It appears that the Island was divided into parishes during the Conqueror’s reign;but
at what time the churches were built,cannot exactly be ascertained;the insular manuscripts, however,furnish us with a very particular account of their dedication, a ceremony that no doubt took place immediately after their completion. The parishes are ten in number, and, according to the time of such consecrations,rank in the following order:
—
St. Sampson, – ————————————— 22nd May, 1111.
St. Michael, or the Vale,————————– 29th September, 1117.
St.Philip of Torteval,—————————— 1st November, 1130.
St. Saviour, ——————————————- 30th May, 1154.
St. Margaret of the Forest,———————– 3rd September, 1163.
St. Peter’s of the Wood,—————————- 29th June,1167.
St. Martin, —————————- —————– 4th February, 1199.
Our Lady of Deliverance of the Castle,—- 25th August, 1203.
St. Andrew, ——————————————– 1st October, 1284.
St. Peter’s Port,————————————— 1st August,1312.
PARISH OFFICERS
For many years before the militia of the Island was organized, there was in each parish a captain or centenier, who had the management and training of the men to the use of arms, and the care of two pieces of ordnance ;but the officer was discontinued
when this military force was formed into regiments, and better regulated.
The douzainiers of each parish are twelve of the most respectable and intelligent
inhabitants (the Town and Vale parishes excepted, which have each sixteen), chosen for
life by the parishioners, as representatives for their parochial district in the Assembly of
the States of the Island on all public matters, voting individually in the choice of the
jurats or magistrates, and giving their voice collectively, by the constables of their
respective parishes, on other subjects requiring deliberation. They have, in fact, the
regulation of all parochial matters.
There are two constables in each parish, chosen annually, who are likewise members of
the States, entitled to vote in the same manner as the douzain. The office of constable,
improperly called high constable, to distinguish it from the assistants to the constable, is a trust of no little consequence, and held in as much reverential awe by the lower
orders of people as the court itself: indeed, in one instance I shall mention, the constables
seem to have more power; for on complaint of any little misdemeanour, for which they
do not think proper to bring the offender before the court, they have (but from what
authority derived I know not) the arbitrary power in their own hands, of banishing the
culprit from the Island without a judicial hearing before a magistrate. This power, it
must be acknowledged, may be very improperly used, should the office fall into the
hands of men of tyrannical dispositions, unable nicely to discriminate between justice
and oppression.
The peace of the district is committed to their charge, which they are to preserve
night and day. They formerly set the watch, visited and discharged it, and were to
see that all orders from the captains of the parishes, bailiff, and jurats, were strictly
obeyed.
They are, during night, to confine offenders ;but if,in their opinion, the crime deserves
corporal punishment, they are to produce the culprits before the magistracy.
Formerly, when a jurat was to be elected, the constables took the general opinion of
the parishioners of their respective parishes, and declared upon oath, on whom the choice had fallen by majority of votes, who was accordingly declared duly elected, and sworn in to office. But this mode of electing jurats, which seems to have accorded with the Constitutions of King John, has been discontinued nearly three centuries, and the
choice of magistrates is now determined by vote, in an assembly of the states of election.
The constables are to make search, in the presence of two respectable persons, for any
stolen property reported to them, and to inform the King’s procureur, the bailiff, and
magistrates, of the result of such search.They are to question every stranger who may arrive and have no place of lodging, as to his last place of residence, and every other particular, and to conduct him to an inn, according to his circumstances; and if found to be suspicious,are to in form the procureur, or the captain of the parish, that they may act as the case requires. They receive the money raised for public services from their collectors, for whom they are responsible, and apply it to the purposes intended.
The petty customs, or pier duty, was formerly collected by the constables, for which
they accounted before the expiration of their office, but it is now collected by the harbour master.
It is the duty of the constables to visit,in the presence of two respectable persons, all
taverns and cellars where liquors are sold, to see that such articles are wholesome, and
upon finding any that are not so, to throw them away. They are, by right and ancient custom, entitled to receive from the vendors of liquors, for every pipe or butt of wine, beer, or cider, one pott (two quarts), and for every barrel one quart; and on refusal of this allowance, the parties were liable to a fine.
Formerly vagabonds and persons able to work,found begging, were by the constables
put in employment, and clothed at the charge of the parish ; and they had the power of
sending out of the Island, by the first vessel bound to their native country,all strangers
who refused to work as prescribed ;but the establishment of poor houses, regulated as
in England, has taken this troublesome duty out of their hands.
They formerly visited the bake-houses, to see that the bread was carried to market,
and was of just weight, according to the value of wheat ;and if found deficient, gave
such bread to the poor, the party offending being subject to fine at the discretion of
the judge: but this practice has been long laid aside; every little shopkeeper makes and
sells bread, in loaves of different weights, at such price per pound as the value of flour
may justify, no regular assize being fixed, though now and then the constables of the
Town parish, by public advertisement, assess the price.
The curateurs, of whom there are two in each parish, are officers exercising all the
functions of church-wardens, and the procureur des pauvres, or manager for the poor,
in each parochial district, is an officer similar to that of overseer. Formerly the
parishes were subdivided into vintains, and an officer, called vintonnier, was appointed
over each vintain or district, who collected for the constables the parish rates, served
public notices, and performed other minor duties;but he now only warns the militiamen on duty, which being considered rather a troublesome office, is an exemption
from personal military service in the ranks ; collectors of rates being now a distinct
office, held by two or more persons according to the extent of district.
The messier, an inferior officer, now but little known, had formerly the charge of all
cattle found astray committing trespass, which might often happen before the lands were enclosed, notwithstanding the generally adopted plan of tethering. It appears this
officer must have been entitled to certain fines over and above the damages occasioned
by trespass, as it formed one of the complaints to Council, some years back, that the
messier had exacted sums of money from the owners of cattle found trespassing on
their own corn-lands: no doubt to enforce more care, for being at liberty, other people
were equally liable to suffer depredation by the trespasser.
Channel Islands 