The fief of Anneville has still a legal physical basis, its territory is registered on the cadastre, has the right to use the ancient Manor house for the Court of Anneville, and has also various other legal rights . The Garenne of Anneville still exists.
The Channel Islands lie off the French coast, visible from the Cherbourg peninsula, but their allegiance is to Queen Elizabeth II (as Duke of Normandy). ... It is a place of very definite character, Norman in origin and dialect, feudal in many of its older customs, wildly picturesque along its coastline, and gaining further interest from the other islands within sight of St. Peter Port. But Guernsey is a place for the intelligent and discerning.
C. Northcote Parkinson - Seigneur d'Anneville
I take immense pride in the Seigneurie and Fief of Anneville in Guernsey, which are extraordinary landmarks distinguished by the preservation of their original manor house and the nearby Garenne dating back to the Norman period. These estates serve as compelling embodiments of both historical gravitas and spiritual mystique. Founded during the epoch of the Norman Conquest by Sampson d'Anneville, a knight instrumental in laying the foundations of the island's contemporary feudal system, this revered domain is further accentuated by an impeccably preserved Norman arch within the manor house. Intriguingly, this architectural element is also a focal point in Saint Sampson's Church, established by the son of Sampson d'Anneville. The architectural consonance between these two edifices invites conjecture that the knights responsible for their creation were not merely committed to governance, but were also profoundly influenced by the spiritual and chivalric tenets associated with the Grail. To this day, the manor house of Anneville remains the official seat of the Manorial Court of Anneville and I still have the right to hold court at its interior.
Map of the Seigneurie of Anneville - courtesy of the Cadastre of Guernsey.
Other Rights
The Manor House
The Norman Arch
The back of the Manor
The field toward the Garenne
The Fief of Anneville, Bouilleuse and the Franc Fief de la Rozière are territorial fiefs that still exists today in Guernsey. In most parts of the world, fiefs and seigneuries could not simply exist or were considered relics of the past. But Guernsey has its flag, its identity. Therefore, Guernsey still has a small number of private fiefs that are recognised by law. They have some rights dating back to feudal times, and a moral and representative value in the islands' institutions, where their representatives sit in the public representative body and pay homage to the Queen.
Guernsey is not part of the UK. It is an independent territory owned personnaly by the Queen of England. The island practically is owned like a manor by the Queen that nominates a Governor and several other officials. As the island is feudally owned, feudalism in the islands has neverbeen abolished. Without any political power for several decades, the feudal system of Guernsey has remained to this day. There are officially 75 fiefs, headed by a "lord" or "lady".
The British Crown in the person of the Duke of Normandy, Queen Elizabeth II actually owns 29 of them, most of which belonged to abbeys or priory Lower Normandy, before the sixteenth century.
There are also private fiefs. In 2004, there were 24 private lords totaling 46 lordships inherited from this feudal system, except that two of these 46 seigneuries are in joint ownership between several owners.
Ten of these private lords have still representativity in the Court of Chief Pleas, the oldest court on the island, which until 1949 had full legislative powers in addition to the judiciary and representative power. In 1949, legislative power passed to the States of Guernsey (with the exception of the internal organisation of the Royal Court). Today the Court is mainly a ceremonial court, although some matters are still debated. The sitting of the Court marks the beginning of the judicial year.
The Seigneurs of the Island of Guernsey have a representative role there. They:
Symbolise the historical continuity of the island and its seigneurial heritage.
Represent the island within the court (along with the Constables).
They pay homage to the Crown, for it is only thanks to the Seigneurs' loyalty to the Duke of Normandy that Guernsey has remained independent of France.
The fiefs of Gurnsey belong to very old local lineages having given many officers, bailiffs, jurats and lawyers. These few families gather in their hands, as a result of endogamous marriages, many of the small rural fiefdoms, resulting from sharing throughout history, according to the precepts of Norman customary law, still in force. As in England and according to a centuries-old system, the fiefs can be sold by the lords to other individuals. Each lord is bound, according to custom, to make faith and homage to the duke or his representative. This tribute is sometimes staged during Queen's state visits to the Channel Islands.
Unlike the Lord of Sercq, the Lords of Guernsey have retained only the feudal rights, but have lost many of their rights seigneuriaux since the nineteenth century and in the following. The lords played a social role until the first half of the 20th century. Feudal courts still exist in some fiefs and can be reinstated when necessary in every fief that deems it necessary
The Jurats, other members of the Royal Court of Chief Pleas and the Seigneurs going to the annual ceremony and passing through Guernsey. Dr. Paret in the middle and below with the dean and other Seigneurs
In the rich tapestry of Guernsey's legal and historical landscape, the Court of Chief Pleas holds a place of singular importance. For over eight centuries, this esteemed institution wielded both judicial and legislative powers, governing the island until the formation of the States as a fully empowered Parliamentary body. Within this court, I am honored to represent the Seigneurie d'Anneville, one of the last Great Private Fiefs of Normandy, which is directly registered with the Crown in Her Majesty's Crown Dependencies.
Today, the Court of Chief Pleas serves as the island's principal ceremonial court, yet it retains much of its original gravitas. In the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the traditional fiefs continue to carry substantial legal and moral weight. Among the ten Seigneurs, Bailiff, Governor, Judges, and Advocates who hold their seats by right in this venerable institution, one Seigneur is from our distinguished Seigneurie.
Anneville is not merely a relic of the past but a living embodiment of Norman heritage and chivalric values inspired by the Knights of the Grail. It has been described as "certainly the oldest and most famous Seigneurie in Guernsey and probably in Her Majesty's Dominions" as well as "the noblest tenure in Guernsey." I take immense pride in being the steward of such an impactful and revered legacy.
Personally, I own all the rights and obligations regarding three of the few private fiefs of the islands that are still officially recognized (today, only 47 are privately owned): The fiefs of the islands of Guernsey are almost unique and very precious.
that of Anneville, once called "the noblest tenure in Guernsey", (for whom I seat in the Royal Court of Guernsey),
that of Bouilleuse.
the Franc-Fief de la Rozière
They are located in the parish of Saint Sampson, in the North Eastern part of the island. The private fief of Anneville consists of seventeen bouvees of land , containing about three hundred and eighty-four Guernsey vergees (i.e. 629.376 m2). Now in this space there were built several houses and services.
This is what is called the fief or manor of Anneville, separate and distinct from its dependencies, which are:
the fief Bouilleuze, containing twenty-three vergees, fourteen perches, once divided between two tenants - this dependency is still now under our direct control (37,697 m2);
and the fief De la Roziere, containing about two hundred and fifty vergees (409,750 m2)
The total of the formers is : 1,076,823 m2 (approximately 266.01 acres and 1.077 square kilometers).
The fief of Fauville, containing two hundred and sixty three vergees, five perches (431,057 m2) and only nominally now under our control but of which we retain the overlordship;
In total:
NOTE: In Guernsey, a vergée (Guernésiais: vergie) is 17,640 square feet (1,639 m2 equivalent to 0.404958678 acres). It is 40 (square) Guernsey perches.
These are the areas actually registered under the Seigneurie of Anneville at the Cadastre of Guernsey.
According to the ancient tradition the original area of the Seigneurie of Anneville (and therefore of the complete overlordship as fiefs cannot be divided without crown consent that never was given) was a lot more:
a quarter of the island (about 15 square kilometers).
The court is traditionnaly held yearly at Michaelmas, and it is composed of a seneschal, three vavasors, a clerk or greffier, and a provost.
Unlike in the United Kingdom, where lands have been enfranchised through legal mechanisms like the Copyhold Act of 1852 and the Law of Property Act of 1922, the property rights of Seigneurs in Guernsey have never been enfranchised. Instead, most feudal dues were transferred to the Crown and subsequently extinguished, while the right of escheat was put in favor of the Crown.
These are our borders with the dependancy of Croutes Bouillese and Fief de la Rozière
You can better see this Map on the interactive Map of the fiefs of Guernsey clicking here
In Guernsey, according to local law, while the right to collect feudal dues has been transferred to Her Majesty and Her Royal Successors, Seigneurs retain certain privileges and responsibilities. For instance, they maintain the right to use the title of 'Seigneur' or 'Dame' and continue to hold a unique feudal relationship with the Crown. This legal framework essentially preserves a form of feudalism in Guernsey. Seigneurs, in theory, remain the proprietors of the land, sustaining a connection to ancient traditions and laws that have largely been abandoned in the modern world. This makes the role of a Seigneur in Guernsey not merely a ceremonial title but a position deeply rooted in history, law, and local culture. For example, a Seigneur in Guernsey is entitled to bring legal action to maintain the decorum of the land and may still possess traditional rights related to the foreshore.
Another part of the Manor
This zone on the left is to be kept free for a seigneurial right of passage
Another part
The border
The side of the manor
norman steps
fields
Here is our century old Garenne d'Anneville, which has now become a (small) nature reserve. You can read more about it in the History section.
This site of our fief has both historical and nature conservation interest. The rabbit warren ('La Garenne') and moat in the north-west of the reserve (marked 1 on the aerial photo) were created in the mid 13th century by the Manor des Annevilles for the purposes of containing rabbits for culinary purposes. The moat can still be seen surrounding the area with some water in it although much of this dries in the summer. The centre is a mixture of Bracken and Gorse, which is cleared on a rota so that different ages of scrub are available to increase the diversity of habitats on the site. A path is cut around the perimeter between the scrub and the moat. Purple Moor Grass, quite rare in the rest of the island, is frequent in this area along the path edges.
The greenhouse site to the south east (marked 2 on the aerial photo) was originally intended to be retained as a meadow. However, due to various factors it did not develop as expected and the area has been largely planted with trees, a mixture of English Oak and Ash. These are struggling to survive the onslaughts of the large rabbit population despite rabbit-guards! There is a path around the edge of this area, which is popular for both blackberries and field mushrooms in the autumn.
The wood to the east (marked 3 on the aerial photo) consists mainly of Evergreen Oak, and is not easily accessible for much of the year. However children can easily scramble in and there is often an assortment of "dens" etc. which activity is probably far healthier for them than being stuck indoors.
The whole area is a haven of peace and quiet. It is mostly quite sheltered and the insects and butterflies in summer, and birds in the winter are well worth enjoying.
The norman arch
Part of the building
Displayed above is the cadastral map of Anneville, a visual testament to the fief's historical and legal significance. While the map delineates the current boundaries of Anneville, a deeper exploration into the legal annals reveals a broader dominion over the island, as substantiated by various inquiries. Legal records from the 1300s and 1400s, upheld by subsequent verifications, ascribe to Anneville an overlordship encompassing a quarter of the island's territory.
The Fief Le Comte, legally is recognized as having been hewn from the Anneville domain. This legal delineation extends to several other fiefs, all of which were once part of Anneville's expansive jurisdiction. Despite some historians casting doubts over the authenticity of certain documents that influenced these rulings, it's equally plausible that these papers reflected actual conditions, compensating for the loss of earlier records.
The legal verdicts remain unchallenged, thereby affirming Anneville's once vast reach. For a more comprehensive understanding of the fief's storied rights and privileges, visit our detailed page: The Enquiry into the Rights and Privileges of the Seigneur d'Anneville.
