The Fief de Thomas Blondel traces its origins to the early days of Norman feudalism, founded under Rollo the Viking, the first Duke of Normandy in 918 AD. While the Island of Guernsey itself bears a human history stretching back thousands of years, its feudal fiefs were not formally established until 1179 AD, during the consolidation of Norman administrative rule.

In 1204, following King John’s loss of continental Normandy to France, the Channel Islands—including Guernsey—remained loyal to the English Crown. This event, known as the Separation of the Channel Islands from Normandy, marked the beginning of their unique constitutional relationship with the British Crown — distinct from both England and France.

Establishment of the Fief Blondel (1284–Present)

Following the separation, the noble fiefs of Guernsey were confirmed or reallocated to those who maintained allegiance to the Crown.
By 1284 AD, Sir William de Chesney was recorded as the Seigneur of the Fief de Thomas Blondel, over 735 years ago.

For centuries thereafter, the Fief Blondel continued as a Crown fief held in chief, maintaining a direct legal relationship with the Monarch of England. Located within the parishes of Torteval and St. Pierre du Bois (St. Peter-in-the-Wood), it remains an authentic Norman seigneurie — one of the last surviving free fiefs registered with the Royal Courts of Guernsey.

The Seigneurs of Blondel, known as Free Lords (Seigneurs Libres) or Friherres in the Danish-Norse tradition, held their estates directly from the Crown, predating the formal establishment of baronial ranks in medieval England.

Historically, the Fief Blondel formed part of the larger Fief of Canelly, once held by the Le Canelly family, and later by William de Chesney, until the definitive separation of Guernsey from mainland Normandy in 1204.

Today, the Fief de Thomas Blondel stands as one of the last privately owned feudal estates of Normandy, still registered directly with the Crown’s Royal Courts within Her Majesty’s Crown Dependencies.
Uniquely, this fief includes beaches, foreshores, seasteds, and even certain international maritime rights—making it one of the final examples in Europe of a privately owned maritime fiefdom.

Modern Conveyance of the Fief Blondel (Royal Courts of Guernsey, 2018)

On 27 February 2018, the Royal Court of Guernsey formally recorded the Deed of Conveyance transferring the Fief de Thomas Blondel to Counselor George Mentz, Esq., JD, MBA — now styled Seigneur of Blondel.

This conveyance was executed in full compliance with ancient Norman legal process, involving payment of traditional feudal dues — including the Treizième and Congé — directly to the Crown.
The Treizième, historically a 1/13th due (approximately 2%), remains one of the last living feudal payments accepted by the Royal Courts of the Crown.

This made Counselor Mentz one of the last individuals in modern history to complete a feudal conveyance through the Royal Courts, recognized by Her Majesty’s Greffier, the official Clerk of the Crown’s Courts.

Excerpts from the 2018 Royal Court Deed (Summary)

The Deed was executed before the Lieutenant Bailiff and Jurats of the Royal Court, sealed and registered in conformity with The Feudal Dues (Guernsey) Law, 1980 and The Document Duty (Guernsey) Law, 2017.
The transaction was declared to be “at arm’s length”, and duly approved by Her Majesty’s Receiver General.

Historical Deed of 1440 (Leeds Archive & Ogier Translation)

The original 1440 Deed of Blondel, preserved in the Leeds University Archives, remains one of the oldest surviving conveyance documents of any Norman fief.
This historic deed, witnessed before Denis Le Marchant, Judge, and Thomas de la Court, Bailiff of Guernsey under the Duke of Gloucester, records the sale of the Fief Thomas Blondel and its dependencies.

In this document, Jenete Blondel, Lady of the Fief, sold the estate to Thomas de la Court, Bailiff of Guernsey, for a perpetual inheritance in exchange for an annual rent of eighteen bushels of wheat.
The deed explicitly identifies:

This document was later certified by Jean Bonamy and Jaques Guille, Jurats of the Royal Court, on 5 May 1637, and officially sealed with the Seal of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

Certified Translation (2018)

Legacy and Continuity

For over seven centuries, the Fief de Thomas Blondel has stood as a symbol of Norman legal continuity, bridging the medieval and modern worlds.
Its survival — through the Duchy of Normandy, the Plantagenet kings, the English Crown, and into the reign of His Majesty King Charles III — represents an unbroken lineage of feudal tenure, unique in the Western world.

Today, the Fief Blondel remains an enduring testament to Crown sovereignty, Norman jurisprudence, and the living heritage of European feudal law — a private seigneury still governed under the direct jurisdiction of the Royal Courts of the Crown.

Summary

The Fief de Thomas Blondel produced “ Livres de perchage ” in 1595, 1644, 1680, 1709, 1775, 1809, 1844, 1876, 1901, 1921 and 1968. The contents of the “ Livres de perchage ” reveal something of the history of the properties of the Territory and Fief boundaries.

Evolution of the Norman and Guernsey Fiefs

Origins in the Ducal Period (11th–12th Centuries)

Following the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes in 1047, Duke William II of Normandy (later William the Conqueror) began to reorganize and strengthen his domains by creating and granting a number of ecclesiastical fiefs to religious and loyal lay institutions.

Between 1144 and 1150, the entire island of Guernsey came under the control of Geoffrey d’Anjou, father of King Henry II Plantagenet. The wastelands of the Fief du Cotentin, part of Geoffrey’s holdings, later became known as Fief Le Roi under his son’s authority.

During the 11th and 12th centuries, several sub-fiefs emerged from these original estates, including the Fief aux Fay and the Fief Burons.

The Fief aux Fay owed its annual seigneurial rent in the symbolic form of a pair of silver spurs,
The Fief Burons by a pair of golden ears of corn.

Eventually, these two holdings were merged into what became known as the Fief of Spurs, which carried the obligation to pay a pair of vermeil (gilded) spurs—a feudal token denoting loyalty and knightly service.

The Reorganization After 1204

In 1204, the Kingdom of France annexed continental Normandy following King John’s defeat, while the Channel Islands remained loyal to the English Crown. Many Norman nobles who chose to pay homage to the French king consequently forfeited their island possessions, which reverted to the English Crown.

This realignment gave rise to new fiefs and strongholds across Guernsey, including:

The Stronghold of Bruniaux,
The Fief Au Marchant, and
The Fief Hailla.

Similarly, the Stronghold of Sausmarez originated from the Fief Barneville, and the Fief de la Velleresse (“Velleresse de veille”, meaning “to keep watch on the coast”) was established with an obligation of maritime defense, reflecting Guernsey’s strategic importance in guarding the Channel.

Fiefs of Royal and Ecclesiastical Origin

The Fief Le Roi itself derived from the Fief de Rozel, originally belonging to the family of Rosel of Cotentin, and transferred to the Crown in 1204.
That same year, Duke William II granted part of these lands to the Abbey of Marmoutiers, reinforcing the close link between Norman monasteries and feudal administration.

In 1150, Geoffrey d’Anjou also established two important military strongholds — De Vaugrat and Bruniaux, both located in the parish of St. Sampson — as part of his plans for an eventual invasion of England.
Later, in 1248, King Henry III granted the Fief of Anneville, from the same parish, to Sir William de Cheny, further consolidating royal influence.

Torteval and the Complex Web of Fiefs

The evolution of land tenure within the parish of Torteval presents a particularly intricate history. Although originally part of the Fief du Cotentin, many of its subordinate fiefs extended into St. Pierre-du-Bois, a territory belonging to the Fief du Bessin.

The original Fief au Cannely (granted to the Cherbourg family and part of the Cotentin holdings) gradually fragmented into a series of smaller fiefs formed through marriage settlements and inheritance divisions, including:

Fief Guillot Justice
Fief Janin Besnard
Fief Thomas Blondel
Fief Bouvée Duquemin
Fief Robert de Va (or Worm)
Fief Jean du Gaillard (which passed to the Crown in the early 16th century)

This resulted in a complex overlapping of boundaries and rights, a characteristic feature of Guernsey’s medieval feudal geography.
By 1248, the territorial distribution of Guernsey’s fiefs was largely established in the form that endures today.

Modern Structure of Guernsey Fiefs

Since the 13th century, the number of Guernsey fiefs has remained virtually unchanged. Many titles have remained within the same noble families — notably the Sausmarez lineage.
To date, 75 lordships are fully documented, a level of continuity not matched by other Channel Islands.

As of January 2004, records show that:

24 private lords held 46 lordships, with some lords holding multiple titles.
Two seigneuries (Rivière and Beuval) are held jointly by more than one person.
27 remaining fiefs belong directly to the Crown.

Transfers of seigneuries are conducted through formal “transport” deeds (conveyances) and must comply with Guernsey law and custom.
Each transfer is registered with Her Majesty’s Royal Court Registry, ensuring the preservation of feudal rights within the framework of the modern Crown Dependency.

Summary

“The island’s feudal system, rooted in the Norman conquests and reorganized after 1204, remains one of Europe’s oldest and most continuous legal frameworks — a living testament to the enduring spirit of the Channel Islands.”

- Citation:

FiefsForfeited2

BayeauxFiefNormandy

The Feudal System of Guernsey

Continuity of a Medieval Institution

Though stripped of political and judicial power for over a century, the feudal system of Guernsey remarkably continues to exist in modern form. Today, there are officially seventy-five fiefs on the island, each headed by a lord or lady (seigneur or dame).

The British Crown, in its capacity as Duke of Normandy—a title historically retained by the monarch—remains the sovereign lord of these fiefs. As of the late reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Crown itself directly held twenty-nine fiefs, many of which had formerly belonged to abbeys and priories of Lower Normandy prior to the sixteenth century.

Private Seigneuries and Hereditary Families

As of 2004, there were twenty-four private lords who collectively held forty-six lordships, with two of these seigneuries held in joint ownership among multiple proprietors. These fiefs are ancient hereditary estates, many still belonging to local Guernsey families whose lineages have produced bailiffs, jurats, advocates, and officers of the Royal Court for centuries.

Through generations of endogamous marriage alliances, these families accumulated numerous small rural fiefs—a process driven by Norman customary law, which mandated partible inheritance. This system, still recognized in Guernsey’s legal framework, contributed to the intricate mosaic of overlapping lordships and micro-seigneuries across the island.

Rights, Customs, and Homage

In keeping with medieval Norman custom, fiefs may still be sold or conveyed from one individual to another by means of transport deeds registered before the Royal Court.

Each lord or lady remains, in theory, bound to render “faith and homage” to the Duke of Normandy (the reigning British monarch) or the monarch’s official representative, the Bailiff of Guernsey. On rare occasions, this ceremony is symbolically reenacted during royal visits to the Channel Islands, echoing traditions unchanged since the Middle Ages.

Decline of Seigneurial Rights

Unlike the Seigneur of Sark, who maintained a unique constitutional position, the lords of Guernsey have retained only the symbolic feudal titles and ceremonial rights. Their active seigneurial privileges—such as local judicial and economic authority—were gradually extinguished during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Nevertheless, the social role of Guernsey’s lords remained visible well into the early 1900s, where they continued to act as figures of local leadership and custodians of historical estates.

Feudal Courts and Local Administration

Most feudal courts (cours de fief) have long ceased to function. However, a few exceptional examples endure:

The Court of the Fief Le Comte (family Lenfestey), and
The Court of the Fief Blanchelande, traditionally presided over ex officio by the Bailiff of Guernsey, for the parish of St. Martin.

Under Norman custom, the seneschal (steward) and officers of a fief were to be chosen from among its inhabitants. The Court of the Fief Blanchelande, which once belonged to the Priory of Blanchelande Abbey in Neufmesnil, Normandy (Manche), still observes this traditional composition.

The court includes:

A Seneschal (chief steward)
Four Vavasseurs (freeholders)
A Clerk and Assistant Clerk
A Provost, Sergeant, and Grenetier (officers of grain storage and levy)

These courts historically met either in a dedicated “plaids room” within the manor house or at an outdoor stone bench placed along a principal road or meeting point within the fief. A few of these stone benches, once used for the dispensing of seigneurial justice, still survive on the island today—silent witnesses to a living medieval legacy.

Legacy

“In Guernsey, feudalism never died—it simply evolved. Though stripped of jurisdiction, the fiefs endure as a testament to the island’s Norman heritage, its families, and its unbroken allegiance to the Crown of England as Duke of Normandy.”

John McCormack - 1980 - ‎Snippet view

Evolution of the Fief of Cotentin Translated from French

Feudal Dues, Homage, and Titles of Guernsey

Treizième and Feudal Dues

The treizième is the traditional feudal due payable to the Crown, calculated at one-thirteenth of the property’s value (approximately 2%) in the Island of Guernsey. It is payable to the Royal Court whenever a fief or landholding is alienated (transferred to a new owner).

Under the Feudal Dues (Guernsey) Law of 1980, the obligation to pay congé—a formal Crown consent for property transfers—was abolished, except in cases involving fiefs. For fiefs, the payment of treizième and the issuance of congé remain in force and must be made directly in the Royal Courts of the Crown.

In law,

“Congé” refers to an official document issued by or on behalf of Her Majesty’s Receiver General, certifying that the proper feudal dues (in lieu of treizième) have been received and that the Seigneur has consented to the transfer of land.
“Feudal dues” include treizième, chef-rentes, escheat, varech (wreck of the sea), poulage, quarantaine, and all other incidents of feudal tenure payable in money or in kind.
A “private fief” is defined as any fief not belonging to the Crown.

(See: Feudal Dues (General Abolition of Congé) (Guernsey) Law, 2002.)

Homage and Fealty

In medieval Europe, homage and fealty were solemn acts that formalized the relationship between lord and vassal. These ceremonies also existed in the Norman Channel Islands, including Guernsey.

Homage was a symbolic act of submission and acknowledgment of tenure. The vassal would kneel before his lord, place his joined hands between those of the lord, and declare his loyalty. This gesture represented both personal allegiance and recognition of the feudal bond.
Fealty was a sworn oath of fidelity, in which the vassal pledged not to harm his lord or his property and to uphold his duties of service and loyalty.

Homage was rendered directly to the lord or sovereign, whereas fealty could be sworn to a delegated officer such as a bailiff or steward. Upon the completion of the ceremony, the lord typically performed a symbolic investiture, handing the vassal an object—often soil, a banner, or a glove—representing the fief.

This ancient ritual acknowledged the mutual obligations of protection and service that defined feudal society: the lord owed protection, and the vassal owed allegiance and aid.

Modern Legal Reforms

The Feudal Dues (Guernsey) Law of 1980 permanently extinguished the private seigneurial royalties, transferring their character to the Crown.

In 2002, a complementary statute formally abolished the right of private seigneurs to collect treizième (the thirteenth share or transfer tax) effective 2003, aligning all such payments under Crown jurisdiction.
Henceforth, all treizième dues are paid directly to the Crown, with no private collection permitted.

Court of Chief Pleas and Seigneurial Representation

The Lords and Ladies of Guernsey’s principal fiefs traditionally hold the right to sit in the Court of Chief Pleas, alongside members of the Royal Court Bar and the Constables of the parishes.

This court meets in solemn session (“in body” or en plein cour) three times per year.
To be seated, each seigneur must have rendered homage and fealty to the Crown or its representative, the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey.

Though their attendance is formally required, the seigneurs no longer participate in deliberations; they now simply answer to their names when called.
This enduring ritual nonetheless preserves the legal and moral personality of Guernsey’s ancient seigneuries within the modern Crown framework.

Transformation of Seigneuries

Many of Guernsey’s historic manorial estates (seigneuries) have been repurposed in accordance with customary law. Some have been sold or transformed into heritage hotels or private estates, reflecting the island’s blend of medieval continuity and modern adaptation.

Examples include:

Hotel La Barbarie, formerly part of the Fief de Blanchelande;
Manor of Longueville, Saint-Sauveur;
Sausmarez Manor, seat of the Seigneurs of Sausmarez, a family among the oldest on the island, alongside the de Carterets.

Several lords continue to maintain their manorial grounds as botanical and cultural landmarks, open to the public and conserved as part of Guernsey’s national heritage.

Parallels in Jersey

A similar feudal structure persists in the neighbouring Island of Jersey, where the Seigneurs and Dames of fiefs likewise maintain ceremonial homage to the Crown and certain traditional property rights, preserved under Norman customary law.

Historical Division of the Island (1020 AD)

In 1020, Duke Richard II of Normandy divided Guernsey diagonally into two great fiefs:

The southeast was granted to Néel, Viscount of Cotentin, and
The western half to Anchetel, Viscount of Bessin.

At that time, the Clos du Valle remained largely wasteland.
These two original fiefs underwent numerous changes over the following centuries, but by the time of the Norman Conquest of England (1066), both had returned to the families of their original grantees, laying the foundation for Guernsey’s enduring system of hereditary fiefs.

Legacy

“Guernsey’s feudal institutions, though ceremonial today, remain the oldest continuous expressions of Norman law in the British Isles — unbroken in allegiance from the Dukes of Normandy to the modern Crown.”

Below from" Fiefs of the Islands of Guernsey

Transactions lists.xls [Compatibility Mode] (societe.org.gg) by Ewen, A H

Fief Blondel appears to be older than the Seigneurs of Monaco as the Grimaldi family settled in Monaco in 1297 and Fief Blondel is also older than ancient Sheikhdom of Kuwait, Kingdom of Moscovy Russia 1362, Kingdom of Spain 1479, Kingdom of Bohemia, Kingdom of Belgium. Fief Blondel may also be older than the Ottomon Empire, Habsburg Empire, and the Kingdom of Lithuania.

Description of the Lords of the European Fief of Blondel and Eperons (Est. 1179)

Origins and Continuity of the Fief Blondel

The Fief de Blondel and L’Eperons is an ancient Norman seigneury established around 1179 AD, with roots that reach back to the era of Rollo the Viking, the first Duke of Normandy in the early 10th century. For over eight centuries, the Channel Islands have preserved their unique feudal legal traditions, where fiefs and seigneurial courts continue to exist under the jurisdiction of the Crown of the United Kingdom, in its capacity as Duke of Normandy.

Today, the Fief Blondel and Eperons is directly registered with the Royal Courts of the Crown, under the authority of His Majesty King Charles III. The island’s fiefs operate under ancient Norman and customary law, much like the Seigneurs of Monaco, the Lords of Andorra, the Sovereign Gozo of Malta, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), the Papal Monarch of the Vatican City, and the Lord of Sark. Each of these entities represents a surviving remnant of medieval European sovereignty, recognized under both nobility law and international law.

Succession and Legal Recognition

In December 2017, Commissioner Dr. George Mentz, JD, MBA, DSS, was formally elevated as the 26th Free Lord and Seigneur of the Fief de Blondel et L’Eperons on the island of Guernsey (Dgèrnésiais – Guernsey French).
Counselor Mentz completed the feudal legal process of “Congé and Treizième”, the official procedure by which ownership of a fief is transferred between noble proprietors through the Royal Courts.

The Fief de Thomas Blondel, forming part of this historic seigneury, is one of the last great private fiefs in Europe to remain in private ownership, encompassing beaches, water rights, foreshores, and seasteds, extending to certain international waters.

In various European traditions, such a Free Lord or Seigneur Libre is equivalent to a Freiherr (Frhr.) or Friherre in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands, denoting hereditary nobility and direct tenure under sovereign authority.

Historical Importance

The Lords of Fief Blondel and Eperons preside over one of the oldest continuously documented fiefs in Europe—older than:

The Grimaldi dynasty of Monaco (established 1297),
The Sheikhdom of Kuwait,
The Kingdom of Muscovy (1362),
The Kingdom of Spain (1479),
The Kingdom of Bohemia, and
The Kingdom of Belgium.

Indeed, Fief Blondel may predate the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Empire, and the Kingdom of Lithuania, making it a rare surviving example of medieval European feudalism still functioning under modern Crown law.

Legal Parallels and Recognition

The feudal system of the Channel Islands, including Jersey and Guernsey, remains unique in Europe. In Jersey, seigneurs historically retained rights to foreshore and coastal territories, confirmed by cases such as Les Pas Holdings v Les Pas Farm Ltd [2007] JLR 54, where the Royal Court of Jersey upheld that the foreshore belonged to the Seigneur of St. Ouen as part of his feudal estate.

This case reaffirmed that feudal rights—particularly those concerning coastal and maritime property—still hold legal force under Norman customary law, distinct from English common law.
Such decisions underscore the continuing recognition of seigneurial ownership and jurisdiction over coastal areas within the Crown Dependencies.

Sovereignty and Maritime Rights

Historically, the Crown has held ownership over the territorial waters surrounding the Channel Islands, yet the coastal seigneurs have exercised fishing and foreshore rights for over a thousand years. These rights derive from customary law and are recognized in local practice concerning marinas, fisheries, and navigation.

Under international law, the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends up to 200 nautical miles (approximately 370 km), granting sovereign rights to explore, exploit, and manage natural resources both on and beneath the seabed. In Guernsey, seigneurial rights often integrate historically with such maritime claims, reflecting the island’s hybrid feudal and modern legal identity.

Comparative Example – Monaco’s Evolution

The Principality of Monaco, today a fully sovereign state, was once a fiefdom under larger powers. The Grimaldi family, of Genoese origin, seized Monaco in 1297 and held it as vassals of successive overlords — the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia.

In 1861, Monaco signed a Treaty of Sovereignty with France, formally ending its feudal vassalage and establishing full independence under the Grimaldis. This evolution from feudal fief to sovereign microstate parallels, in historical structure, the status of Guernsey’s fiefs, which remain Crown dependencies governed under feudal law, though not sovereign in themselves.

Historical Lineage and Heritage

From Rollo the Viking (918 AD) to King Charles III, the Fiefs of the Channel Islands have maintained unbroken allegiance to the Crown, acting as living relics of Norman jurisprudence.
Today, the Fief de Blondel and Eperons stands among the last active European seigneuries, a symbol of continuity, law, and heritage — where medieval tenure, royal allegiance, and private stewardship coexist under the enduring protection of the Duke of Normandy.

“The Fief Blondel is not merely an estate—it is a living chapter of European legal history, linking Viking law, Norman feudalism, and the modern Crown.”
— Commissioner George Mentz, Seigneur of Blondel et L’Eperons

735-Year History of the Fief Blondel

Origins of the Norman Fiefs (918–1204)

Establishment of the Fief Blondel (1284–Present)

Modern Conveyance of the Fief Blondel (Royal Courts of Guernsey, 2018)

Excerpts from the 2018 Royal Court Deed (Summary)

Historical Deed of 1440 (Leeds Archive & Ogier Translation)

Certified Translation (2018)

Legacy and Continuity

Summary

The Guernsey House

Evolution of the Norman and Guernsey Fiefs

Origins in the Ducal Period (11th–12th Centuries)

The Reorganization After 1204

Fiefs of Royal and Ecclesiastical Origin

Torteval and the Complex Web of Fiefs

Modern Structure of Guernsey Fiefs

Summary

The Feudal System of Guernsey

Continuity of a Medieval Institution

Private Seigneuries and Hereditary Families

Rights, Customs, and Homage

Decline of Seigneurial Rights

Feudal Courts and Local Administration

Legacy

Feudal Dues, Homage, and Titles of Guernsey

Treizième and Feudal Dues

Homage and Fealty

Modern Legal Reforms

Court of Chief Pleas and Seigneurial Representation

Transformation of Seigneuries

Parallels in Jersey

Historical Division of the Island (1020 AD)

Legacy

Description of the Lords of the European Fief of Blondel and Eperons (Est. 1179)

Origins and Continuity of the Fief Blondel

Succession and Legal Recognition

Historical Importance

Legal Parallels and Recognition

Sovereignty and Maritime Rights

Comparative Example – Monaco’s Evolution

Historical Lineage and Heritage

Counselor George Mentz Esq. - Seigneur Feif Blondel