July

Two notable events in Jersey culture took place in the same location, during the same month, many years apart. On 31 July 1865, the Theatre Royal burned down. Its replacement, initially called the Royal Amphitheatre suffered a similar fate in 1899 and, on 9 July 1900, the Jersey Opera House opened for business. In popular culture, it was also the month in which Channel Television switched from black and white to colour, and ITV broadcast the first episode of Island at War.

King George V and Queen Elizabeth II both visited Jersey during the month of July, albeit many years apart, and so did Prince Charles and Camilla. King George III approved the construction of a series of defensive towers, including Seymour Tower, to protect the island from France, and more recently, the Queen gave Jersey ownership of both Elizabeth Castle and Mont Orgueil. The island also accepted the gift of St Catherine’s breakwater when it was no longer of any defensive use.

A Jersey cow found fame for managing to produce more butter than it weighed itself over the course of a year, and Jersey got its first ever banknotes, which were eased into circulation by being given out as change to shoppers who had paid for goods using mainland notes.

 

Also in July…

The German Occupation of Jersey begins 1st
Jersey Post International is founded
Same-sex marriage becomes legal
Edward Peter Muels, tried for showing kindness, is born 2nd
Jersey’s Island Games come to an end 3rd
Courts declare widow mentally competent 4th
Reform Jersey registered as a political party
The King approves construction of defensive towers 5th
Queen Elizabeth II gifts Elizabeth Castle and Mont Orgueil to Jersey 6th
A general strike brings Jersey to a standstill 7th
Channel Island steamer hits the rocks and runs aground 8th
Jersey families camp on Ecrehous to repel the French
Body in a trunk inquiry moves to Jersey 9th
Jersey Opera House is opened
Jersey dispatches a tenth of its police force to Les Ecrehous
Jersey invader Philippe de Rullecourt is born
French prime minister disappears on Jersey boat trip 10th
Island at War debuts on ITV 11th
King George V visits Jersey 12th
Jersey gets its first ever local bank notes
Emergency supplies are sea-lifted to Jersey 13th
Jersey to France tunnel under discussion 14th
Author Ellen Anne Hewett is born 15th
Circumstantial evidence sends a man to the gallows 16th
Bergerac creator Robert Banks Stewart is born
Jersey Evening Post editor is tried for publishing secrets 17th
Prince Charles and Camilla visit Jersey 18th
Triple Cross opens in cinemas 19th
Jersey’s most expensive house goes on sale 20th
Record-breaking Jersey cow finds fame 21st
A dying man confesses to murder 22nd
The Prince of Wales visits Jersey to open Howard Hall 23rd
Jersey Royal potatoes are trademarked
The Royal Militia of Jersey is formed 24th
Jersey Football Association is established
Queen Elizabeth II visits Jersey 25th
Channel Television switches to colour 26th
Author and actor Anthony Faramus is born 27th
Jersey power station opens for business
Author Jack Higgins is born
The British government offers St Catherine’s Breakwater to Jersey 28th
St Saviour’s hospital’s foundation stone is laid 29th
A boy is killed on the Jersey Railway 30th
Jersey bailiff who helped organise the St Malo evacuation is born
Jersey’s Theatre Royal burns down 31st