If you're unsure why we mark the anniversary of the Jersey Corn Riot, The Story Beast can help...

John Henry Falle was commissioned by ArtHouse Jersey to create a way of explaining the events of 28 September 1769 - when islanders revolted in the Royal Square against food shortages and the price of wheat.

Around 400 peasants stormed the Royal Court and demanded an end to the hunger forced upon them by their corrupt and tyrannical judges.

The uprising led to change in how laws were made.  It's now celebrated every September with a festival at the end of Democracy Week.

Illustrations by Antiochus Omissi (alias The Pengolin) depict the corrupt Lieutenant-Bailiff Charles Lemprière and his brother Philip whose investments in corn-rents would rise when wheat was scarce.

The Lemprières smuggled wheat out, exported it, refused to import it, even hid it in their cellars - forcing up corn-rents, pushing farmers into debt and the poor of St Helier to starvation.

John Henry Falle AKA The Story Beast says the story 'Riot! The Jersey Corn Riot 1769' might well resonate with people today:

"It was a legitimate protest by hungry, desperate, morally outraged people who took their lives in their hands to try and change our island for the common good.

"They weren't entirely peaceful, they weren't even entirely successful but their uprising brought about a revolution that can be felt today in our Democratic and Judicial institutions and that's worth remembering because - like verse - History often rhymes.

"If a load of peasant farmers and people living in poverty could change things for the better in 1769 then there's a possibility for someone suffering under similar conditions in 2024."

Tom Dingle, Director of ArtHouse Jersey, says it's a 'stellar piece of local storytelling'.

“We’re delighted to have been able to bring this brilliant piece of writing to the screen, alongside the support of the Government of Jersey’s Creative Island Partnership.

"To have John Henry so masterfully distil the Corn Riots, as he did with ‘A Complete History Of Jersey in just under ten minutes’’ is a gift to us all. As always, he manages to weave in and out of Jersey’s complex past, not shying away from contention, whilst simultaneously imparting a sense of wonder and pride about this small rock we all call home."

The third Jersey Corn Riots Festival takes place in the Royal Square on 28 & 29 September with a programme of live music and a celebration of the island's native language Jèrriais.