One of the most important 20th century manufacturing concerns in Jersey, Ching's Cigarettes were eventually to occupy a prominent position at the bottom of Mont Millais, but their operation was much more modest in the earlier years, as evidenced by a profile of the company in a 1911 edition of The Jerseyman newspaper.
Burrard Street
The company, founded by Edward Ching, first operated from Burrard Street.
- "We often hear lamentations concerning the decline in local industries, and our grandfathers talk in sorrowful tones of the once famous but now defunct oyster fisheries and shipbuilding. Nowadays, however, though the industries are not on such a gigantic scale, still they are fairly numerous, and what is more, prosperous; for the goods manufactured in Jersey can more than hold their own with those turned out in any other part of the world.
- "This week it was our pleasant privilege to drop in at the Jersey Cigarette Factory in Burrard Street, where we saw a large number of yhoung ladies engaged in rolling the popular cigarettes which are now obtainable at all up-to-date tobacconists. These girls are under the able direction of Miss Fitzpatrick, a Liverpool lady, who, by the way, had previous to coming to Jersey sole charge of the famous Marsuma factory at Congleton, Cheshire, whence have emanated scores of skilled workers who learnt the rudiments of the trade under her careful tuition.
- "As for friend Ching, the founder of the firm, he is the most modest of men, and it was with difficulty that we could get him to talk about himself. Suffice to say that the word 'failure' in not included in his dictionary. Everything that he has undertaken has proved a success, owing to his straightforward dealings and gentlemanly conduct. Needless to say he is a general favourite with the retail trade, andhis smiling countenance can often be seen, as he endeavours to bring it around to his way of thinking.
Manufacturing process
- "We satisfied ourselves as to the thoroughness in every detail of the goods 'put up' at this local factory. To see the huge hogsheads of leaf being cut up, stoved, sorted into the different grades, and lastly deftly rolled by nimble fingers, is a veritable eye-opener. The Jersey public has already recorded its verdict, and settled the case our of Court. Now you constantly hear 'Peirsons's' being called for. It is a cigarette which has come to stay and side by side, only a halfpenny per packet dearer, is the Bachelor brand, which has quite recently been put on the market and is a splendid cigarette. To those who devote more of their revenue at the shrine of Lady Nicotine, the famous 'Silk Cuts' appeal strongly and are smoked by everybody who is anybody. They are perfection.
- "What Mr Ching intends to do in the immediate future it is not for us to divulge at present, but we can assure our readers that they will be surprised when they hear of the scheme which this enterprising Jerseyman is materialising. May his shadow never grow less! Our lady readers will be interested to know, by the way, that, like his famous cigarettes, Mr Ching is still a Bachelor."
Edward Ching
Ching's tobacco factory at Mont Millais, later to become Postal Headquarters
Miss Fitzpatrick
Ching's van in 1962
Ching's cigarettes
Ching's cigarettes
Cigarette cards from the 1920s
Cigarette cards from the 1920s
Cigarette cards from the 1920s
Cigarette cards from the 1920s
Cigarette cards from the 1920s
Silk Cut advertisement
1951
The Mont Millais factory in 1965
1981
1982
Demolition in 1997
Demolition in 1997
Demolition in 1997
The site is cleared
