Who brought the potato to Britain?

Answer 1

John Gerard refers to potatoes in his Herball, or a Generall Historie of Plantes (1597) as "The Potatoes of Virginia". This was the first English description of the potato, and the first illustration published of the plant.

Answer 2

Potatoes were first introduced to Britain in the late 16th Century by the famous Royal Naval commander and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, following a visit to South America. He found the tribespeople of Chile and Peru ate a root vegetable that they called 'batata', and upon sampling one himself, found that they were good food.

He returned to England with a shipment of potato vegetables, plants and seeds, but although they were received favourably in the court of Queen Elizabeth 1st, many ordinary English people did not like them, and some even thought that they were poisonous!!

The potato was only slowly introduced as a mainstay vegetable crop in Britain and Europe- many folk were reluctant to accept the foreign novelty, and even after this resistance was overcome, they were looked down upon by wealthier classes as the food of the poor, which it would never do for a lady or gentleman to be seen dining upon. It was not until the mid-19th Century that they became generally embraced by British society as a whole.

Answer 3

Sir Walter Raleigh is sometimes credited with the introduction of the potato around 1588, after which it became a staple food in Ireland within the next century. However, since the Spaniards discovered the potato in South America, he would have gotten it from them, and perhaps the Spanish Armada ships that wrecked in Ireland (that same year) were carrying potatoes.

Answer 4

Sir Walter Raleigh introduced Potatoes and Tobacco to England in the 16th Century on return from the Americas.
Traditionally this is attributed to Sir Walter Raliegh

Answer 5

Francis Drake introduced potatoes into England in 1580

Answer 6

Sir Walter Raleigh

Answer 7

Sir Walter raleigh