Sir George Carteret

Who is Sir George Carteret?

Sir George Carteret was born around 1610 in St Ouen, Jersey, into a prominent Jersey seafaring family, and rose to become one of the island's most consequential historical figures. A skilled naval officer, he served as Comptroller of the Navy and later as Bailiff and Governor of Jersey. During the English Civil War he remained fiercely loyal to the Royalist cause, holding Jersey as one of the last territories to resist Parliament, and sheltered the future King Charles II on the island, including a stay at Elizabeth Castle, during his exile in 1646 and again in 1649-1650. After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II rewarded Carteret's loyalty with extensive honours, including a share of a large grant of land in the American colonies. In 1664, that territory was named New Jersey in direct tribute to Carteret's home island and his defence of it. He went on to serve as Treasurer of the Navy and as a founding proprietor of the Province of Carolina. He died in England in 1680, but his name endures permanently through the American state that bears the island's name.

Sources: G.R. Balleine, A Biographical Dictionary of Jersey · Jersey Heritage / Société Jersiaise archives · New Jersey State Archives, colonial land grant records (1664)