Channel Islands

a group of small islands in the English Channel ten miles off the coast of France. Area, 75 square miles. Population, 95,841. The principal islands are Alderney, Jersey, and Guernsey. They are famous for the fine dairy cattle bearing their names. The group was a part of French Normandy. It came into possession of England with William the Norman at the time of the Norman conquest. England afterward lost the mainland of Normandy, but has retained these islands. The people still speak French, but are for the most part able to speak English. The islands have been permitted wisely to retain their old local forms of government and appear to have cared little who ruled the outside world. The Channel Islands are not bound by acts of Parliament unless specially named in them. The inhabitants are a hardy race of sailors and fishermen, with simple virtues such as are ascribed to the French settlers of Acadia in Longfellow's Evangeline. See British Isles