“Les Chefs Plaids Cappitaux d’apprés le jour St. Michell tenus le Lundy dernier jour du mois de Septembre, l’an 1622, par Amice de Carteret, Esq., Bailly, présents à ce les Sieurs Pierre Careye, Thomas Beauvoir, Thomas de l’Isle, Thomas Andros, Eleazar Le Marchant, Jean Bonamy, Jean Fautrart, Jean Blondel, et Jacques Guille, Jurez. “Sur la remonstrance de Messieurs les Ministres de ceste isle, que la vueille du jour St. Jean et celle du jour de l’an se fait une geuzerie ordinaire par les paroisses des champs en ceste isle; laquelle se resent grandement du viel levain de la Papaulté, au moyen de quoy, soubs ombre de charité, la superstition est introduite et nourye parmy nous, au grand destourbier du service de Dieu et manifeste scandalle des gens de bien; desirants iceux Ministres qu’il pleust à la Cour y apporter remede par les voyes les plus convenables--A sur ce Esté par exprès deffendu à toutes personnes qu’ils n’ayent en aulcun des susdits jours à geuzer, ny demander par voye d’aumosne aulcune chose, de peur d’entretenir la susdite superstition, à peine de soixante sous tournois d’amende sur les personnes capables de payer la dite amende, et s’ils n’ont moyen de payer, et qu’ils soyent d’aage, d’estre punis corporellement à discretion de Justice; et quant aux personnes qui ne seront point d’aage, d’estre fouettés publicquement en l’escolle de leur paroisse.” A little later, begging at Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials was prohibited on like grounds, and about the same time sumptuary laws were passed controlling the expenses on these occasions, and limiting the guests that might be invited to persons in the nearest degrees of consanguinity. Dancing and singing were also forbidden, and any persons convicted of these heinous crimes were to perform public penance in their parish church, barefooted and bareheaded, enveloped in a sheet, and holding a lighted torch in their hand. It is not therefore to be wondered at if many observances and customs, innocent in themselves, came to be forgotten, and this would be more especially the case with such as were connected with the festivals of the Church. Still some few observances and superstitions have survived, and of these we will now endeavour to give the best account we can. We would, however, previously remark that the Guernsey people are an eminently holiday-loving race, and that, notwithstanding their long subjection to Presbyterian rule, and the ascetic spirit of modern dissent, the love of amusement is still strong in them. Christmas Day and the day following, the first two days of the year, the Monday and Tuesday at Easter and Whitsuntide, Midsummer Day and the day after, are all seasons when there is an almost total cessation of work, and all give themselves up to gaiety--and the household must be poor indeed where a cake is not made on these occasions.