20th October 1651
Parliamentarians land at St Ouen’s Bay
Jersey was strongly in favour of the monarch during the English Civil War, which led to an invasion by 84 ships, that landed 3000 Parliamentarian forces at St Ouen’s Bay. The Parliamentarians were seemingly met with less resistance than they’d expected, and it wasn’t long before Royalist forces began to retreat or surrender.
The Parliamentarians thus marched on St Helier and laid siege to Elizabeth Castle until, almost two months later, the Royalists holed up there surrendered under cannon bombardment from the Parliamentarians who had taken up positions in town.
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Other events that occured in October
Footballer Greame Le Saux is born
- Jersey-born Le Saux’s first professional signing was for London club Chelsea, for whom he played his first match aged 21. He stayed for four seasons, during which he made 90 appearances, scoring eight league goals.
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Collapsing chimney kills a girl
- The channel was struck by hurricane force winds at the end of October 1887. It blew over a chimney, which killed a girl.
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Channel Islands’ king sails for the mainland
- William the Conqueror was already king of the Channel Islands, including Jersey, before he set sail for England.
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The first train runs on the Jersey Railway
- The Jersey Railway Company, which owned a line between St Helier Weighbridge and Corbiere, ran its first services on 25 October 1870.
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