Editing History of Jersey (section)

== 13th century ==
It is said, in tradition, that the island's autonomy derives from the ''Constitutions of King John'', however this is disputed. Until King James II, successive English monarchs have then granted to Jersey by charter its certain privileges, likely to ensure the island's continued loyalty, accounting for its advantageous position at the boundary of the European continent.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|25}} As John (and later [[Henry III of England|Henry III]]) maintained his title as the rightful Duke of Normandy until 1259, the island's courts were originally established as Norman, not English territory (to use English law would de-legitimise the English Crown's claim to the ducal title), so are based upon traditional Norman laws and customs, such as the ''Coutumier de Normandie''.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |first=Colin |last=Platt |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/705959744 |title=A concise history of Jersey : a new perspective |date=2009 |publisher=Societe Jersiaise |isbn=978-0-901897-46-6 |oclc=705959744}}</ref>

Now sited on the French-English border, the [[Channel Islands]] ceased to be a peaceful backwater and became a potential flashpoint on the international stage. Under the wardenships of Philippe d'Aubigny (1212–1224, 1232–1234), the island was attacked by [[Eustace the Monk]], a pirate, while the warden was fighting for the King in the [[First Barons' War|Barons' war]]. In 1217, [[Louis VIII of France|Louis]], the son of [[Philip II of France]], ordered after the [[Treaty of Lambeth]], that the supporters of Eustace should return the islands to England. The same year, Eustace was beheaded after being captured at [[Battle of Sandwich (1217)|Sandwich]].<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|25}} Therefore, the Warden, de Suligny, constructed a castle at Gorey, known as [[Mont Orgueil]], to serve as a royal fortress and military base. This was needed as the Island had few defences and had previously been suppressed by a fleet commanded by a French exile, [[Eustace the Monk]] working with the English King until in 1212 he changed sides and raided the Channel Islands on behalf of the French King.<ref name="BHJ" />{{rp|25–8}}

An inquest was held into the loyalty of the Jersey landowners. Most Jersey landowners had their main estates on the Mainland, so John needed to re-organise the land to remove the unfaithful lords. Most lords forfeited their insular land in favour of their French territory, but some remained, notably the de Carteret family of St Ouen.<ref name=":7" /> The old aristocracy gave way to a new one, with landowners drawn from royal officials, who soon came to think of themselves as islanders rather than Englishmen. This saw the firm establishment of the feudal system in Jersey, with fiefs headed by Seigneurs.<ref name="BHJ" /><sup>:30</sup>

In the [[Treaty of Paris (1259)]], the King of France gave up claim to the Channel Islands. The claim was based upon his position as feudal overlord of the Duke of Normandy. The King of England gave up claim to mainland Normandy and therefore the Channel Islands were split from the rest of Normandy. The Channel Islands were never absorbed into the Kingdom of England and the island has had self-government since. The administration of the island was handled by an insular government. The King appointed a Warden (later "Capitain" or "Governor", now the [[Lieutenant Governor of Jersey|Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey]]), a position largely occupied with the defence of the island. From 1415 until the second half of the 15th century, the islands were governed by a Lord (or Lady).<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|25}} Despite the end to Norman rule, the churches of the island were permitted to continue to be under the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances|Diocese of Coutances]] for another 300 years to appease islanders, however at times of war the liberties of the [[clergy]] were often restricted.<ref name="BHJ" />{{rp|27}}

The existing Norman customs and laws were allowed to continue and there was no attempt to introduce English law. The formerly split administrative system was replaced with a centralised legal system, of which the head was the King of England rather than the Duke of Normandy. The law was conducted through 12 jurats, constables ({{Lang|fr|Connétable}}) and a bailiff ({{Lang|fr|Baillé}}). These titles have different meanings and duties to those in England.<ref name="BHJ" />{{rp|27–8}} Any oppression by a bailiff or a warden was to be resolved locally or failing that, by appeal to the King who appointed commissioners to report on disputes.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} In the late 1270s, Jersey was given its own Bailiff and from the 1290s, the duties of Bailiff and Warden were separated. The (Sub-)Warden became responsible for taxation and defence, while the Bailiff became responsible for justice. While probably originally a temporary arrangement by Otto de Grandison, this became permanent and the foundation for Jersey's modern separation of Crown and justice. It also lessened the Warden's authority relative to the Bailiff, who had much more interaction with the community.<ref name=":7" />

The role of the jurats when the King's court was mobile would have been preparatory work for the visit of the [[Justice in eyre|Justices in Eyre]]. It is unknown for how long the position of the jurats has existed, with some claiming the position dates to [[time immemorial]]. After the cessation of the visits of the Justices in Eyre (and with the frequent absence of the Warden), the Bailiff and jurats took on a much wider role, from jury to justice.<ref name="BHJ" /><sup>:28</sup>

For geographic reasons, during the thirteenth century, the Channel Islands became a strategic stopping point for fleets carrying goods, particularly wine, across the Channel. This led to an economic boom, islanders becoming highly wealthy, and a population boom. Jersey's population probably numbered around 12,000, beyond what the island's agriculture was able to sustain itself.<ref name=":7" />

In 1294, [[Philip IV of France|Philip IV the Fair]] of [[Kingdom of France|France]] refused to return [[Duchy of Aquitaine|Aquitainian]] fortresses surrendered to his men by [[Edward I of England|Edward{{nbsp}}I]] and his brother [[Edmund Crouchback]] as a show of good faith after an outbreak of piracy and informal war between the two countries. Jersey was attacked the same year as part of the ensuing [[Gascon War]] and in revenge for the destruction of a French fleet in the Channel. Churches, homes, and crops were destroyed and many islanders died.<ref name=":7" />