Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that islandMacCulloch, Edgar, Sir
History
Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that island
MacCulloch, Edgar, Sir
Folklore -- Guernsey
the prosperous condition in which they are at present.
Another very substantial reason was the expense, which had to be
defrayed out of the Crown revenue. According to some of our historians,
who, however, give no evidence in support of their assertion, this
inspection of the roads, commonly known as “La Chevauchée” from the
fact of the principal performers being mounted on horseback, was
originally annual, and was instituted with a view to having the roads
put in order preparatory to the grand religious procession of the
Host on Corpus Christi Day, but this origin of the ceremony seems
hardly probable, as it is well known that the procession in question
is strictly limited in Roman Catholic countries to parishes, and is
conducted by the parochial clergy. It is difficult to understand how
it came to pass that a subaltern Court, such as was that of the Fief
St. Michel, came to be allowed to exercise a quasi jurisdiction over
lands which had never been subject to it, but as it was impossible for
the Court to proceed to every part of their domain without occasionally
trespassing over other manors, what was originally allowed by courtesy
came to be looked upon at last as a right. A somewhat similar means
of assuring the keeping in due repair of the high roads existed, and
probably in a modified form still exists, in the sister island of
Jersey, where it is conducted by the vicomte, assisted by two or more
jurats of the Royal Court, and the officer, called the “porte-lance,”
who exercises the same functions as the official bearing the same
designation in the “Cour St. Michel.” It is known in Jersey as “La
Harelle.”
But it is time to come to a description of how this ancient ceremony
was conducted in Guernsey. As has been said before, it ought to have
taken place every third year, at which time the Court of St. Michael
used to meet in the spring to settle preliminaries in fixing the day
on which the ceremony was to take place, regulating the costume to be
worn by the “_pions_” or footmen in attendance on the Court, and other
matters. The month of June was usually chosen, and on the day appointed
the Court assembled, with all the officers who were to take part in
the procession, at the small Court House adjoining the remains of the
ancient monastic buildings still dignified with the name of “L’Abbaye,”
although the establishment had been for centuries no more than a priory
dependent on the famous monastery of Mont St. Michel in Normandy.
The following are translations of a few of the Acts and Regulations of
the Court of St. Michael:--[31]
31 March, 1768. Seneschal nominated by the Governor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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