Channel Islands Genealogy

Getting started with Channel Islands research
The Channel Islands (Norman: Îles d'la Manche) are a group of islands off the coast of Normandy, France. They comprise two separate countries: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the States of Jersey.

The Channel Islands lie scattered along the Gulf of St. Malo, their closest point to France being just 8 miles from the Cherbourg Peninsula. They are British, but do not belong to the United Kingdom. Yet in the past they were ruled by France for only 200 out of the 900 years during which they were at the centre of a tug-of-war between the two countries. They are partly in the European Union, but do not bow the knee to Her Majesty's Government in Great Britain, but loyally toast the Queen of England, as "Our Duke of Normandy". Channel Islands consists of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Herm, Jethou, Brechou, and Lihou. All these except Jersey are in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, but the Minquiers, Ecrehous, Les Dirouilles and Les Pierres de Lecq, uninhabited group of islets are part of the Bailiwick of Jersey.

They have their own language, a Norman-French patois is still spoken, but everyone speaks English. They have their own banknotes, but deal in familiar pounds and pence sterling.

Genealogy Helps
Tracing your Channel Islands Ancestors is a wonderful guide for Genealogy Research helps and Family History. This Author of this book is: Marie Louise Backhurst

Jurisdictions, Channel Islands Places


Jersey Parishes  St. Helier, (the capital) - St Brelade (includes the market town and harbour of St Aubin) - St Saviour - St Clement - St Martin - Grouville (includes Gorey Village and harbour) - St John - St Peter - St Ouen - St Lawrence - Trinity - St Mary

Bailiwick of Guernsey Parishes (and Islands) Guernsey St Peter Port, the capital, - St Sampson - St Saviour - St Peter in the Wood (or St Pierre du Bois) - St Martin - Forest - Castel (or Catel) - Vale - Torteval - St Andrew Alderney St Anne

Sark St Peter 

Herm

Jethou

Brechou

Lihou

Channel Islands

 * Island Map:This site has a map of the island and shows the parishes, One clicks on the parish name and it contains all sorts of information.
 * Transcript of 1841 census for the Channel Islands
 * Page dedicated to Channel Island research- Surname interests, Mailing list, Look-ups and other internet resources
 * Alderney, Guernsey, Jersey and Sark Resources and help pages on RootsChat Alderney, Guernsey, Jersey and Sark Resources and help pages. (Free).
 * Historical Descriptions of the Channel Island (helpful tools and resources, gazetteers)

Jersey

 * Jerripedia This site is dedicated to the study of Jersey's history and family history
 * The Channel Islands Family History Society
 * Jersey Heritage Trust
 * Société Jersiaise
 * Jersey Boer War Roll of Honor - it is an on going project.

Guernsey
A wiki article describing this collectons is found at:
 * Guernsey: Land Registry Documents
 * Research Archives: https://www.facebook.com/editdoc.php?note_id=1565232740398329 History of Guernsey
 * Guernsey Civil Registartion
 * Family_History_in_Guernsey
 * Guernsey Ancestry
 * Forebears Guernsey

Channel Island Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Did you know?
The Society of Genealogists Library in London has the microfilm of the Guernsey Civil Registration Indices from 1842-1969.

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