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Jersey is lucky when it comes to managing its own affairs as it has been allowed to govern itself since 1204. That wasn't always the case however.

The Channel Islands were politically linked to Brittany until 933, when they were seized and annexed to Normandy.

For the next 270 years Jersey came under Norman rule. Again there is not a lot known about Jersey during these years, but the legal system set up by the Normans still exists today.

When William of Normandy conquered England he did not link Jersey to England and Jersey remained part of the Anglo-Norman kingdom until 1204, when England lost Normandy to King Philippe Auguste of France.

Things carried on as it had beforehand and no Jersey man ever considered they were part of England. Indeed it was more likely that they would have considered England belonged to Jersey.

But when King John lost control of Continental Normandy back to France, Jersey found itself effectively cut adrift

The island chose to remain loyal to the English crown. However it鈥檚 laws, language, system of land tenure, and monetary and weights and measures systems were all so different from those used by England that it was gradually allowed to evolve its own constitution and the king of England governed it as a separate entity.

Times of great change

Politically there were some ancient institutions already in place at. The Parish Assembly being the main one, which had probably evolved from prehistoric times, where the men of each parish met to deal with parish business with their elected Constable.

The 鈥渕en of the parish鈥� being the elected Centeniers and Vingteniers who were originally responsible for a set number of families living in their parish. These people also formed the parish police force.

In 1856 the island's government changed - it was decided that 14 deputies should be added, as elected representatives of the people.

The Senatorial system was invented after the Second World War and the number of deputies was increased to its present number of 29.