Maria Gloriosa , or the Erfurt Bell , is a well-known bell of Erfurt Cathedral , cast by Geert van Wou in 1497. The world's largest medieval free-swinging bell, it is now swung electrically. It was welded in 1985 to repair a crack, then, in August 2004, the bell was re-fused due to another crack from 2001.
31-431: Diameter: 8 feet 5 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches [2,584 mm], weight: 13 tons 15 cwts. [12555 kg], note: E [1497 standard]. Alternately: 2570mm, 11450 kg, note by today's standards: F−. It is about 2 meters tall. As with any well-tuned bell the hum tone is near an octave below the strike tone , and all other notes are in tune including the minor third , fifth , octave, and major third and fifth in
62-499: A judge appointed, with similar judicial powers to a bailiff, but on 1 January 1949, the island adopted a new constitution, giving up some independence, moving closer to Guernsey, and confirming that it is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The island of Guernsey has a population of around 63,000 in 62 km (24 square miles) and forms the legal and administrative centre of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The parliament of Guernsey and
93-580: A parish church dating from the 11th century, with strong religious control exercised initially by the French Catholic church and for the last 500 years by the English church. Over the years, the religious aspect of the administration of each parish has been reduced in favour of democratically elected douzeniers. Each jurisdiction has inhabited and uninhabited islands and its own elected government. All three legal jurisdictions need royal assent from
124-565: Is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy , comprising three separate jurisdictions: Alderney , Guernsey (incorporating Herm ), and Sark . The Lieutenant Governor is the representative of the British monarch , who remains the head of state . The States of Guernsey is the parliament and government of the whole Bailiwick, though several matters are decided locally by the States of Alderney and by Sark's Chief Pleas. The Bailiff of Guernsey
155-534: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Hundredweight The hundredweight (abbreviation: cwt ), formerly also known as the centum weight or quintal , is a British imperial and United States customary unit of weight or mass . Its value differs between the United States customary and British imperial systems. The two values are distinguished in American English as
186-561: Is the civil head of the Bailiwick, and is also president of the States of Guernsey and head of the Bailiwick's judiciary . The Bailiwick is self-governing and not part of the United Kingdom . Its defence and international representation — as well as certain policy areas, such as nationality law — are the responsibility of the UK Government , but the Bailiwick still has a separate international identity. The history of
217-538: Is used for church bells (formatted cwt–qr–lb). The long hundredweight is used as a measurement of vehicle weight in the Bailiwick of Guernsey . It was also previously used to indicate the maximum recommended carrying load of vans and trucks, such as the Ford Thames 5 and 7 cwt vans and the 8, 15, 30 and 60 cwt Canadian Military Pattern trucks . In Europe outside the British Isles, a centum or quintal
248-942: The Channel Islands . The islanders have never had formal representation in the House of Commons of the British Parliament, nor the European Parliament. Those islanders who were not somehow qualified and eligible in their own right to register to vote and to vote in the United Kingdom under the Representation of the People Acts as "overseas voters", were excluded from the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum . Guernsey has an unwritten constitution arising from
279-673: The Duchy of Normandy , whose dukes became kings of England from 1066. In 1204, as a consequence of the Treaty of Le Goulet , insular Normandy alone remained loyal to the English Crown, leading to a political split from the mainland. Around 1290, the Channel Islands' Governor, Otto de Grandson , split the archipelago into two bailiwicks , establishing those parts other than Jersey as a single Bailiwick of Guernsey. The Bailiwick
310-596: The Monarch on its primary legislation, but as of February 29, 2024, certain domestic primary legislation need only the Lieutenant-Governor's assent. Each jurisdiction raises its own taxation, although in 1949 Alderney transferred its rights to Guernsey. With a population of around 2,200 in 7.8 km (3 square miles), Alderney has its own parliament, the States of Alderney , which has ten elected members and an elected president. From 1612, Alderney had
341-610: The Treaty of Paris (1259) . When Henry III and the King of France came to terms over the Duchy of Normandy, the Norman mainland fell under the suzerainty of the king of France. The Channel Islands, however, remained loyal to the English crown due to the loyalties of its Seigneurs . However, they were never absorbed into the Kingdom of England by any Act of Union, but exist as "peculiars of
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#1732764788415372-603: The short and long hundredweight and in British English as the cental and imperial hundredweight. Under both conventions, there are 20 hundredweight in a ton , producing a " short ton " of 2,000 pounds (907.2 kg) and a " long ton " of 2,240 pounds (1,016 kg). The hundredweight has had many values. In England in around 1300, different hundreds ( centum in Medieval Latin ) were defined . The Weights and Measures Act 1835 formally established
403-680: The Bailiwick established in 2010 an office in Brussels to develop the Channel Islands' influence with the EU, to advise the Channel Islands' governments on European matters, and to promote economic links with the EU. The Bailiwick of Guernsey is in the Commonwealth (Commonwealth of Nations) , although not as a member , in its own right . The Bailiwick is also a member of the Commonwealth Games Federation and competes in
434-466: The Bailiwick of Guernsey goes back to 933, when the islands came under the control of William Longsword , having been annexed from the Duchy of Brittany by the Duchy of Normandy . The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands formed part of the lands of William the Conqueror . In 1204, France conquered mainland Normandy – but not the offshore islands of the bailiwick . The islands represent
465-459: The Bailiwick. Combined with a tidal range of 10 m (33 ft) and fast currents of up to 12 knots (14 mph; 22 km/h), sailing in local waters is dangerous. The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a separate jurisdiction in itself and is, in turn, also three separate sub-jurisdictions. It does not form part of, and is separate from (but is not independent of, or from) the United Kingdom . The two Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey together make up
496-421: The Channel Islands. In 1304, separate seals were provided to Jersey and Guernsey. The provision of different seals is one of the earliest indications of the individual identity and personality of the two Bailiwicks. The seal comprised three leopards (or lions), a symbol taken from the original arms of the Duchy of Normandy. The United Kingdom and His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are responsible for
527-565: The Crown". A unique constitutional position has arisen as successive British monarchs have confirmed the liberties and privileges of the Bailiwick, often referring to the so-called Constitutions of King John , a legendary document supposed to have been granted by King John in the aftermath of 1204. Governments of the Bailiwick have generally tried to avoid testing the limits of the unwritten constitution by avoiding conflict with British governments. This peculiar political position has often been to
558-481: The United States into the United Kingdom. The short hundredweight is commonly used as a measurement in the United States in the sale of livestock and some cereal grains and oilseeds , paper , and concrete additives and on some commodities in futures exchanges . A few decades ago, commodities weighed in terms of long hundredweight included cattle, cattle fodder, fertilizers, coal, some industrial chemicals, other industrial materials, and so on. However, since
589-547: The benefit of islanders. Until the 19th century, the Bailiwick was generally exempt from the harsher parts of Westminster legislation while being included in favourable policies, such as protectionist economic policies. England, and later the United Kingdom, passively exploited the strategic benefits of the Channel Islands. For example, the islands were a convenient stop-off point for trade to Gascony . The bailiwick comprises twelve parishes : Alderney, Sark, and ten on mainland Guernsey (one of which includes Herm). Each parish has
620-584: The defence and also for formal international, intergovernmental, and consular representation of, and the foreign affairs generally, of the Bailiwick. While never a member of the European Union or its predecessors, before Brexit the Bailiwick had a special relationship with the EU under Protocol 3 of the UK's Treaty of Accession 1972 to the European Community. Pooling resources with Jersey,
651-636: The five years of the German occupation of the Channel Islands . The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey is the Lieutenant Governor of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and, being the personal representative of the British monarch, has usually had a distinguished military service. Originally, the local courts in Guernsey were " fiefs " with the lord of the manor presiding. Before 1066, a superior court
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#1732764788415682-622: The increasing usage of the metric system in most English-speaking countries, it is now used to a far lesser extent. Church bell ringers use the unit commonly, although church bell manufacturers are increasingly moving over to the metric system . Older blacksmiths' anvils are often stamped with a three-digit number indicating their total weight in hundredweight, quarter-hundredweight (28 lb (13 kg), abbreviated qr), and pounds. Thus, an anvil stamped "1.1.8" will weigh 148 lb (67 kg) (112 lb (51 kg) + 28 lb (13 kg) + 8 lb (3.6 kg)). The same three part scheme
713-416: The island free of pirates and that at least forty men occupied it to defend it. Despite most families coming from Jersey, Sark remained within the Bailiwick of Guernsey. There is no flag or coat of arms for the Bailiwick of Guernsey. In historic times, the governor would have used his personal symbols before a generic flag was created for use by the governor. In 1279, Edward I granted a Seal for use in
744-502: The last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy. Initially, there was one governor, or co-governors working together, of the islands making up the Channel Islands . The title "governor" has changed over the centuries. "Warden", "keeper", and "captain" have previously been used. The bailiff stands in for the Governor, or more recently the Lieutenant Governor, if the latter is absent, for a short term or for longer: for instance during
775-547: The mid-20th century. Bailiwick of Guernsey in the English Channel (red) The Bailiwick of Guernsey ( French : Bailliage de Guernesey ; Guernésiais : Bailliage dé Guernési ) is a self-governing British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy , France, comprising several of the Channel Islands . It has a total land area of 78 square kilometres (30 sq mi) and an estimated total population of 67,334. The Channel Islands were part of
806-621: The nearby inhabited islands of Herm , Jethou and Lihou is the States of Guernsey . Sark has a population of around 600 who live in 5.2 km (2 square miles). Its parliament (together with the inhabited island of Brecqhou ) is the Chief Pleas of Sark, with 18 elected members. In 1565, Helier de Carteret , Seigneur of St. Ouen in Jersey , was granted the fief of Sark by Queen Elizabeth I . He received letters patent granting him Sark in perpetuity on condition that he kept
837-549: The present imperial hundredweight of 112 pounds (50.80 kg). The United States and Canada came to use the term "hundredweight" to refer to a unit of 100 pounds (45.36 kg). This measure was specifically banned from British use—upon risk of being sued for fraud —by the Weights and Measures Act 1824 ( 5 Geo. 4 . c. 74), but in 1879 the measure was legalised under the name "cental" in response to legislative pressure from British merchants importing wheat and tobacco from
868-472: The second octave that may be heard in large bells. Related Section: Cologne Bell, also known as the great bell of Cologne Cathedral, is the second largest bell freely swinging bell. It was cast using metal from French guns. 50°58′33″N 11°01′24″E / 50.9758°N 11.0234°E / 50.9758; 11.0234 This German history article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article relating to bells
899-448: The two bailiwicks. Situated around 49°24′N 2°36′W / 49.4°N 2.6°W / 49.4; -2.6 , Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands together have a total area of 78 km (30 sq mi) and coastlines of about 50 km (31 mi). Elevation varies from sea level to 114 m (374 ft) at Le Moulin on Sark. There are many smaller islands, islets, rocks and reefs in
930-644: Was introduced above the fiefs and below the Eschequier Court in Rouen and comprised the bailiff and four knights; the court heard appeals and tried criminal cases. Otton de Grandson , then the governor of the Islands, delegated the civil powers to two separate bailiffs for Guernsey and Jersey before he went on crusade to the Holy Land in 1290. This can be assessed as the date of first creation of
961-580: Was never defined in terms of British units. Instead, it was based on the kilogramme or former customary units. It is usually abbreviated q . It was 50 kg (110 lb) in Germany, 48.95 kg (108 lb) in France, 56 kg (123 lb) in Austria, etc. The unit was phased out or metricized after the introduction of the metric system in the 1790s, being occasionally retained in informal use up to