Saint Helier, town, capital of the British crown dependency of Jersey, on Saint Aubin's Bay, in the English Channel. It is a residential community, seaport, and popular summer resort. Saint Helier is also the main commercial and transportation center of the island. An 11th-century parish church, Victoria College (1852), a museum, and a zoo are here, and the late 16th-century Elizabeth Castle and the early 19th-century Fort Regent are nearby. Royal Square located here was the scene, in 1781, of a battle in which the French unsuccessfully sought to capture Jersey. Population (2001 estimate) 28,000.