English tobacco varieties

[ChinaVoodoo]

I searched ARS-GRIN, and found there were no tobacco from England, United Kingdom, Ireland, Wales, or Scotland. It struck me as somewhat unexpected. Did they not ever grow tobacco?

 

[DistillingJim]

There was a thread a while ago about a potential wild varietal, but to my knowledge it was never grown commercially. Being a small island at the centre of an empire, the UK tended to import most of its agricultural produce, tobacco included.

 

[deluxestogie]

It's all about the tax. Import taxes on tobacco were a substantial revenue for the crown, from the very start. To stamp out local growing, an expensive licensing tax was levied.

It was not until about 1886 that experimental plantings were undertaken in the UK by several individuals capable of paying the exorbitant tax:

...Lord Walsingham's crop consisted of the "Pennsylvania," "Big Frederick," "Virginia," and "Connecticut"...
"...the chief reason why it is not better known to the English cultivator is, that we have laws which prohibit its culture under severe penalties. The cultivation of Tobacco in England was finally prohibited by law in 1782."

"The cultivation of Tobacco in England was first prohibited during the Commonwealth, and as an anecdote connected with this subject, it may be mentioned that Oliver Cromwell ordered upon one occasion, a troop of horse to enter into a field and trample down a Tobacco plantation ; of so much consequence while we had Colonies, was the trade with such Colonies esteemed. Now, however, as the North American States have been long since an independent Government, there appears no substantial reason for such laws as the preceding continuing in existence."

https://archive.org/details/englishtobaccocu00beal

There appeared to be no unique "British" varieties of tobacco for ARS-GRIN to collect.

Bob

 

[DistillingJim]

I would not be at all surprised if those laws were still in effect. In York there is apparantly an antiquated law that one is permitted to kill any Scotsman carrying a bow and arrow.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I would not be at all surprised if those laws were still in effect. In York there is apparantly an antiquated law that one is permitted to kill any Scotsman carrying a bow and arrow.

Hiss

 

[burge]

British if I am correct never knew tobacco until they came to North America. I do know that the British and Canadians smokes are somewhat similar.

 

[Propsjonnyb]

Tabacco was grown in England, particularly around Worcestershire , Gloustershire , and I think Herefordshire , early 1600’s the Bristol Historical Society, has a number of documents about growing etc , but it was outlawed due to the riots over tax and excise duty (nothing changes - and history repeats itself!) if anyone is interested I can download and attach the files.

 

[Hasse SWE]

Stuff like that is always interesting to see

 

[Hasse SWE]

I searched ARS-GRIN, and found there were no tobacco from England, United Kingdom, Ireland, Wales, or Scotland. It struck me as somewhat unexpected. Did they not ever grow tobacco?

ChinaVoodoo I see that this is written 2018 but perhaps you still want to see this:

Death and taxes: tobacco-growing in Ireland

he accepted formula for the Irish wake involved the laying on of generous amounts of whiskey and clay tobacco pipes for the consumption of mourners.

www.historyireland.com

 

[FmGrowit]

Tobacco is the gold the "explorers" sought in the "New World". More tax money has been collected on tobacco than the value of all of the gold ever mined in the history of the world.

 

[Moth]

Relatively interesting history of tobacco farming in the UK, despite the legislation against it.

Cotswold Tobacco Growing - Bristol Radical History Group

The Story of home grown tobacco in seventeenth century England. This article is the notes from Jim's talk given as part of Smugglers 1 at BRHW 2007.

www.brh.org.uk

Really short summary:

Tobacco introduced to Europe in the late 1500s. England started growing illicit rustica in the early 1600s.
Local Bristol merhants (rich from tbe slave trade) funded "extreme prejudice" from the law to prevent it.
Lots of nasty pushing and shoving.
Locals are a hardy bunch who didn't care.
It undermined the said merchants.
More legal repercussions.
Kept growing it despite harassment.
Eventually it could be imported cheaper.
They stopped.
Heh