Channel Islands in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms facts for kids
The Channel Islands were caught up in a big fight called the English Civil War between 1642 and 1651. This war was between the Parliamentarians (also called Roundheads) and the Royalists (known as Cavaliers). They were fighting over how England should be governed and how much power the king should have.
Most of Jersey stayed loyal to the King. In fact, the future Charles II of England even hid there twice, in 1646 and 1649. But Guernsey, except for Castle Cornet, was controlled by Parliament. By 1651, Parliament took control of both islands. They held them during a time called the Interregnum. They even imprisoned a famous protester named John Lilburne in Mont Orgueil Castle in Jersey in 1654, because Jersey didn't have certain laws to protect prisoners. After the king returned in 1660, a Parliamentarian general named John Lambert was imprisoned in Guernsey.
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The English Civil War and the Channel Islands
From 1642 to 1651, England was in a big civil war. This war was between Charles I of England (and later his son, Charles II of England) and those who supported the English Parliament. The main question was whether the king had total power or if he had to rule with a law-making group like Parliament. As the war went on, it spread to other parts of Britain, including the Channel Islands.
Even though some people on the islands supported Parliament, Jersey mostly stayed loyal to the King. This was thanks to the de Carteret family, especially Sir George Carteret and Sir Philippe de Carteret II. Guernsey, however, sided with Parliament. But Castle Cornet in Guernsey was held by a Royalist supporter, Governor Sir Peter Osborne, until 1651.
How the War Started in Jersey
On March 26, 1642, a group of important people in Jersey asked the English Parliament to arrest the island's Governor, Sir Philippe de Carteret II. They accused him of bad leadership and giving jobs to his family and friends.
Sir Philippe refused to be arrested by Parliament. In March 1643, he said that Jersey only answered to the King, not Parliament. While this was technically true, Sir Philippe had made many enemies. These enemies then turned to Parliament for help because the King always supported Sir Philippe. Many people on the island rebelled. They were led by a group of local judges and a fiery preacher.
Sir Philippe had to escape to Elizabeth Castle when the local army marched on the town. His wife and son managed to take control of Mont Orgueil Castle, which is on the east side of the island.
The Parliamentarian group started building places to fire cannons at Elizabeth Castle. They even used the churchyard for an artillery battery. More batteries were built on the Town Hill. However, people were becoming less willing to help the Parliamentarian leaders. They also built places to attack Mont Orgueil Castle. New cannons arrived from England, but they were not used well and didn't help much. The Royalists tried a few small attacks on St. Helier, but most of the fighting was just cannons firing from far away, with little effect.
Jersey Becomes Royalist Again
After Jersey's two main forts were captured, the island fell to the Royalist side within a year. When Sir Philippe died in 1643, his nephew, George Carteret, took over for the Royalists. To pay for the soldiers on the island, Carteret started raiding enemy ships.
George Carteret also imprisoned Parliament supporters and took their property to fund the Royalists. But this wasn't enough. By 1645, the Royalist cause was in trouble and needed more money, which meant unpopular new taxes. A new courthouse was built in the Royal Square as a symbol of the King's power, showing the coats of arms of both Carteret and the King.
The Prince of Wales, who would become Charles II of England, found safety in Jersey in 1646 and again in October 1649. Charles II was publicly declared king in Jersey's Royal Square on February 17, 1649, after his father's death. Charles's visits also brought unwanted changes to the island's religion. When the rebellion first started, the church had become more like the Presbyterian/Calvinist style. But with the Royalists back in control, this was reversed. Critics at the time called these changes "Catholic-like," and they "greatly upset the people." With many Catholic soldiers also on the island, people became unhappy. Carteret's rule became stricter and more unfair. Even Royalists who disagreed with Carteret were not safe.
Parliament Takes Over Jersey
Jersey was the last Royalist stronghold in the British Isles. Also, George Carteret's raids on ships were causing problems. So, in 1651, Parliament sent a force of 84 ships and about 3,000 men, including 700-800 cavalry, led by Colonel James Heane and naval commander Robert Blake, to take the island back.
The Parliamentarians landed on October 20, 1651, on the west side of the island at St Ouen's Bay. They quickly defeated the Royalist force waiting for them. The Royalist soldiers were very discouraged. They had been forced to march back and forth along the bay while being fired upon by Parliamentarian ships. Support for the Royalists on the island was also much lower than it had been in 1643. Many people didn't want to fight, and most of the islanders didn't care much about the Royalist cause. People at the time said this was because of Carteret's strict rule, changes to religion, and people being tired of the war. Many Royalist soldiers ran away before much fighting happened. Most injuries were to the cavalry, who stayed longer, but even these were few. The Royalist forces had to retreat to their strongholds.
Morale was low among the Royalist soldiers at Mont Orgueil. They surrendered on good terms to Colonel Heane. They knew that if modern cannons were brought to Mont St. Nichols, the old castle wouldn't last long, and fighting would be pointless. Elizabeth Castle, a more modern fort, surrendered seven weeks later, on December 15, 1651, after a long siege. The Parliamentarian forces had to use heavy mortars to bomb the fort until it gave up. Several cannon batteries were built, and the Town Church was used as a guardhouse. The Parliamentarian bombing of the castle destroyed the old abbey church inside the castle, which was being used to store ammunition and supplies. Sir George Carteret had lost many of his supplies and gunpowder. With no hope of help because of Parliament's ships, there was no way to stop an enemy attack. He surrendered to Colonel Heane on similar terms to Mont Orgueil. He and the other Royalist defenders were allowed to leave the island. It is said that Carteret and Heane parted ways as friends.
To thank him for all his help during his time away from England, Charles II gave George Carteret a large piece of land in the American colonies. Carteret named it New Jersey, which is now part of the United States of America. In 1663, the States of Jersey were given a special golden Royal Mace to recognize the island's support for Charles II.
Guernsey's Side of the Story
Guernsey sided with the Parliamentarians. This was mainly because more people in Guernsey followed Calvinist and other Reformed churches. Also, King Charles I had refused to help some Guernsey sailors who had been captured by pirates. However, not everyone agreed. There were some Royalist uprisings in the southwest of the island. Castle Cornet was held by the Royalist governor, Sir Peter Osborne. From Castle Cornet, Osborne could fire cannons at the town of St. Peter Port without anyone stopping him, making parts of the town unlivable. Throughout this time, Castle Cornet was kept supplied by George Carteret from Jersey.
In 1651, Jersey, which had been Royalist since 1643, was taken by Parliamentarian forces. The Parliamentarians then captured the Crown of England that had belonged to Charles I. It had been kept in the courthouse in Jersey. They brought it back to Guernsey and gave it to the Governor of Castle Cornet as proof that Jersey had surrendered.
Castle Cornet surrendered around December 9, 1651. The soldiers were allowed to march out with their weapons and leave the island. This effectively ended all Royalist resistance in the British Isles against The Protectorate.
After the king returned in 1660, the Parliamentarian general John Lambert was imprisoned in Guernsey.
