The Battle of Jersey was fought on 6 January 1781, after a successful landing of a French force attempting to remove the threat the island posed to shipping during the American Revolutionary War. France had sided with America and Jersey was used as a base for privateering by the British. The French invasion ultimately failed, and its commander, Baron Phillipe de Rullecourt, died of wounds sustained in the fighting.
This was the last time the French invaded Jersey after numerous attacks over the centuries after the island ceased to be part of the Duchy of Normandy in 1204. Perhaps because it was the last, and also because the battle in which the French were defeated was named Battle of Jersey, this invasion has been given undue historical importance, because it was actually one of the least severe ever suffered by islanders.
And although some apparently very detailed reports of the events of 6 January 1781 have been written, what actually happened on the day, and when, and how many people took part, is clouded in mystery. This article is based on a variety of sources (see below) and attempts to unravel some of the mystery.
