Further information
28.02.2008
A calendar with current dates of stamp fairs and stock exchanges was placed on-line.
Little one (mail) history of the channel islands
9. Century
The channel islands are part of France nominally, they and the adjoining mainland again and again from the Normans are plundered and partially occupied.
911
The Norman Rollo feoff from the french king in the north France's with that country-strip, who is called "Normandie". To this area belong the channel islands.
1066
Norman-duke Wilhelm (the conqueror) beats the English King Harold with Hastings. He is now king of England, remain in the Normandy (and with it on the channel islands) only duke. The two empires are not put together administrative. A circumstance, from which the independence of the islands of England results until today.
1204
König John (as a villain from the Robin-Hood-Legende known) loses the last remains of the mainland-part of the Normandy. On the islands even, he can assert himself. Until today the English monarch leads the title "Duke of the Normandy" for the area of the channel islands. King John rearranges the administration new of his duchy. He divides it in 2 administrative districts, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey (including Alderney). Each Bailiwick gets a Parlament, the States.
1481
Pope Sixtus IV explains the channel islands as "neutral as far as the eye can see", and finishes with it temporarily the dispute between France and England around the islands.
1565
Sark is administrative with a decree of the English Queen I the Bailiwick of Guernsey affiliated, gets certain special-right.
1689
The papal neutrality-bull is lifted. The captains of the islands had in the years before as a privateer again and again French ships attacks, so that of neutrality none Speech more could be. Beside the piracy, one also occupies oneself successfully as a smuggler from wine between France and England.
17. Century
The mail of the channel islands are arranged from the late 17. century over Letter Forwarding Agents at the South-English and North-French coast. The letters are collected there and the nearest ship on the islands given.
1778 bis 1783
This 1. official mail-ship-connection between England and the channel islands originates through the Cutter "Express", that under full arming (!) Mail between Southampton and Guernsey as well as Jersey transport. The route is set up, because civilian ships concerning the war of France hardly still out-dare on the sea, however the communication with the channel islands upholds wants.
1781
France's last attempt to recapture the channel islands fails. The English major Peirson beats - in the middle of the downtown of St. Helier on Jersey - the troops of the French soldier of fortune Roullencourt.
1794
A mail-ship-line between the islands and Weymouth is set up. At the same time, the English post opens post offices of Guernsey and Jersey. In the first years find hand stamps in a curved line and hand stamps as a scroll type still application. These hand stamps were undated.
1802 bis 1810
Nicholas Robilliard, Letter Agent in Weymouth, entertains an own "Bye-Boat", this drives in competition to the English mail-ship.
1830
Reform of the postal system of the channel islands. The main-post offices get datestamps and on the country mail-receptions of the penny-mail are opened.
1834
Jersey, where French money was in the circulation until then, makes use of his coin-highness and leads the Jersey-pound. While this and the Jersey-shilling are equated to the English pound, the pennies become a peculiarity: 1 Jersey-shillings have 13 Jersey-pences (in England, it is 12). One creates thereby a strange thing, from which above all the dealers have to suffer, since one has to register losses with converting without fail by up and rounding off.
1840
The large English post office reform means an abolishment of the penny post office addition. Stamps are introduced and the post offices receive Maltese cross stamps for cancellation.
1843
A post office contract between England and France (1856 modified) regulates also the post of the channel islands of and to France. There are now official post office ship lines between the islands and french ports, like pc. Malo. Besides it is permitted private ships to carry mail boxes at board ("Boites mobiles"), into which passengers can throw maps and letters in, which are stamped with English stamps either with French or while driving. At the arrival port contents of the boxes will hand over to the there post office. Stamps of the channel islands come so completely legally on French marks to the anticipated payment. This service ends 1939.
1844
The Maltese cross are replaced by number stamp. On Guernsey that is the "324", on jersey the "409". They remain until approximately 1890 in use.
1848
The island Alderney receives a post office and the post office number "965".
1850
Starting from this year always new branch post offices on the islands are introduced, which are equipped with dateless stamps first.
1852 bis 1853
The first free standing mail boxes within the range of the English post office are set up first on jersey, one year later also on Guernsey. One of the mail boxes established at that time in Guernsey stands today still and is thereby the oldest mail box of the world, which is still in enterprise (and thus even the Guiness "book of the records" an entry worth!).
1857
The island Sark receives a post office.
1877
Since that time the jersey Shilling has no more 13d, but 12d and is equal the English currency.
1925
The island Herm receives a post office, which was closed 1938 because of the departure majority of its population.
1930
In Guernsey the French currency is legal currency up to this year apart from the Guernsey Pound. Now one changes over, raises the English Pound for key currency and adapts the Guernsey Pound 1:1.
Juni 1940
Alderney is completely evacuated in view of the German advance in France. Above all school children and their mothers are brought by the other islands to England. Before the armed forces to 1.7.1940 the isles occupy.
1940 - 1945
5 years are now occupied by German troops the islands. Since the existing English marks rapidly exhausted is, one must help oneself with halvings and the expenditure of own stamps. In this time the direct post is possible only with Germany and its allied one. With the remaining world one can correspond only over the red cross in Geneva.
1948
To the 3. Anniversary of the release of the channel islands appears its own extra charge of the English post office.
1949
The island Herm opens a local private post office with own stamps, which must be used as additional franking for English marks. This postal service exists until 1969 and covers a genuine need. Other islands (Jethou, Lihou) and the Commodore line follow later with similar private value indication, for which however no real necessity existed.
1958 - 1969
The two Bailiwicks receive own regional marks in the federation of the English post office. They lose to 1.10.1969 their validity on the islands, are however in England until 1972 certified.
1968
The British postal administration is completely again organized as "Post Office Corporation" and extracted from the State administration. In the course of the measures met thereby one offers to the two Bailiwicks to make itself postal independent.
1.10.1969
Guernsey and jersey will give postal independently of England and on this day for the first time own post office to stamps out. The English stamps lose their franking validity . On the same day Bailiwick OF Guernsey all private postal stamps are forbidden. The island Herm gets a post office of the new Guernsey postal administration as replacement.
1971 - 1972
Reform English Pound - Sterling - of the system. The channel islands take part in this conversion with their currencies. The marks of the islands appear starting from 1971 now more in Pound - Pence. Starting from that 14.2.1972 loses all values in £ - D - s - currency their validity.
14.6.1983
After arguments of many years between Alderney and the Guernsey - postal administration agrees on regional marks for Alderney. Alderney has in the years before with the door from the Guernsey - postal administration threatened, since it the opinion was, Guernsey would coat all philatelic profits to injustice. The Guernsey post office publishes now annually a certain quantity of regional marks with the label "Alderney", whose philatelic proceeds of the island benefit, while Guernsey keeps control of the expenditure.