Delve deeper into the history of Guernsey and uncover more about your Guernsey ancestors in the 1827 Guernsey census.
Delve deeper into the history of Guernsey and uncover more about your Guernsey ancestors in the 1827 Guernsey census.
Each record includes
Where possible, we always encourage researchers to access the original record where more information can be found. The names underlined were the ‘principal resident’ and may or may not have been the owner. Other names listed could include family members, children, and other residents.
The 1827 Guernsey census was created to track the status of the various types of residents on the island including natives, ‘strangers’, and the homeless.
The columns are translated from French -
The court met in extraordinary session as a result of recent thefts or attempted thefts on all the public highways, where people’s lives were put at risk by firearms during housebreakings. And due to the general complaints about the large number of suspicious strangers in the town and country, some without means and often homeless, others pedlars who, under the pretext of offering their wares approach all the houses; finally given the danger threatening the general population, particularly in the country, where their occupations require them to leave their homes often isolated without defence, the Court, cognisant of the necessity of a strong police at this time to ensure the protection of the inhabitants and to return this country to the state of perfect security it once enjoyed, which all well regulated countries should enjoy, has ordained [under delegated control of the King?]; and having inquired into this matter, and established the truth of the facts under oath, in presence of the constables of all the parishes, that the following rules, dictated largely by the urgency of the situation, will be will be in force temporarily until [Chefs-Plaids] after next Christmas.
All changes reported to the Constables shall be recorded in the aforementioned books, which the date on which the reports were made.
The Constables shall take care to leave at the bottom of the first list of residents of each house sufficient space to insert changes which arise.
Nothing in the present Ordnance shall derogate in any way from regulations not found in the foregoing Ordnance regarding strangers and the police of this island; such regulations shall remain in full force. And this present Ordnance shall be published and affixed in the ordinary place, such that nobody can claim ignorance hereof.
Census or enumeration
Of this parish of St Pierre du Bois, conform to the aforementioned Ordnance of the Cour Royale, done by the undersigned in September Eighteen hundred and twenty seven
Abraham Simon
Pierre David Simon
Constables
Frederick Lukis (1787–1871) was a passionate antiquarian and pioneering archaeologist from Guernsey, whose curiosity about the ancient past led him to uncover and document the rich history of the Channel Islands. Growing up surrounded by prehistoric monuments, Lukis became deeply fascinated by megalithic tombs, burial mounds, and ancient stone structures. Though he wasn't formally trained in archaeology, his meticulous excavations and writings made him one of the first to study these ancient sites systematically.
Lukis's most significant contributions include his detailed work on the dolmens and burial chambers of Guernsey, which helped establish the Channel Islands as a key archaeological region. His discoveries and scholarly work laid the foundation for future studies of prehistoric Europe, and his records preserved important monuments for posterity. A dedicated collector, he amassed a wealth of artifacts, enriching our understanding of Bronze Age life.
Though Lukis’s work was largely unrecognised during his lifetime, his legacy lives on as one of the foundational figures in the archaeology of the Channel Islands, whose contributions continue to influence the field today.
In partnership with Bailiwick of Guernsey Digitisation Partnership this landmark digitisation project brings millions of searchable records online, only at Findmypast.