Decarteret, A Family History

Part 8

Arrest order

On 16 February Parliament ordered his arrest and the five Jurats who made up the Parliamentary Commission were ordered to apprehend him and bring him before Parliament. De Carteret tried to persuade islanders to take an oath in support of the King, but gained little support. He summoned the States to sit on 23 March and Lempriere presented the order for his arrest. Dumaresq, meanwhile, had called out the Militia, and men from several parishes began to march towards St Helier. Forewarned, de Carteret and his supporters withdrew quickly to Elizabeth Castle, never to return.

De Carteret attempted to secure sufficient support by letter to enable him to resume control, but the position worsened and by 27 April the townsfolk were barricading the approaches to the Castle, which opened fire on them with its cannon, also bombarding the square on market day and firing on Parliamentary vessels in St Aubin's Bay. Although de Carteret was able to slip out on one occasion to visit his wife at Mont Orgueil and return early the following morning, he was now a prisoner in the castle, Parliamentary troops having landed in the north of the island and rounded up many of his supporters. Castle troops attempted sorties but met unexpectedly strong opposition. As the situation deteriorated illness struck at the castle. On 29 July de Carteret's fourth son Gédéon died, and Sir Philippe followed him on 24 August, the day after his wife had been allowed to leave Mont Orgueil to be beside him on his death bed.

The States met five days later and swore in Michel Lempriere as the new Bailiff.