List of Viscounts of Jersey
Encyclopedia
Greffier
In the Channel Islands, the Greffier is the clerk to the legislature or a court. The word Greffier is French in origin. The word Greffe refers to the records kept by the Greffier or the department of government under the Greffier's management....
. Until 1973 the Viscount was appointed by the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
; since 1973 Viscounts have been appointed by the Bailiff of Jersey.
The principal function of the Viscount (also referred to in Channel Island English
Channel Island English
Channel Island English refers to Alderney English, Guernsey English and Jersey English and similar dialects of English found in the other Channel Islands.-Alderney English:...
by the Jersey Legal French
Jersey Legal French
Jersey Legal French, also known as Jersey French, is the official dialect of French used administratively in Jersey. Since the anglicisation of the island, it survives as a written language for some laws, contracts, and other documents. Jersey's parliament, the States of Jersey, is part of the...
title of the Vicomte) is the execution of the orders of the courts of Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
. This involves managing fines, bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
monies, seizures, confiscations, evictions, service of process, arrests for non-appearance in court and other enforcement procedures.
The Viscount manages jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
selection and exemption, financial assistance to jury members and acts as surveillant for the jury.
The Viscount also acts as coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
to deal with matters relating to sudden or unexpected death, and administers estates of deceased persons.
In cases of insolvency
Insolvency
Insolvency means the inability to pay one's debts as they fall due. Usually used to refer to a business, insolvency refers to the inability of a company to pay off its debts.Business insolvency is defined in two different ways:...
, the Viscount administers en désastre proceedings.
The Viscount is amongst those who act as autorisé (returning officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
) for elections in Jersey
Elections in Jersey
Elections in Jersey take place for the Assembly of the States of Jersey and at parish-level. Various parties have been formed over the years in Jersey, but few candidates stand for election affiliated to any political party. All elections in Jersey use the First-past-the-post voting system...
.
The Viscount acts as mace-bearer
Mace-bearer
A Mace-bearer, or Macebearer, is a person who carries a mace, either a real weapon or ceremonial.-Armed:When the mace was still in actual use as a weapon, it was deemed fit for close-protection, and hence a mace-bearer could be a bodyguard....
for the Bailiff of Jersey in the States of Jersey
States of Jersey
The States of Jersey is the parliament and government of Jersey.The Assembly of the States of Jersey has exercised legislative powers since 1771, when law-making power was transferred from the Royal Court of Jersey....
and the Royal Court of Jersey, and carries out other ceremonial functions.
History
The Viscount carried out other functions historically: till 1885 the Public Markets were under his control. He was Comptroller of Weights and Measures and a member of the Prison Board. He read aloud Royal Proclamations in the Royal Square. A notable action of the Viscount during the exile in Jersey of Charles, Prince of WalesCharles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, was the proclamation in the Royal Square of the Prince as King, following the execution of his father.
Until 1842 the Viscount was a member of the States of Jersey with a right to speak but not to vote. From 1842 until 1948 the Viscount sat as a member of the States without speaking or voting rights. The constitutional reform of 1948 removed the Viscount's membership of the legislature but the Viscount's Department continues to be represented at meetings of the States for the provision of executive services.
The Biographical Dictionary of Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
by Balleine says:
VISCOUNT. Vicomte. In ancient FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
a very high dignitary, the Vice-Count, who took the place of the Count or Duke, when absent. Later in NormandyNormandyNormandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
a Viscount was appointed over each county, the Viscount of the Cotentin, the Viscount of the Avranchin, etc. A charter of 1179 shows the Viscount holding the King's Court in GuernseyGuernseyGuernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
. In time the dignity of the name was forgotten, and the Viscount became a mere Court official. By the 14th century the Viscount in Jersey was the chief executive officer of the Court, appointed by the Crown to see that orders of the Court were carried out, to issue summonses, to make arrests, to keep prisoners in custody, to abate nuisances, to deliver seisin 'by the Viscount's rod'. He also acted as Coroner, and till 1885 the Public Markets were under his control. He read aloud Royal Proclamations in the Royal Square, was Comptroller of Weights and Measures and a member of the Prison Board.
List
| From | To | Viscount | Deputy Viscounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1708 | 1716 | David Bandinel | Richard Dumaresq (1715) |
| 1716/7 | 1741 | George Bandinel Sr. | George Bandinel Jr. (1723); John Dumaresq (1731); Helier De Carteret (1735); Charles Marett (1741) |
| 1741 | 1743 | George Bandinel Jr. | |
| 1743 | 1785 | Thomas Durell | Philip D'Auvergne (1759-1761, 1762); Charles Marett (1761); Clement Le Montais (1763-1764); Nicholas Messervy (1764-1768); George Benest (1768) |
| 1785 | 1842 | Matthew Gosset | Thomas Gallichan (1785-1796); Thomas-Louis Lerrier (1796); Francis Marett (1799); John Winter (1802-1812); Charles de Ste Croix (1812-1823); Philip Le Gallais (1823-1842) |
| 1842 | 1875 | John Le Couteur | |
| 1917 | 1929 | Edmund Toulmin Nicolle | |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 1981 | (date) | Michael Wilkins | Peter de Gruchy (1996 to date) |