1781 The Battle of Jersey and The Death of Major Peirson

Britain was at war with France on and off throughout the 18th century. In the 1760s, Britain and Jersey set about a campaign of privateering, or licensing pirating, which inflicted considerable damage on French trade in the English Channel. It wasn’t long before retaliation was on the cards. This display explores that time using John Singleton Copley's painting 'The Death of Major Peirson' and artefacts in the Jersey Heritage Collection. The exhibition also considers the abiding influence of these historic events upon the Island's self-image.