GENUKI Contents Channel Islands Contents

The Channel Islands

[From the Harmsworth Encyclopedia,1909]

A group of small rocky islands off the North West coast of France, and 90 miles South of England. The group consists of Jersey and Guernsey, two or three smaller islands - Alderney, Sark and Herm - and various tiny islets of rock or seacrags. The total area is about 75 square miles. The soil is fertile and exceptionally well cultivated. The islands send large quantities of early potatoes, tomatoes, grapes, and other fruits and vegetables to the English markets. Each of the largest islands possesses its own peculiar race of cattle.

The people, who are of Norman descent, are industrious and fairly prosperous. Their numbers increased from 49,430 (excluding Alderney) in 1821 to 95,840 in 1901, giving at the latter date the great average density of 1,278 inhabitants to the square mile. The language of every-day intercourse is the Norman-French patois; of the popular assemblies, law courts, and churches, modern French. English, however, is taught in schools. The islands enjoy practically home rule. The chief executive officer in Jersey, and also in Guernsey and its dependencies, is the Lieutenant-Governor. The people are Protestants and the islands are attached to the diocese of Winchester.
 
REGIONS
For more specific advice regarding the individual Islands follow these links:

INFORMATION RELATING TO ALL THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

Bibliography

John Fuller's Channel Islands Genealogy - includes a surnames list compiled by John Fuller of the Channel Islands-related research interests of a number of Internet and CompuServe users and many useful links.
Books about the Channel Islands Part of Charles Picot's Pages - a book list of essential reading about the Islands

Census
Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney and Sark are included in the Census for England and Wales.
 
Emigration and Immigration
Channel Islanders New Zealand Bound by Olwyn Whitehouse

Genealogy
L.D.S. Catalogue: The Channel Islands and subdivisions.
  • Jersey
  • Guernsey
  • Alderney
  • Sark
    • L.R. Burness. "Genealogical Research in the Channel Islands" The Genealogical Magazine (March 1978).

    Research in the Channel Islands FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). Civil Registration Details, Research Libraries and Family History Societies here - a growing site, includes links.
     
    Channel Islands Family History: Reading the Records

    For the Channel Islands Mailing List. Send the following to channel-islands-d-request@rootsweb.com: subscribe (in the subject line). This is for the digest mode. If you want the postings as individual e-mail send to channel-islands-l-request@rootsweb.com. The Mailing List now has an Interactive Search Facility.
    History
    Historical Descriptions of the Channel Islands
     
    Maps
    Perry's Guides: The Channel Islands' Modern Map Makers
    Old Maps of the Channel Islands
    Historical Descriptions of the Channel Islands


    Military Records
    Norman Wood's Histories of the Four Channel Islands Militias (Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark).
     
    Occupations
    Freddie Cohen's Makers and Dealers of Channel Islands Silver and Their Marks.
     
    Religion and Religious Life
    Quaker Family History Society page on surviving Quaker Channel Islands Records.
    Societies
    The Channel Islands Family History Society PO Box 507, St Helier, Jersey JE4 5TN. Information, Officers of the Society, Subscriptions, Programme of Events, CIFHS Publications - Current and Forthcoming, Links. CIFHS Journals - Contents List 1996-2001.
    Gaspésian Channel Islands' Society
     
    Maintained by Alex Glendinning. Additions and Corrections to glen@itl.net but please don't ask for research or personal advice from the Channel Islands WWW page maintainer, as he frequently will not have the time to provide such a service.


    visitors since February 15 1997
     

    Created December 4 1996 - last updated November 20th 2001