16th April 1859
First Jersey Royals are exported to London
Jersey new potatoes only found fame on the mainland after the first shipment went on sale in Covent Garden on 16 April 1859. They were an immediate hit, and three further shipments were sent before the end of the season, plus a fourth to Swansea. That was just the start of their success. Less than 10 years later, Jersey was exporting more than 4000 tons of potatoes to the mainland, and demand has been strong ever since.
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Other events that occured in April
Man denies that killing counted as murder because he was drunk
- George Elias Le Rougetel admitted that he'd shot his sister to death but claimed that it wasn't murder as he'd been drunk at the time.
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Historian George Balleine is born
- George Balleine was honorary librarian of the Société Jersiaise, which gave him the opportunity to produce written works on Jersey’s history.
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Man tried on priest porn charges
- When pornographic pictures of a Jersey priest started circulating, a man with whom he'd had a long running feud was the natural suspect.
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The States starts dismantling Jersey Railway
- After a fire, and facing stiff competition from road transport, Jersey Railway was sold to the States, which began demolishing the track.
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