the story of jersey

The Story of Jersey - an island and its people
This is the main exhibition in the museum and it occupies the whole of the first floor. Using original objects, illustrations and many other media, the displays show how the island has been created and the way that people have lived here for over a quarter of a million years.

The exhibition begins in the centre of the room, where the main themes are introduced via interactive computers which are operated simply by touching the screen. From the central area, you can explore the different galleries which radiate from it, to find out more about the island. There is no set way to go - choose the themes you find most interesting.

'A Peculiar of the Crown' explains just why and how Jersey is part of the British Isles but not the U.K. How we are governed by the States of Jersey rather than the British Parliament and why we have our own law and two sorts of police. 'Centuries of Change' will show you how the island has developed from the so called 'dark ages' through 1500 years to the bleak days of the German occupation. The formation of the island 8,000 years ago and the way that people first came to live here 250,000 years ago are explained in 'The Making of an Island'. 'Working the Land' illustrates Jersey's oldest industry - farming. The Jersey cow has developed as a result of controlled breeding as there has been no live importation of cattle into the island since 1789; the famous Jersey Royal potato is said to have originated from one fluke potato.

The exhibition also explains islanders' relationships with the sea and examines their everyday lives through a gallery full of everyday things. The story is brought up to date with 'Prosperity and Communications' which shows how Jersey has come to rely on good communications with the outside world to sustain its two main industries finance and tourism.