It created jobs for local civilians and some estimates put the amount injected into the economy as high as £2 million at today's values. The garrison also made a significant contribution to the local economy. The garrison also played a major part in the social life of the island, hosting band concerts and staging military displays: officers and other ranks provided husbands for many local women. With the notable exception of the Battle of Jersey, when it repulsed a French invasion, the garrison never fired a shot in anger, but clearly acted as a significant deterrent against invaders. In addition to its own Militia Jersey was defended until the 20th century by British Army garrison troops, stationed initially in Elizabeth Castle and then Fort Regent. The other pictures show the 66th Regiment band, a group of officers relaxing outside the 'Ante room' and a rare early view of Bel Royal, with St Matthew's Church, now popularly known as the 'Glass Church, and the Bel Royal windmill and coastal tower in the centre. The picture at the top left is the first we have come across of the accommodation inside the barracks, and, taken in 1869, it shows that the officer lived in some comfort in what he described as his 'casemate' with access direct on to the parade ground in the centre of the fort. No full list of regiments forming the Jersey garrison is held by the British Army, but by combining local records and those of individual regiments, we have assembled the list on this pageĪ garrison soldier's album Four pictures from the private album of an officer in the 66th Regiment who was stationed at Fort Regent as part of the island garrison in the late 1860s. With relatively few interruptions, Jersey has been defended by a garrison regiment since the 17th century. Among the ceremonial duties of the garrison regiment was to mount a guard at the entrance to Government House, the home of their commander-in-chief during their time in the island
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