Editing History of Jersey (section)

=== Commonwealth and Restoration (1651-1689) ===
The Puritan Col. James Heane was appointed Governor of Jersey in 1651. There were complaints from islanders about the new resident soldiers. Despite the fact that Heane had prohibited looting, many soldiers stole things from islanders and secularised a number of holy buildings, for example burning all the pews in [[Saint Helier|St Helier]]'s church. Many soldiers attending services at the island's churches disrespected services because they could not understand them, as Jersey services were in the local French language. Printed slips were brought from England which Jerseymen were required to sign, swearing allegiance to the 'Republic of England ... without King or House of Lords'.<ref name="BHJ" />{{Rp|139–40}}

The Royalist landowners could redeem their land by paying between one and two years' income. However Jersey's system of ''rentes'' were complicated from an English perspective and the process of extracting the value of incomes from the landlords was laborious. The Receiver-General stormed because he could not get enough funds for his department, leading to him affronting the Bailiff and being imprisoned in Mont Orgeuil.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=140}}

There was concern over the new republican Government's powers to reform Jersey's system of governance. At the time, all but one Jurat had been deposed of office and Parliament had prevented any election in the island until it had control of the situation. The Council recommended that the island's government be fully restored, but that all entrusted with public office should be freely elected and not to enjoy continuance for life. However, before the reforms could be implemented, the English Lord Protector [[Oliver Cromwell]] dissolved the Long Parliament in 1653. As such, the replacement Parliament recommended that year that ten new Jurats be elected, provided they were loyal to Parliament and to hold office for two years only. However, this new Parliament was also dissolved, so only one Jurat remained. Attempts were also made to incorporate Jersey into England. In 1652, Parliament had treated it as an English county, appointing a county committee, and in 1653, an Instrument decreed that Jersey should send one member to the House of Commons. In the end, the States never met during the nine years of the Commonwealth as the Bailiff, Lemprière, refused to call on the Rectors.

Instead the island was governed by the Royal Court (called ''L'État'' or the Court of the Lord Protector). Cromwell directly appointed – as opposed to the islanders electing – eleven Jurats to serve on the Court, however many of these were absent and neither able to govern nor administer justice.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=141–2}}

While Charles was proclaimed King in London on 8 May 1660, it was not until 2 June that that news reached the island, and Charles II was proclaimed King for the second time in the Royal Square.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=146}} In recognition for all the help given to him during his exile, Charles II gave [[George Carteret]], Bailiff and governor, a large grant of land in the American colonies, which he promptly named [[New Jersey]], now part of the United States of America.<ref>{{cite book |last=Weeks |first=Daniel J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FM_BrMaXR2kC&pg=PA45 |title=Not for Filthy Lucre's Sake |date=1 May 2001 |publisher=[[Lehigh University|Lehigh University Press]] |isbn=0-934223-66-1 |page=45}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Cochrane |first=Willard W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gnqxb5vuTEMC&pg=PA18 |title=The Development of American Agriculture |date=30 September 1993 |publisher=[[University of Minnesota Press]] |isbn=0-8166-2283-3 |page=18}}</ref> Furthermore, Charles II presented to the island a royal mace as a 'perpetual remembrance of [the Bailiffs'] fiedelity'; since then, it has always been carried before the Bailiff at sittings of the Royal Court and the States (even during the Occupation).<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|28–9}}

Another reward given to the island by Charles was the perquages. These are a series of routes that offered sanctuary to malefactors to leave the island. All except St Ouen and St Martin lead to the south coast. For example, St Mary, St John and St Lawrence leave via St Peter's Valley and Beaumont (today a cycle track leading to the south coast). Where a case did not amount to felony, wrongdoers could request to ''vider le pays'', being entitled to nine days of sanctuary in any of the parish churches and then having to leave the island using a perquage route. This theory of the perquages as being routes of sanctuary is disputed. However, it is likely the clergy used these ancient ways to convey outlaws to the sea and records show sanctions for blocking the perquage way.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=147}}

In 1666, it was reported by English spies in Paris that Louis XIV intended to invade Jersey after his declaration of war with England. The Governor rallied the militia, intent on dying to defend the island, but peace was agreed before any invasion could happen.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=150–1}}

In 1673, there were concerns over the growing number of houses on the island. The construction of houses on arable land was putting the island's self-sustenance and food security at risk. Therefore, the States declared that new houses should only be built in St Aubin and Gorey, or where surrounded by 20 vergées of land.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=154}}

In 1680, the States voted in favour of requesting the island's first dedicated prison be constructed in town in order to be nearer the Royal Court (previously prisoners had been held at Mont Orgueil, the King's tenants in the east being required to guard them). The building arching over Charing Cross (at the time the entrance to town from the west) was completed by 1699, where the prison would remain until its 1811 relocation to the present site of the General Hospital (on Gloucester Street, not at Westmount).<ref name="BHJ" />{{Rp|166}}