WW1 and life in Jersey – 2 The Lieut-Governor's role
Life in Jersey
during the Great War:
The Lieut-Governor's role
Lieut-Governor Sir Alexander Rochfort and Army colleagues inspecting horses due to be sent out of the island for war service
This is one of a series of articles on various aspects of life in Jersey during the 1914-1918 war which is based on newspaper reports and archived documents. We acknowledge the valuable resource of a weekly series of articles by historian Ian Ronayne which was published on the Jersey Heritage website from 2014 to 2018 to mark the centenary of the conflict
Before the Great War, the role of the Lieut-Governor in Jersey had progressively become more and more ceremonial. His ability to intervene in island affairs was strictly limited to military matters, and there had been precious few of these to concern him.
Commander-in-Chief
Britain's declaration of war against Germany on 4 August 1914 changed everything. His Excellency the Lieut-Governor was also Commander-in-Chief, and now that Britain, Jersey included, was at war, the King's representative wanted to take charge.
Within days of the declaration of war, he had persuaded the States to give him powers to control the import and export of essential goods, to ensure the continuity of supplies of foodstuffs, to control prices of food and fuel, and to remove any aliens thought to be undesirable.
He also required the registration of a number of Orders-in-Council dealing with matters such as trading with the enemy.
One piece of legislation which was extended to Jersey and was to prove particularly controversial was the Defence of the Realm Act known, not with any great affection, as DORA by those required to implement it and those who contravened its provisions.
Although the Lieut-Governor at the outbreak of war, General Sir Alexander Rochfort, requested rather than demanded, he got his way. And although he maintained a good working relationship with the States, there was no doubt who was in charge in the event of any conflict of interests.
Replacement
This became particularly evident when Sir Alexander was replaced at the end of his term of office, towards the end of 1916, by Major General Sir Alexander Wilson. Although his declining health meant that there was no attempt to further delay General Rochfort's retirement at the age of 66, there was to be no interregnum between his departure and his successor's arrival, as has often happened in times of peace.
The Lieut-Governor's uninterrupted presence was seen to be essential to the good government of His Majesty's 'Crown peculiar'.
Both holders of the office would have considerable influence on the life of islanders during the war years. This influence, often achieved through prosecutions under the Defence of the Realm Act, extended to such diverse aspects as newspaper reports of the war; treatment of aliens; public entertainment; the status of Regular Army soldiers stationed in Jersey; the prisoner of war camp which was established in St Ouen's Bay; prices obtained for potato exports; the role of the Militia; recruitment into the armed services, and ultimately conscription; and the States financial contribution towards the cost of the war to the UK.
It was on the two latter matters – the demand for men to fight the war and money to help finance it – that the biggest clashes between the Lieut-Governors and the States would arise.
Conscription
All went relatively smoothly to begin with but the contentious issue of conscription of men of military age into the Armed Forces came to a head in 1916. Rochfort expressed his dissatisfaction over a number of clauses of the Military Service Act, exposing a rift between the island’s civil and military authorities.
Shortly before his retirement General Rochfort raised his concerns with the Home Office. These centred on responsibilities for exempting men from military service, the process of appealing against conscription and how many men would remain to defend the island. Rochfort was adamant that Jersey could and would send every available man to war. With one eye on the vital agricultural industry, the States wanted to ensure that sufficient numbers remained to work the farms.
Regardless of growing discord and significant differences in views which were surfacing, the States paid a warm tribute to the departing Lieut-Governor in August. His successor, Major-General Wilson, had seen active service during the first two years of the war and can hardly have been expected to look any more favourably on the demands of the island's farmers.
Indeed, he rapidly took the view that far from suffering from labour pressures, the farmers were profiting from the war, thanks to higher prices for their principal crop – potatoes, and he was to take steps to try to control those prices in the UK.
The second area of conflict with the States would soon open up when he dismissed as inadequate the States contribution of £25,000, offered as a gift to the UK Government at the end of 1917, and said that the island could afford to pay more.
