Group of islands and rocks in Bailiwick of Jersey
The
Ecrehous
(or in
Jerriais
:
Ecreho
) are a group of
islands
and rocks situated six miles (9.6 km) north-east of
Jersey
, and eight miles (12.8 km) from
France
. They form part of the
Bailiwick
of Jersey and are administratively part of the
Parish of St Martin
.
Etymology
[
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]
The name 'Ecrehous' is
Norse
in origin. "Esker" as in Skerry meaning a stony bank and '
Hou
', the
toponym
found also in
Jethou
,
Lihou
,
Brecqhou
,
Burhou
and other islets, derives from
holm
, meaning
island
. The first part of the name appears to be traced back to the Norse word
sker
, meaning
reef
. The Ecrehous are actually, geologically, part of the same island group as
Les Dirouilles
(west) and Les
Pierres de Lecq
('the Paternosters') (further west).
Islets
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]
The most significant
islets
in the group are:
- Maitr'Ile
- La Marmotchiethe ('La Marmotiere' in
gallicized
form)
- Le Bliantch'Ile (
La Blanche Ile
in gallicized form);
others include:
- Les D'mies
- La Grand' Naithe
- L'Etchierviethe
- Le Fou
- La Froutchie
All but the three largest are submerged at
high tide
. There are no permanent residents on the islands and there is no fresh water there. Due to erosion, they are now much smaller than they may have been within historic times. Maitr'Ile, the largest of the islets, is about 300 metres (0.19 mi) long.
[2]
There are a small number of fishermen's huts, some used as holiday residences, on the largest islets, and one official building, a customs house, on La Marmotchiethe.
History
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]
Location map of Les Ecrehous
During the
last ice age
, sea levels were lower and the islands were high ground above a plain that connected the European Continent with southern England.
Sovereignty
[
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]
The islets, along with the other Channel Islands and the
Cotentin Peninsula
, were annexed to the
Duchy of Normandy
in 933. After
William, Duke of Normandy
conquered England
in 1066 the islands remained united to the Duchy until the conquest of mainland
Normandy
in 1204 by
Philip Augustus
. In 1259
Henry III
did homage to the French king for the Channel Islands. While
Edward III
in the 1360
Treaty of Bretigny
waived his claims to the crown of France and to Normandy, he reserved various territories to England.
Chapel and Priory
[
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]
In 1203, shortly before the division of Normandy in 1204,
John, Duke of Normandy
granted the Ecrehous to the
Abbey of Val-Richer
so that they might build a church there. The chapel measured 10 feet 3 inches (3.12 m) in width and 16 feet 6 inches (5.03 m) in length; the priory accommodation for the monks formed an extension to the chapel.
[3]
In 1309 it was reported that a prior was living in the Ecrehos with one monk and a servant; a navigation light was lit every night.
[3]
In 1413 alien priories were suppressed, and the monks returned to Val-Richer. Their church and priory on La Maitr'Ile fell into ruins.
[4]
Crime use
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]
In the 17th century the Ecrehous were used by smugglers. It was recorded that the main smuggled goods in the 1690s through the Ecrehous was lead and gunpowder destined for
St Malo
.
[5]
In order to help control voting in Jersey, it was not unknown for citizens to find themselves taken and stranded on the Islands until after voting had taken place.
[5]
: 72
Long-term residents
[
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]
Though they are only inhabited sporadically by holidaymakers and fishermen, in the past there have been more permanent residents on the Ecrehous due to more abundant vegetation. Two eccentrics who lived on the Ecrehous for a long time proclaimed themselves to be
Le Roi des Ecrehous
(The King of the Ecrehous) and claimed that sovereignty over the islands belonged to them.
[6]
Philippe Pinel lived on Bliantch'Ile from 1848 to 1898 and exchanged gifts with
Queen Victoria
. In the 1960s and 1970s
Alphonse Le Gastelois
found refuge in the islands from unfounded public suspicion of being the
Beast of Jersey
(a notorious sexual attacker of children who was later arrested, thus clearing Le Gastelois of suspicion).
Resolution of disputed status
[
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]
In the 19th and early 20th centuries there were several occasions on which nominal control was displayed, including flags and buoys, and there were several occasions on which the British government indicated to the French government that it wished to settle the matter.
In 1950
France
took the
United Kingdom
to the
International Court of Justice
(ICJ) for discussions to decide to which country the
Minquiers
and Ecrehous belonged. The French fished in the waters, but
Jersey
exercised various administrative rights. In the
Minquiers and Ecrehos case
, the ICJ considered the historical evidence, and in its judgment of 17 November 1953 awarded the islands to Jersey.
[7]
On currency
[
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]
La Marmotchiethe is depicted on the 2010 issue
Jersey 50 pound note
.
Protected status
[
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]
In 2005, the States of Jersey designated it as an area under the
Ramsar convention
, signifying it was a wetland of international importance and giving it an enhanced status and recognition.
[8]
A management plan for the area has yet to be published. There was a public consultation in 2010 into Jersey's management of Ramsar areas but the results were not made public.
In 2022, four areas of Les Ecrehous islands were introduced under Jersey's wildlife law. This decision was made in order to protect the breeding activities and nesting of wild birds, some of them including European shags, great cormorants, common terns, the roseate terns, and oystercatchers. In practice, this means unauthorized people cannot enter during breeding periods, the speed of boats is limited, dogs may not enter, and the use of drones, lasers, and fireworks is prohibited.
[9]
Pilotage and sailing
[
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]
Entrance to the islands can be difficult. However, it is possible to visit at all states of tide with the main entrance from the southwest.
[10]
Gallery
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]
References
[
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]
- ^
"Les Ecrehous & Les Dirouilles, Jersey"
.
Ramsar
Sites Information Service
. Retrieved
25 April
2018
.
- ^
Coysh, Victor (1985).
Channel Islets: The Lesser Channel Islands
. Guernsey Press Co Ltd.
ISBN
0902550128
.
- ^
a
b
Balleine's History of Jersey
. p. 26.
ISBN
1860776507
.
Balleine's History of Jersey
, 1998
- ^
Balleine, George Reginald (1951).
'The Bailiwick of Jersey'
. Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.
ISBN
0340002670
.
- ^
a
b
Cooper, Glynis.
Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in Jersey
. Casemate Publishers, 2008.
ISBN
9781845630683
.
- ^
Bicudo de Castro, Vicente; Fleury, Christian; Johnson, Henry (2023).
"Micronational claims and sovereignty in the Minquiers and Ecrehous"
.
Small States & Territories
.
6
(1): 35?48.
- ^
"Minquiers and Ecrehos (France/United Kingdom): Summary of the judgment of 17 November 1953"
.
icj-cij.org
. International Court of Justice.
- ^
"Les Ecrehous & Les Dirouilles, Jersey"
.
rsis.ramsar.org
. Ramsar Sites Information Service.
- ^
"Islands get special protection status for birds"
. BBC News
. Retrieved
13 April
2022
.
- ^
Carnegie, Peter (2015).
Channel Islands, Cherbourg Peninsula & North Brittany
. RCC Pilotage Foundation. pp. 131?135.
ISBN
9781846234439
.
Further reading
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]
Physical
[
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]
Digital
[
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]