![]() ![]() Holland and Portugal were fifty years ahead of England in importing tea. In 1662 when Charles II married the Portuguese Catherine of Braganza, she introduced tea to the English Court. It was prepared in advance in large containers for the excise man to levy his duty before it was sold. At first, the drink was enjoyed in the established coffee houses frequented by the intellectuals and the men of the world. In England people accorded it time and space and this alone must have had the effect of producing a sense of wellbeing. The health benefits of tea were known in the East for thousands of years. At the time of its introduction, tea was believed to be therapeutic as well as delicious. ![]() We also have to realise that the tea and opium trade were inextricably interlinked. ENGLISH TEA BOX FULLTo understand the full impact of the importation of tea we have to consider the fiscal implications of this newly introduced commodity. Tea was pivotal in the history of Britain in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Together with the fragrant leaf came the respect for this drink and the ceremonial way in which it was to be prepared and drunk. Although there are earlier references of its use by traders in China, it was not until 1657 that we have the first account of its sale in England. Tea was introduced to England from China sometime in the middle of the 17th century. TEA AND THE TEA CADDY A BRIEF STUDY OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF TEA AND ITS CONTAINERS ![]()
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