Jersey Mummy

In 1835, John Gosset from Jersey, Channel Islands, took an expedition to Thebes, Egypt, and returned with various artifacts and a mummy (the Jersey Mummy). Unfortunately, he died on the way back in Paris. His father, Isaac Gosset, took over, and brought the mummy to Jersey, where it was housed in a museum in Belmont Road, Saint Helier, along with other Egyptian artifacts, and some Roman and Greek ones as well.

The mummy was dated to around 1069-945 BC, the time of King Amunoph III. It was thought to be that of a high priestess, but in 1837, it was carefully unwrapped, and found to be that of a middle aged man, early 40s, about 5 ft 5 in.

The museum later closed around 1850, and artifacts were returned to people who had given them for show. Isaac Gosset being dead, the mummy went to a new owner (who the records do not name), presumably the next of kin in the family. He obviously did not care much for a mummy being deposited at his house, because the next we hear about the matter, it is of the mummy having been burnt to ashes somewhere in Longueville, Jersey.

There are a few artifacts left, and these can be seen in the display case at La Hougue Bie, Jersey in the archaeology museum there.

Sources

• Jersey Heritage Report mentioning return on Mummy artefacts to Hougue Bie
• Museum Display Case, Archaeology Section, Hougie Bie, Jersey