Description
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Title (cartouche, bottom-left): Carte de l’Isle de Jersey. Dressée au Dépôt des Cartes et Plans de la Marine… — translated: compiled at France’s naval chart office (the Dépôt de la Marine) for the use of the King’s ships. Many other Charts in this style were created by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, the Dépôt’s chief hydrographer.
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Purpose: It’s a nautical chart, not just a land map. Note the web of rhumb lines from several compass roses, dense soundings (water depths), anchor symbols for good holding ground, and careful shading of shoals and reefs all around Jersey (e.g., the Paternosters to the northwest and hazards off La Corbière and Grouville).
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Language & measures: French throughout; longitude referenced to the Paris meridian (“Longitude Occidentale du Méridien de Paris”). Interstingly the depths are in French maritime units (brasses/fathoms).
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Administrative/parish detail: The island is divided into its historic parishes—St Ouen, St Peter, St Mary, St John, La Trinité (Trinity), St Martin, St Saviour, St Helier, Grouville, and St Clement—each named on the map.
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Forts & anchorages: You can pick out the Elizabeth Castle in St Aubin’s Bay near St Helier, the anchorage at St Aubin, Rozel Bay to the northeast, and other coastal batteries marked along the shore.
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Notes panel (top-left): “Remarques” gives short sailing/approach notes for mariners.
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Engraving & price: Copperplate engraving; at the bottom-right you can even see the printed price (“Prix dix-huit sols”), a nice period touch.
Dating: Bellin’s Jersey chart was issued in the mid-1700s (often catalogued around 1757–1764); the style, Dépôt attribution, and Paris-meridian longitude all line up with that period.
In short, it’s a handsome French hydrographic chart of Jersey from the Age of Sail—made for navigation, rich in coastal hazards and seamarks, but still showing the island’s inland parishes and principal places. The definition is particularly fine and of a quality that would surely grace the wall of any home or office upon the island.
