Parishes of Guernsey

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File:Guernsey 2012 070, Torteval town hall sign.jpg

The Bailiwick of Guernsey includes the island of Guernsey and other islands such as Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, and Lihou. Each parish was established, probably in the 11th century, as a religious area, each having its parish church. Administratively each parish is now administered by an elected council known as a Douzaine.{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.gg/article/2045/Douzaines |title=Douzaines - Guernsey |access-date=2015-11-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003202140/http://www.gov.gg/article/2045/Douzaines |archive-date=2015-10-03 }}

Parishes

The island of Guernsey is divided into ten parishes. The Bailiwick of Guernsey also includes the parish of Saint Anne, Alderney and the parish of Saint Peter, Sark, but these are not generally included in the enumeration of parishes:{{Cite web |date=2024-09-20 |title=Guernsey - The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/about/archives/2023/countries/guernsey/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119110958/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/about/archives/2023/countries/guernsey/ |archive-date=2024-01-19 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=www.cia.gov}}{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.gg/ccm/navigation/government/facts---figures/census/ |title=States of Guernsey: Census |access-date=2009-09-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091113141726/http://www.gov.gg/ccm/navigation/government/facts---figures/census/ |archive-date=2009-11-13 }} {{cite web|url=http://www.statoids.com/ugg.html|title=Guernsey Parishes|website=Statoids.com|access-date=5 January 2018}}

File:Guernsey (zoom), administrative divisions - en - colored.svg

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;"

!rowspan=2|Parish

! rowspan=2|Population
(2019)

! colspan=3|Area

(vergées)(km2)(sq mi)
align="left"| Castel

| {{commas|8795}}

{{commas|6224}}10.2003.938
align="left"| Forest

| {{commas|1546}}

{{commas|2508}}4.1101.587
align="left"| St Andrew

| {{commas|2295}}

{{commas|2752}}4.5101.741
align="left"| St Martin

| {{commas|6593}}

{{commas|4479}}7.3402.834
align="left"| St Peter Port

| {{commas|18958}}

{{commas|4074}}6.6772.578
align="left"| St Pierre du Bois

| {{commas|2036}}

{{commas|3818}}6.2572.416
align="left"| St Sampson

| {{commas|8966}}

{{commas|3687}}6.0422.333
align="left"| St Saviour

| {{commas|2765}}

{{commas|3892}}6.3782.463
align="left"| Torteval

| {{commas|1017}}

{{commas|1901}}3.1151.203
align="left"| Vale

| {{commas|9514}}

{{commas|5462}}8.9513.456
align="left"| St Anne, Alderneyn

| {{commas|1960}}

{{commas
} || 7.9 || 3.1

|-

| align="left"| St Peter, Sarkn

| {{commas|400}} || {{commas|}} || 5.45 || 2.1

|}

n Non-administrative parishes

Herm and Jethou form part of the parish of St Peter Port. Lihou falls within the area of St Pierre du Bois.

History

The population of and names of the parish are recorded in The History of the Island of Guernsey in 1814.{{Cite book |last=Berry |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aL4_AAAAcAAJ&dq=Guernsey&pg=PA139 |title=The History of the Island of Guernsey |date=1815 |language=en}}

class="wikitable"

|+Estimated population of the island of Guernsey by parish in 1814

!Name in 1814

!Modern name

!Population about

St Sampson's

|

|788

St Michael in the Vale

|Vale

|1064

St Philip of Torteval

|Torteval

|390

St Saviour

|

|943

St Margaret of the Forest

|Forest

|443

St Peter of the Wood

|St Pierre du Bois

|1200

St Martin

|

|1265

Our Lady of Deliverance of the Castle (formerly Grand Sarazin)

|Castel

|1500

St Andrew

|

|700

St Peter's Port (or Town Parish)

|

|11,000

Sailors and strangers not permanently settled

|

|2000

Total population

|

|21,293

Administration

File:Guernsey10 population chart.jpg

{{anchor|Douzaine}}Each parish is administered by a council called a Douzaine, made up of Douzeniers who serve four-year terms. Each year in November, one quarter of the Douzeniers are elected by parishioners at a parish meeting. In most parishes there are twelve Douzeniers in total ({{lang|nrf|Douzaine}} = "twelve") and so three are elected each year; exceptionally, the Vale elects four each year (total 16) and St Peter Port five (total 20). The senior Douzenier is known as the Doyen (Dean). To stand for election the candidate must reside in the parish.

One or more Douzaine representatives represent their parish at the States of Election when a new Jurat is elected.{{cite web |url=http://guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1950/Jurats-and-the-States-of-Election |title=Jurats and the States of Election |date=22 June 2011 |publisher=Royal Court of Guernsey|access-date=5 January 2018}}

Two elected Constables ({{langx|fr|Connétables}}) carry out the decisions of the Douzaine, serving for between one and three years. The longer-serving Constable is known as the Senior Constable and his or her colleague as the Junior Constable. Historically the Constables have been in existence since at least 1481 although their duties have been reduced over the centuries.{{cite book |first=Darryl |last=Ogier |title=The Government and Law of Guernsey |year=2012 |publisher= States of Guernsey |isbn=978-0-9549775-1-1}}

Both Douzeniers and Constables can be removed by the Royal Court for failing in their duty.

= Parish business =

Amongst the many varied duties:

  • Obligation to ensure roadside hedges are trimmed
  • Supervise watercourses (douits)
  • Administer Parish cemeteries
  • Maintain wayside pumps and troughs
  • Collecting Parish rates
  • Issue dog licence and collect dog tax
  • Manage parish boat moorings

Parishes officials also advise the States of Guernsey on matters pertaining to the Parish, such as licensing drinking, entertainment and betting establishments.

Nicknames

Inhabitants of each of the parishes of Guernsey also have traditional nicknames, although these have generally dropped out of use among the English-speaking population. The traditional nicknames are:Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernésiais

class="wikitable sortable"

! Parish !! Guernésiais !! English translation

St Peter PortCllichardsspitters
St Sampson'sRôinesfrogs
ValeHann'taons cockchafers
CastelÂnes-pur-sàngpure-blooded-donkeys
St Saviour'sFouormillaons ants
St Pierre du BoisEtcherbaotsbeetles
ForestBourdonsbumblebees
St Martin'sCravants ray fish
St Andrew'sLes croinchaonsthe siftings
TortevalÂnes à pids d'ch'fadonkeys with horses' hooves

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Parishes of Guernsey}}

{{Guernsey topics |state=collapsed}}

{{Europe topic|List of towns in|GG={{PAGENAME}}}}