Jersey: History
=== Prehistoric and ancient Jersey ===
The La Cotte de St Brelade site on the southwest coast indicates that what is now Jersey was inhabited by Neanderthals as early as 200-250,000 years ago, when the island was connected to the French mainland. The inland Les Varines site indicates that Jersey was occupied by modern humans of the late Upper Palaeolithic Magdalenian culture towards the end of the last ice age. During the early part of the Mesolithic (when Jersey was inhabited by hunter-gatherers, as indicated by microlith finds), Jersey remained part of France, but had become an island by towards the end of period by 5500 BC. The Neolithic occupation of the island shows the construction of dolmens, such as La Hougue Bie. Evidence of Bronze Age and early Iron Age settlements can be found in many locations around the island.
Archaeological evidence of Roman influence has been found, in particular at Les Landes.
Christianity was brought to the island by migrants from Brittany in c. fifth – sixth century CE. In the sixth century, the island's patron saint Helier lived at the Hermitage on L'Islet (now Elizabeth Castle). Legend states that Helier was beheaded by raiders and subsequently lifted his head and walked to shore.
In the ninth century the island was raided by Vikings and in 933 it was annexed to Normandy by William Longsword. When Duke William the Conqueror became King of England in 1066, the island remained part of the Norman possessions. However, in 1204, when Normandy was returned to the French king, the island remained a possession of the English crown, though never incorporated into England. Although traditionally attributed to the Constitutions of King John, Jersey's self-governance is more accurately founded on a succession of royal charters and long-standing constitutional conventions, with the precise origins of its autonomy remaining a subject of historical debate. Nevertheless, the island continued to follow Norman customs and laws. The King also appointed a Bailiff and a Warden (now Lieutenant-Governor). The period of English rule was marked by wars between England and France, as such a military fortress was built at Mont Orgueil.
During the Tudor period, the split between the Church of England and the Vatican led to islanders adopting the Protestant religion. During the reign of Elizabeth, French refugees brought strict Calvinism to the island, which remained the common religion until 1617. In the late 16th century, islanders travelled across the North Atlantic to participate in the Newfoundland fisheries.
In recognition for help given to him during his exile in Jersey in the 1640s, King Charles II of England gave Vice Admiral Sir George Carteret, bailiff and governor, a large grant of land in the American colonies in between the Hudson and Delaware rivers, which he promptly named New Jersey. It is now a state in the United States. …