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The parishes of Jersey ( Jerriais: ) are the civil and religious
administrative districts Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
of
Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...
in the
Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
. Jersey has a unitary system of governance and all the powers and administration of the parishes are governed by laws enacted by the
States Assembly The States Assembly (french: Assemblée des États; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable of each of the twelve parishes. The origins of the legislature of Jersey lie in the system o ...
. All have access to the sea and share a name with their ancient parish churches. In Jèrriais, the parishes have named groupings: the northern parishes are called (uphill parishes) and the southern and western parishes are called (sloped parishes).


History


Origins

The origins of the Jersey parishes is unknown, however it is certain that they are ancient institutions. It has been suggested that the five central parishes (St Saviour, St John, St Mary, St Peter and St Lawrence) date to around 475 AD. The parish system is much more important in Jersey than in England or post-Napoleon France.:15 The uniformity of the parishes in size ensured their dominance over the feudal boundaries. The uniformity may in fact be designed out of a reorganisation of the
Diocese of Coutances The Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances (–Avranches) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Constantiensis (–Abrincensis)''; French: ''Diocèse de Coutances (–Avranches)'') is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Its mother church is the Cathed ...
in the twelfth century by Archbishop Geoffrey de Montbrai. The new boundaries paid little heed to the
fiefs A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...
or to geographical factors (hence why Gorey and St. Aubin are not parish centres, despite being populated). By Norman times, the parish boundaries were firmly fixed and remain largely unchanged since. It was likely set in place due to the tithe system under
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...
, where each property must contribute to the church, so each property would have had to be established within a parish. Although in France the role of the parishes remained strictly ecclesiastical, in Jersey the parishes adopted a role in secular administration as well. For example, there is the ancient practice of - the recording of contracts, court decisions and legislation by the parishes. In 1545, the States set up a system of districts based on parish boundaries for defensive purposes. This started the relationship between the parish and the military. Archery ranges, parade grounds and arsenals known as were set up in various parish centres. In the thirteenth century, parishioners had become split into two categories: the and the ''parvuli.'' The were the wealthier parishioners and were eligible to rule the parishes. The criteria to be considered a differed by parish and was determined by the amount of rate paid on property. According to the Rolls of the Norman Exchequer, in 1180 Jersey was divided for administrative purposes into three ministeria: , and (possibly containing four parishes each). Gorroic is an old spelling for Gorey, containing St Martin, St Saviour, Grouville and St Clement; Groceio could derive from de Gruchy, and contains St John, Trinity, St Lawrence and St Helier; and Crapoudoit, likely referring to the stream of St Peter's Valley, contains the remainder of the parishes in the West. This was a time of building or extending churches with most parish churches in the island being built/rebuilt in a Norman style chosen by the abbey or priory to which each church had been granted. St Mary and St Martin being given to Cerisy Abbey.


Reform

In the 19th century, the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
experienced a reduction in its role in civil affairs, including within the parishes. The codification of the island's laws and subsequent reforms, brought on by the popularity of
Nonconformism Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to: Culture and society * Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior *Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity ** ...
and the acceptance of
religious pluralism Religious pluralism is an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society. It can indicate one or more of the following: * Recognizing and tolerating the religious diversity of a society or coun ...
, re-distributed the balance of power between the civil and religious parts of the parishes. Nevertheless, the offices of the parish were still closely related to the Church, so Nonconformists were generally excluded from parish roles.


List of parishes


Municipal structure

In order to maintain the historic ties to the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
there is a
Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
ate comprising the Connétable and Procureurs, and the Rector and Churchwardens. Oversees the operation of the largest church within the parochial boundary.


Connétable

Each parish is headed by a Connétable (
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
: Constable; Jèrriais: ''Connêtabl'ye'') who is elected for a four-year period by the residents of the parish. In 2018, eleven of the twelve Connétables were re-elected unopposed. Connétables have the right '' ex officio'' to be members of the
States Assembly The States Assembly (french: Assemblée des États; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable of each of the twelve parishes. The origins of the legislature of Jersey lie in the system o ...
. The Connétables of all 12 parishes meet at the Comité des Connétables to discuss matters that affect all parishes, such as rates.


''Procureur du Bien Public''

The ''
Procureur du Bien Public A Procureur du Bien Public ( French: ''attorney of the public good'') is the legal and financial representative of a parish in Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de ...
'' (two in each parish) is the legal and financial representative of the parish (elected at a public election since 2003 in accordance with the ''Public Elections (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 2003''; formerly an Assembly of Electors of each parish elected the procureurs in accordance with the ''Loi (1804) au sujet des assemblées paroissiales''). A ''Procureur du Bien Public'' is elected for a mandate of three years as a public trustee for the funds and property of the parish and is empowered to enter into contracts on behalf of the parish if so authorised by a Parish Assembly.
Centenier There is an Honorary Police ( French: Police Honorifique) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid. Honorary Police officers have ...
s ( Jèrriais: ) are elected at a public election within each parish for a term of three years to undertake policing within the parish. The centenier is the only officer authorised to charge and bail offenders. Formerly, the senior centenier of each parish (known as the Chef de Police) was the Constable's deputy in the States of Jersey when the Constable was unable to attend a sitting of the States — this function has been abolished.


Roads Committee

A
Roads Committee In Jersey, the Roads Committee (French: ''Comité des Chemins'') is the highway authority for Parish roads in each Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish i ...
of five elected principals is also available to offer advice on a range of issues; chiefly related to the roads. Centeniers are the highest ranking police officers in Jersey and are elected. In Jersey, the Roads Committee (French: ''Comité des Chemins'') is the
highway authority A highway authority is a government organization responsible for public roads. India The National Highways Authority of India is the national authority for the management of a network of over 60,000 km of national highways in India. The Autho ...
for parish roads in each parish. In accordance with the ''Loi (1914) sur la Voirie'' it superintends the repair and maintenance of by-roads in the parish, establishes boundary stones, issues ''Choses Publiques'' licenses, examines planning applications that fall within its responsibilities, supervises refuse collection, adjudicates fines during the ''Visite du Branchage'', and proposes new road names, as may be necessary, for approval by the Parish Assembly. The Connétable presides over the Roads Committee, which also includes the Rector and three Principals of the Parish ive Principals for St Helierelected for a term of three years by the Parish Assembly. Instructions are passed to
Roads Inspector A ''Roads Inspector'' ( Jèrriais: ''L's Înspecteurs des C'mîns'' ; French: ''Inspecteur des chemins'') is a statutory office in Jersey responsible for the maintenance of public highways. The Parish Assembly elects two Roads Inspectors for eac ...
s whose duty it is to ensure that the repairs are carried out. In St Helier, the larger Roads Committee also undertakes additional non-statutory responsibilities with regard to parks and other matters, and acts, in the absence of a municipal council, as an advisory body to the ''Connétable''. By convention, the two ''Procureurs du Bien Public'' of St Helier attend meetings of the Roads Committee, but cannot vote.


Vingtaines

The Parish is further divided into
Vingtaine A vingtaine (literally "group of twenty" in French) is a political subdivision of Jersey. They are subdivisions of the various parishes of Jersey, and one, La Vingtaine de la Ville (The Vingtaine of the town), in Saint Helier is further divided ...
s ( Jèrriais: ''Vîngt'nyi'') (or, in St Ouen, Cueillettes). Each vingtaine is represented by two
Vingtenier There is an Honorary Police ( French: Police Honorifique) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid. Honorary Police officers have ...
s, two
Roads Inspector A ''Roads Inspector'' ( Jèrriais: ''L's Înspecteurs des C'mîns'' ; French: ''Inspecteur des chemins'') is a statutory office in Jersey responsible for the maintenance of public highways. The Parish Assembly elects two Roads Inspectors for eac ...
s and three
Constable's Officers There is an Honorary Police ( French: Police Honorifique) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid. Honorary Police officers have ...
. All are elected and sworn officers of the
Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...
.


Honorary Police

There is an
Honorary Police There is an Honorary Police ( French: Police Honorifique) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid. Honorary Police officers have ...
( French: ''Police honorifique'') force in each parish in Jersey. Honorary Police officers have, for centuries, been elected by parishioners to assist the Connétable of the Parish to maintain law and order. Officers are elected as Centeniers,
Vingtenier There is an Honorary Police ( French: Police Honorifique) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid. Honorary Police officers have ...
s or
Constable's Officers There is an Honorary Police ( French: Police Honorifique) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid. Honorary Police officers have ...
each with various duties and responsibilities. The Honorary Police provided the only law enforcement prior to the appointment of paid police officers for the Parish of St Helier in 1853 and later to serve the whole Island. The Honorary Police still provide an essential and very valuable service to the parish and community. These officers are elected for a period of three years and take an oath in the Royal Court. All Honorary Police officers must live in the Parish at the time of their first election or, in the case of St Helier, be a ratepayer or mandataire of that Parish. If an officer moves out of the Parish during her/his term of office, they may continue their term of office with the approval of the Attorney General and the Connétable of the Parish and may stand for re-election provided there is no break in service. A person may be nominated for election as a member of the Honorary Police if, on the day of nomination, they are at least 20 years of age and less than 70 years of age. Honorary Police officers are on duty for one week at a time, usually every 3 or 4 weeks depending upon the roster within the Parish, and are on call 24 hours a day during that period. Honorary Police officers are elected to serve the Parish but in certain circumstances may assist or operate outside the Parish. Anyone standing for election as a member of the Honorary Police will have to undergo a criminal record check.


Roads Inspectors

The Parish Assembly elects two Roads Inspectors for each
Vingtaine A vingtaine (literally "group of twenty" in French) is a political subdivision of Jersey. They are subdivisions of the various parishes of Jersey, and one, La Vingtaine de la Ville (The Vingtaine of the town), in Saint Helier is further divided ...
r Cueillette in St Ouenfor a three-year term of office in accordance with the Loi (1914) sur la Voirie. Roads Inspectors are responsible for the repair of by-roads of the Parish and have to ensure the instructions of the
Roads Committee In Jersey, the Roads Committee (French: ''Comité des Chemins'') is the highway authority for Parish roads in each Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish i ...
are carried out. Their chief role is the annual
Visite du Branchage A Visite du Branchage is an inspection of roads in Jersey and Guernsey to ensure property owners have complied with the laws against vegetation encroaching onto the road. Jersey The Visite du Branchage takes place in each parish twice a year ...
and the triennial
Visite Royale The Courts of Jersey are responsible for the administration of justice in the Bailiwick of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. They apply the law of the Island, which is a mixture of customary law and legislation passed by the legislature, the ...
. In the
Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
of St Helier, the Roads Inspectors also undertake additional non-statutory responsibilities with regard to the policing of infractions of the Road Traffic Act (Jersey) and other areas of the law within the parochial remit such as dog licensing and fly posting. They also serve as conduits of information to the
Honorary Police There is an Honorary Police ( French: Police Honorifique) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid. Honorary Police officers have ...
. Supplementary bodies are also elected to serve specific needs; in the largest parish St Helier these include; the
Accounts Committee The Accounts Committee of each Parish in Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency ...
, the
Welfare Board Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...
, and the
Youth Council Youth councils are a form of youth voice engaged in community decision-making. Youth councils are appointed bodies that exist on local, state, provincial, regional, national, and international levels among governments, non governmental organisatio ...
. Matters of import are brought before a gathering of the municipality and members of the public for consideration and vote.


Parish Assembly

A Parish Assembly ( Jèrriais: ) in Jersey is the decision-making body of local government, comprising
ratepayers Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government. Some other countries have taxes with a more or less comparable role ...
(including ''mandataires'') and electors of the
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
. The Parish Assembly: *sets the annual domestic rate according to the budget proposed by the Connétable; *elects members of the municipality, including the Roads Committee, Roads Inspectors, Vingteniers, Constable's Officers; *recommends liquor licences to the licensing bench; *adopts road names; *authorises the Procureurs du Bien Public to enter into contracts in the name of the parish; *may discuss other matters as proposed by the Connétable, or at the written request of a number of members of the Assembly


Jerriais nicknames

There are a number of nicknames for residents of the various parishes: * Grouville and St Clement - enfuntchi (the smoky ones, or dim-witted) * St Brelade - carpéleuse (caterpillar) * St Helier - clyichard (town-dweller, 'townie' is also used in Channel Island English) * St John - nièr tchu (black backsides) * St John, Trinity and St Martin - nordgien (northerner) * St Mary - rouôlot, bourdélot (roller, dumpling) * St Peter - ventre à baînis (limpet) * St Ouen - gris ventre (grey belly)


See also

*
Parishes of Guernsey 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. ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parishes Of Jersey