Jethou
Encyclopedia
Jethou is a small island that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey in the Channel Islands
. It is privately leased, and not open to the public.
It is immediately south of Herm
and has an area of approximately 44 acres (17.8 ha).
It is said that in AD 709 a storm washed away the strip of land which connected the island with Herm.
The island's name contains the -hou
suffix, meaning small island.
In 1416, it became part of Henry V
's estate and still remains a Crown lease and now owned by the States of Guernsey
.
along with Herm
and remained part of that estate for years, although it is currently part of a different one.
The British 1957 musical Free as Air
by Dorothy Reynolds & Julian Slade
was set on the fictitious island of 'Terhou', which was based on Jethou.
On the top is a marker. It is said that in earlier times, pirates were hanged on it with chains, like nearby Crevichon
.
From September 1964 until December 1971 the island was occupied by the Faed family consisting of Mr Angus Faed, his wife Susan Faed and their four children, Colin, Erik, Colette and Amanda. Mrs. Susan Faed was the 22nd tenant of Jethou.
It is flanked by two islet
s, Crevichon
to the north and Fauconniere to the south. There is one house on the island and two cottages as well as a large garage where vehicles such as quad bike
s and tractor
s are stored.
It is now leased by Sir Peter Ogden
of IT company Computacenter
.
and Alderney
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 electoral district.
can be seen swimming off the rocks.
They also nest there in the east clifftop (or at least they did up to 1971)
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. It is privately leased, and not open to the public.
It is immediately south of Herm
Herm
Herm is the smallest of the Channel Islands that is open to the public and is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Cars are banned from the small island just like its Channel Island neighbour, Sark. Unlike Sark, bicycles are also banned...
and has an area of approximately 44 acres (17.8 ha).
History
The island's name contains the -hou
-hou
-hou is a suffix found commonly in Channel Islands and Norman names. It is the Norman language version of the Old Norse holmr, meaning a small island, and often found anglicised elsewhere as "holm". It can still be found in modern Scandinavian languages, e.g...
suffix, meaning small island.
In 1416, it became part of Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
's estate and still remains a Crown lease and now owned by the States of Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, 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...
.
Modern history
From 1920 to 1923 it was leased by Compton MacKenzieCompton Mackenzie
Sir Compton Mackenzie, OBE was a writer and a Scottish nationalist.-Background:Compton Mackenzie was born in West Hartlepool, England, into a theatrical family of Mackenzies, but many of whose members used Compton as their stage surname, starting with his grandfather Henry Compton, a well-known...
along with Herm
Herm
Herm is the smallest of the Channel Islands that is open to the public and is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Cars are banned from the small island just like its Channel Island neighbour, Sark. Unlike Sark, bicycles are also banned...
and remained part of that estate for years, although it is currently part of a different one.
The British 1957 musical Free as Air
Free as Air
Free as Air is a musical with lyrics by Dorothy Reynolds and Julian Slade and music by Julian Slade. They are the same team responsible for the much better known musical Salad Days, although Free as Air is said to be "more slick and professional by some critics"...
by Dorothy Reynolds & Julian Slade
Julian Slade
Julian Penkivil Slade was an English writer of musical theatre best known for the show Salad Days, which he wrote in six weeks in 1954 and became the UK's longest-running show of the 1950s with over 2,288 performances....
was set on the fictitious island of 'Terhou', which was based on Jethou.
On the top is a marker. It is said that in earlier times, pirates were hanged on it with chains, like nearby Crevichon
Crevichon
Crevichon is an islet off Herm, immediately to the north of Jethou, in the Channel IslandsAccording to Dr S.K. Kellett-Smith, it means "isle of crabs, crayfish or cranes". Like other names in the region it is Norman in origin...
.
From September 1964 until December 1971 the island was occupied by the Faed family consisting of Mr Angus Faed, his wife Susan Faed and their four children, Colin, Erik, Colette and Amanda. Mrs. Susan Faed was the 22nd tenant of Jethou.
It is flanked by two islet
Islet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
s, Crevichon
Crevichon
Crevichon is an islet off Herm, immediately to the north of Jethou, in the Channel IslandsAccording to Dr S.K. Kellett-Smith, it means "isle of crabs, crayfish or cranes". Like other names in the region it is Norman in origin...
to the north and Fauconniere to the south. There is one house on the island and two cottages as well as a large garage where vehicles such as quad bike
Quad bike
A Quad bike is recognised by UK law as a vehicle with four wheels and a mass of less than 550 kg.To drive a quad bike on a public road, in the UK, requires a B1 licence as well as tax, insurance and registration.-19th century:...
s and tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
s are stored.
It is now leased by Sir Peter Ogden
Peter Ogden
Sir Peter Ogden is one of the founders of Computacenter, one of the United Kingdom's largest computer businessses.-Education:Peter was born in Rochdale, England. He was educated at Rochdale Grammar School...
of IT company Computacenter
Computacenter
Computacenter plc is the parent company of a group of European companies which provide computer services to public and private sector customers. Despite the spelling of the word "center", it is a UK company based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Its competitors include Fujitsu, Getronics, Capgemini and...
.
Politics
Unlike the largely autonomous islands of SarkSark
Sark is a small island in the Channel Islands in southwestern English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. It is a royal fief, geographically located in the Channel Islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of laws based on Norman law and its own parliament. It has a population...
and Alderney
Alderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
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 electoral district.
Wildlife
At the back (east) of Jethou, puffinsAtlantic Puffin
The Atlantic Puffin is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans. Its most obvious characteristic during the breeding season is its brightly coloured bill...
can be seen swimming off the rocks.
They also nest there in the east clifftop (or at least they did up to 1971)