page_title: Maritime history of the Channel Islands
section_title: High Middle Ages
hierarchical_section_title: Maritime history of the Channel Islands / Timeline / High Middle Ages
caption_attribution_description: English: Bayeux Tapestry - Scene 44 - Duke William and his two half-brothers: to his right, Bishop Odo of Bayeux and to his left, Count Robert of Mortain. Titulus: ODO EP[ISCOPU]S WILLELM ROTBERT (Bishop Odo, William, Robert) Français&#160;: Tapisserie de Bayeux - Scène 44 - Le duc Guillaume et ses deux demi-frères&#160;: à sa droite, l'évêque Odon de Bayeux et à sa gauche, le comte Robert de Mortain. Légende en latin&#160;: ODO EP[ISCOPU]S WILLELM ROTBERT (L'évêque Odon, Guillaume, Robert) Nederlands: Het tapijt van Bayeux - 44ste scène - Willem de Veroveraar en zijn twee halfbroers: rechts van hem bisschop Odo van Bayeux en links van hem Graaf Robert van Mortain. Latijnse uitleg: ODO EP[ISCOPU]S WILLELM ROTBERT (bisschop Odo, Willem, Robert)
context_page_description: The Channel Islands comprise a group of islands off the coast of France. The largest island is Jersey, followed by Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and a number of smaller islands, islets and rocky outcrops. The islands were separated from mainland Europe with rising sea levels in the Neolithic period, thereafter maritime activity commenced.
  Needing to trade, the Islands were innovative and changed with times, building up skills, earning money and investing capital in maritime businesses.
context_section_description: The Islands now became part of the trade routes of the Vikings. From 1066 trade with England expanded.
  The era ended with the loss by King John in 1204 of French territories of Normandy putting the islands in the front line of the wars between England and France  that would last for 700 years. They elected to stay with the English inheritor of the Duke of Normandy title, so severing, in times of war, the trade route to France, except religious trade, as churches were linked to Coutances until 1568.
  Needing to survive by trade and not forming part of England, they were allowed, which was confirmed by subsequent Monarchs, to have self-determination and trade concessions as a means of ensuring loyalty to the English crown and providing trained militia forces to defend the Islands. A 13th Century list of Guernsey ships, show ten varying between 13 and 80 tons. In 1329-30, 487 ships paid tax in Guernsey on landed cargo, a number of them were engaged in the Bordeaux wine trade.
  Raids on Guernsey in 1336 and 1337 by exiled David Bruce, then in 1338 Jersey was captured then Guernsey was occupied in 1339 by the French Capetians, holding the Island for two years and Castle Cornet for seven. In 1372 Guernsey was again attacked, this time by Owain Lawgoch, as was Jersey in the 1380s. These invasions were all repulsed but resulted in improvements to defenses against seaborne attack as well as strengthening the islands militias in Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney.
  Occasionally Channel Island ships were required to transport men and material cross channel when English Kings wished to attack France. This era was an age of piracy during times of peace with French ships during times of war attacking all maritime trade.
caption: The Bayeux Tapestry (detail) showing William the Conqueror (centre), his half-brothers Robert, Count of Mortain (right) and Odo, Bishop of Bayeux in the Duchy of Normandy (left)
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