Norman Conquest

Islanders proudly state that their ancestors were part of the forces of Norman the Conqueror which defeated England in 1066. In fact since around 933, when Rollo's son William Longsword added the islands to the dukedom of Normandy, the inhabitants of these islands have been answerable only to the Duke of Normandy and his successors, the British sovereign. When Guillaume Duke of Normandy conquered England in 1066, he became King William I as well as Duke of Normandy. However when King John lost the territory of Normandy to Philip II of France, the Channel Islands remained loyal to the English crown. In return for this loyalty, King John granted to the islands, certain rights and privileges in 1215 which enabled them to be virtually self-governing, subject only to Royal assent and enactments through the Privy Council. In 1294 a large part of the Guernsey population were killed in French raids. In fact over the ensuing centuries, possession of the islands switched back and forth between the English and French six times. Large castles were built most of which still survive today.

Between 1338 and 1340, the French occupied Guernsey and seized Castle Cornet, holding on to it for six years. Raids continued up to the end of the 1400s and in 1480 Pope Sixtus IV declared the island to be neutral.

In 1481 the States of Guernsey had been formed and Guernsey was already exporting woolens.  

At the end of the English civil war, Guernsey petitioned the Monarchy pleading for a Royal pardon in 1660. This was granted and all previous rights and privileges were restored.

In the 1600's privateering became commonplace and considerable wealth started to build up in the islands. This was legalised piracy licensed by the Crown to seize foreign ships. During the Reformation ,the islands swayed between Catholicism and Protestantism. John Wesley visited Guernsey in 1787 and Methodism flourished.  

In the 1800's, wealthy French residents fleeing the revolution,  set up home in the islands and many of the Town houses one sees today were built during this era. Sixteen forts and 58 coastal batteries were also built to defend the island from the French prior to the Battle of Waterloo. The Bridge area at St Sampsons was also filled in to stop the north of the island from being separated.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, as a result of the Napoleonic wars, the trade of Guernsey was practically extinguished and the people were in despair. Unemployment was rife, the sea defences were breaking down, there were practically no roads, public buildings were in disrepair and, above all, a new market house, where the islanders could exchange their produce, was urgently needed. After much debate the States agreed to issue its own bank notes for the first time and 40,000 £1 notes were issued in 1816 - See interesting article http://www.alor.org/Library/The%20Guernsey%20Market%20House%20Scheme%20.htm

In St Peter Port, much of the harbour as we know it was extended between 1853 and 1870.  St Sampsons harbour was built between 1866 and 1870.

Roads started to be built or widened and St Peter Port installed drainage systems following an outbreak of cholera in 1832.

Stone export was big business and over 100 quarries were being worked. Gas lighting arrived and the population grew from 16,000 to 40,000.  See Quarrying in Guernsey for more details.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited in 1846 as there was considerable unrest linked to the unpopular Lieutenant Governor and in 1879 the island had its first tramway.

Although conscription has never featured in Guernsey, many Guernseymen served in the Guernsey Militia in the First World war and huge casualties were seen. It was later disbanded.

In 1926 the English language was adopted and the island's currency linked to the British Pound. Tomatoes were starting to outstrip Grapes as the main crop and the New Jetty was added to the harbour in 1928.  

During 1940-1945, Guernsey was occupied by German forces and huge numbers of defensive positions were built as part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall. Of the population of 40,000 17,000 were evacuated to England.

By1944, most islanders were near to starvation and a Red Cross ship carrying supplies in 1944 was a very welcome sight. The islands were liberated in May 1945 and every year islanders celebrate their freedom on 9th May.

Books on the German Occupation are available from http://pickwicks.co.uk/acatalog/CIN_Shop_Online_Occupation_History_7.html

Post war, tourism started to really take off and around 250,000 people per annum were visiting Guernsey. The tax rate was reduced to 20% in 1959 and a large influx of wealthy UK individuals followed. Housing controls were brought in during the 1960s to try and control the population growth but with limited success.

In the 1970s the old harbour and Victoria dock were converted to marinas for local and visiting boat owners and in 1973 Guernsey became an Associate member of the EEC. At the start of the 1980s the North Beach marina and car park were built.  

Stable government and a lack of party politics has encouraged Banking and Finance generally, to be the main income earners  from the 1980's onwards and has brought huge wealth to Guernsey  and a respectable standing in the world of Offshore Finance centres. 

As with elsewhere in the World, fast technological change has been a feature of the 1980s and 1990s and as the new Millennium appeared, the island was gearing itself for e-commerce.