common prayer, nor a professed form of liturgy in the island, nor were the churches under the superintendence of any spiritual head. Several French Protestants, disciples of Calvin, having arrived, they began to introduce their own principles, and to overturn the whole system of church government; and a species of discipline, formed upon their own model, was established in the place of episcopal jurisdiction, which was no longer acknowledged; all ecclesiastical affairs were regulated by their councils of consistories, colloquies, and the synod. The church remained in this state till the reign of James I., who ordered that the liturgy should be reestablished, but with certain qualifications, adapted to the prejudices of the people at the time, and tending to their gradual eradication. From this period the influence of the presbytery declined, and David Bandinel being appointed dean, the powers of ecclesiastical jurisdiction were restered to the spiritual court. Bandinel continued to discharge the duties of his office till 1643, when, being suspected of encouraging the distraction of the times, he was confined, and, in attempting to escape from Mont Orgueil castle, was killed by falling from the ramparts. From the commencement of the parliamentary war till the Restoration, the liturgy was discontinued, and the office of dean abolished; but, in 1661, the dean was re-appointed, and the regular service of the church restored; since which time the ecclesiastical affairs of the island have remained without any interruption. The revenue of the church is inconsiderable: the corn tithes of the parish of St. Saviour, which had previously belonged to the crown, were annexed to the deanery by James I. The income of the rectors of the other parishes is derived from the small tithes, to which is added that portion of the great tithes which, in some of the parishes, was granted by the Norman abbots to their subordinate ministers. The incumbents of some of the benefices receive also the tithe on waste lands recently brought into cultivation, which were formerly claimed by the clergy, under the designation of 'Novels, or Deserts.' A parsonage-house is attached to each living, and is kept in repair at the expense of the parishioners: each parish has a fund, arising from donations and benefactions, for repairing the church and the parsonage-house; and the poor are supported by donations, collections at the churches, and by rates.

The island of Jersey comprises the parishes of St. Brelade; St. Clement; Grouville; St. Helier, or La Ville; St. Jean, or St. John; St. Laurent, or St. Lawrence; St. Marie, or St. Mary; St. Martin; St. Ouen; St. Pierre, or St. Peter; St. Sauveur, or St. Saviour; and La Trinité, or the Holy Trinity; the livings are all rectories, in the deanery of Jersey. Of these, the principal, or, as it is called, the Town parish, is that of ST. HELIER, which includes the town of that name, the principal in the island, and contains 10,118 inhabitants. The town occupies a very considerable portion of the parish, and is rapidly increasing in extent: it is pleasantly situated, and is completely sheltered from the northerly winds by an extensive range of hills; the streets are spacious and well paved, and the inhabitants are amply supplied with water. The public subscription library was erected in 1736, and furnished with a valuable collection of books by the Rev. Phillip Falle, the venerable historian of the island; the collection was considerably augmented by the late Rev. Dr. Dumaresq; it is open to the inhabitants upon very moderate terms: there is also a circulating library, with a handsome reading-room in the Royal square.

From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale