Fried fish, introduced to Britain by Jewish immigrants, and fried chipped potatoes were both independently established foods in Britain before they were sold together; competing local histories credit a London shop opened by Joseph Malin around 1860 and a shop in Mossley, Lancashire, run by John Lees around the same period, and no single surviving record settles which came first.
What would resolve this A dated advertisement, rate record or newspaper mention naming the combined dish earlier than either claimed date would settle the priority question; no such record has surfaced despite sustained local-history interest on both sides.
OpenCulinary historyFish and Chips (Wikipedia)