Écréhous

The Écréhous (or Les Écréhous; in Jèrriais: "Êcrého") are a groups of islands and rocks situated six miles north-east of Jersey (eight miles from France). They form part of the Bailiwick of Jersey and are administratively part of the Parish of St. Martin.

The most significant islands in the group are:
*Maîtr'Île
*La Marmotchiéthe ('La Marmotière' in gallicized form)
*Lé Bliantch'Île ("La Blanche Île" in gallicized form); others include:
*Les D'mies
*La Grand' Naithe
*L'Êtchièrviéthe
*Lé Fou
*La Froutchie

Many are submerged at high tide. Most of the islands are uninhabitable, or contain only fishermen's huts. There are no permanent residents on the islands and there is no fresh water on there. Due to erosion, they are now much smaller than they may have been within historic times.

The name 'Ecréhous' is Norse in origin. '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 Ecréhous are actually, geologically, part of the same island group as Les Dirouilles (west) and Les Pierres de Lecq ('the Paternosters') (further west).

History

Thousands of years ago, around the time of the Ice Age, the islands were high ground forming part of a plain connecting the European Continent, and southern England, due to lower sea levels.

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 Brétigny waived his claims to the crown of France and to Normandy, he reserved various territories to England.

Though they are only inhabited sporadically by holidaymakers and fishermen, in the past there have been more permanent residents on Les Ecréhous due to more abundant vegetation. There exist ruins from an old chapel or abbey on La Maître Ile (Maîtr'Île). The Écréhous were used by smugglers.

Two eccentrics who lived on the Ecréhous for a long time proclaimed themselves to be "Le Roi des Ecréhous" (The king of the Ecréhous) and claimed that sovereignty over the islands belonged to them. Philippe Pinel lived on Bliantch'Île 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).

In 1993 and again in 1994, French 'invaders' from Normandy landed on the Ecrehous and raised Norman flags. This was done partly in protest against Channel Island fishing regulations and partly because they wanted the Ecréhous to be recognised as part of France. The 1994 'invasion' was monitored closely by States and honorary police from Jersey, and the Union Jack that had been pulled down in 1993 was guarded by policemen. In the end, after only minor trouble being caused, the French had lunch on the islands before going back home. A priest who was part of the expedition said mass on the islands for the first time since the ruined abbey was in use (some hundreds of years). He ingeniously created an outline of a church and altar using vraic he collected from the sea.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries there were several occasions on which nominal control was displayed - eg 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 Britain and France went to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for friendly discussions to decide to which country the Minquiers and Écréhous belonged. The French fished in the waters, but Jersey exercised various administrative rights. Certain maps showed the Ecréhous islands as not being part of Jersey. The ICJ considered the historical evidence, and in its Judgment of 17 November 1953 awarded the islands to Jersey. [ [http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?sum=88&code=fuk&p1=3&p2=3&case=17&k=19&p3=5 ICJ, Summary of the Judgment of 17 November 1953] ] .

Footnote

References

*Files on the ICJ case can be found in the National Archives, mostly in the FO 371 sequence.
*"Les Ecrehous, Jersey: History and Archaeology of a Channel Island Archipelago" (ISBN 0901897213) by Warwick Rodwell.
* "Histoire des Minquiers et des Ecréhous". Robert Sinsoilliez. Editions l'Ancre de Marine.

External links

* [http://www.societe-jersiaise.org/langsec/ecrehous.html Les Écréhous: a Toponymy]
* [http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/idecisions/isummaries/ifuksummary531117.htm International Court of Justice: Case Summaries]
* [http://www.senat.fr/rap/l01-300/l01-3002.html fr icon, Accord commercial sur la pêche entre la France et Jersey]
* [http://planefacts.co.uk/ecrehous/ The Ecréhous]