Starpack Research: Significant Figures for Tea

Catherine of Braganza

While tea is very much associated with the British way of life, it may come as a surprise to learn that it owes much of its popularity here to foreign princess Catherine of Braganza. While the Queen-consort of King Charles II didn't introduce tea to Britain, she had much to do with it becoming a fashionable and popularised beverage.

Portuguese traders imported it to their homeland from the East, and its high price and exoticism helped it to become very fashionable in aristocratic circles and at the Royal court, where Catherine grew up. By the mid-seventeenth century, tea was very popular in Portugal and had also gained popularity in elite society in Holland, through Dutch trade in the East, and in neighbouring countries. 

At this stage, Britain somewhat fell behind. In May 1660, Charles II had been restored to the throne after the collapse of the unpopular Commonwealth administration set up by Oliver Cromwell in 1649.   Charles II inherited many debts from the previous government, and quickly ran up new ones of his own, and thus became short of cash. His solution to this was to marry a wealthy foreign princess and to demand with her a great deal of money or goods as a dowry. After some negotiation, it was agreed that he would marry Catherine, and that her father King John IV of Portugal would provide with her several ships full of luxury goods, some as gifts and some which could be sold to pay off Charles II's debts. These goods included a chest of tea, the favourite drink at the Portuguese court.

Catherine arrived in Portsmouth on 13 May 1662. As soon as she arrived she asked for a cup of tea, though at this time it was so rare there was none available. Catherine and Charles II were married on 21 May 1662. Initially Catherine, a deeply pious Catholic who had been schooled in a convent, found it difficult to fit in at the bawdy and fun-loving English court. Over time however she established herself, and as the pre-eminent woman in the kingdom became something of a trend-setter. Although she adopted English fashions, she continued to prefer the cuisine of her native Portugal - including tea. Soon her taste for tea had caused a fad at the royal court. This then spread to aristocratic circles and then to the wealthier classes. 

Anna Russell, 7th Duchess of Bedford

While the English gentry became accustomed to drinking tea in the 1660’s, it wasn’t until the 1840’s that the more elaborate custom of taking 'Afternoon Tea' came into existence. In the 19th Century, it was customary for the upper classes in England to have their evening meal late, around 8:00-9:00 pm, and therefore many grew hungry in the afternoon.

In around 1840, Anna Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, complained of a 'sinking feeling' and requested that some light food and a pot of tea (usually Darjeeling) be brought to her private living quarters to help ward off her mid afternoon hunger. This light food probably included bread, butter, and perhaps biscuits. The idea proved so successful that it soon became routine, and the Duchess decided to invite a few of her friends to her private rooms for tea in the afternoon. A new social event was born in which the invited guests would have an opportunity to meet with friends, catch up on the latest news, discuss recent events, etc. The service would normally take place in the lady’s parlour, or withdrawing room, or boudoir and be served on low-decorative tables. Hence this event also became known as “low” tea.

The light food served with afternoon tea gradually evolved to include more elaborate fare such as crustless finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and a final course of sweets and pastries. The idea was to provide easy-to-manage portions suitable for entertaining in a sitting room.

The Duchess was lady-in-waiting and a lifelong friend to Queen Victoria, whom she introduced to the idea and, in so doing, gained an influential supporter. The trend gained popularity, and it soon became a fashionable pastime of the upper classes. To meet this new demand, English china manufacturers, linen makers, and silversmiths began turning out fine accoutrements to be used in the service of afternoon tea.

Thomas Sullivan

The invention of the tea bag is said to have resulted from the small silk sample bags used by Thomas Sullivan, a New York City tea merchant, in 1908 to send out to potential customers. However the 1920's is said to have been the 'decade of the teabag,' and its commercial use developed from the tea egg or tea ball (a perforated metal container on a chain) into a tea bag.

Thomas Garraway

Thomas Garraway was the first know retailer of tea in London.

Tea Jenny

In Scotland, a Tea Jenny is a is someone who drinks a lot of tea.