Jethou ( ) is a small island that is part of the

Bailiwick of Guernsey The Bailiwick of Guernsey (french: Bailliage de Guernesey; Guernésiais: ''Bailliage dé Guernési'') is an island country off the coast of France as one of the three Crown Dependencies. Separated from the Duchy of Normandy by and under the t ...

in the Channel Islands. It is privately leased from the Crown, and not open to the public. Resembling the top of a wooded knoll it is immediately south of

Herm Herm (Guernésiais: , ultimately from Old Norse 'arm', due to the shape of the island, or Old French 'hermit') is one of the Channel Islands and part of the Parish of St Peter Port in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It is located in the English ...

and covers approximately .

History

There is evidence of flint manufacturing in an area exposed only at low water between the island and Crevichon which shows occupation around 10,000 BC. It is said that in AD 709 a storm washed away the strip of land that connected the island with Herm. The Vikings called the island . The island's current name retains the related Norman ''

-hou ''-hou'' or ''hou'' is a place-name element found commonly in the Norman toponymy of the Channel Islands and continental Normandy. Etymology and signification Its etymology and meaning are disputed, but most specialists think it comes from Saxo ...

'' suffix, meaning 'small island' or 'small hill'. In 1416, it became part of Henry V's estate and still remains Crown property, now leased to the States of

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

. On the top is a marker. It is said that in earlier times, pirates were hanged on it with chains, as on nearby Crevichon.

Modern history

In 1867 Lt Colonel Montague Fielden became the island's tenant. However he was discovered using the island as a storehouse for smuggling

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

from France. From 1920 to 1923 it was leased by the Scottish novelist Compton MacKenzie along with

and remained part of that estate for years, although it is currently part of a different one. From September 1964 until December 1971 the island was occupied by the Faed family – Angus Faed, his wife Susan Faed and their four children, Colin, Erik, Colette and Amanda. Mrs Susan Faed was the 22nd tenant of Jethou. In the 1950s and 60s the island was open to the public. During that period postage stamps were issued. Local stamps on the

were banned on 1 October 1969, and the Isle of Jethou was closed to the public from 1970. In 1972, Charles Hayward, founder of the Firth Cleveland Group of Companies, purchased the Crown tenancy of the island and lived there with his wife Elsie Darnell George until his death in 1983. In 1996 the island was leased by

Sir Peter Ogden Sir Peter Ogden (born 1940) is an English businessman who is one of the founders of Computacenter, one of the United Kingdom's largest computer businesses. Education Ogden was born in Rochdale, England. He was educated at Rochdale Grammar ...

of IT company Computacenter. It was recognised in 2016 as an area of international environmental importance under the Ramsar Convention. It is flanked by two islets, Crevichon to the north and Fauconnière to the south. There is one house on the island and two cottages as well as a large garage where vehicles such as quad bikes and tractors are stored.

Governance

Unlike the largely autonomous islands of Sark and

Alderney Alderney (; french: Aurigny ; Auregnais: ) is the northernmost of the inhabited Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The island's area is , making it the third-largest ...

within the Bailiwick, Jethou is administered entirely by the States of Guernsey, and elects members to the States of Deliberation as part of the

St. Peter Port South St. Peter Port South was an electoral district in Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It was created following the Machinery of Government changes which came into effect in 2004. It consists of the southern part of the parish of St. Peter Port. It ...

electoral district.

Wildlife

At the back (east) of Jethou, puffins can be seen swimming off the rocks.

Jethou in popular culture

The British 1957 musical '' Free as Air'' by Dorothy Reynolds and Julian Slade was set on the fictitious island of 'Terhou', which was based on Jethou.

Mary Gentle Mary Rosalyn Gentle (born 29 March 1956) is a UK science fiction and fantasy author. Literary career Mary Gentle's first published novel was ''Hawk in Silver'' (1977), a young-adult fantasy. She came to prominence with the '' Orthe'' duology, w ...

's 2007 novel '' Ilario: The Stone Golem'' has a villainous noblewoman exiled to a convent in Jethou.

References

Bibliography

* ''BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names'' ( Oxford University Press, 1971)

External links

Jethou homepage

Free Gutenberg Project book, ''Jethou; or, Crusoe Life in the Channel Isles'' by Ernest R. Suffling

1998 Stamps Catalogue by Anders Backman – Freenee

{{Channel Islands Bailiwick of Guernsey Private islands of the Channel Islands Ramsar sites in Guernsey