A 17th-century ‘shopping list’ discovered hidden in local archives has revealed what is thought to be one of the earliest known references to tea in England.
Rachel Conroy, curator at Temple Newsam House, Leeds, was at the West Yorkshire Archives researching for the historic property’s new ‘Beer: A History of Brewing and Drinking’ exhibition when she found an apothecary bill for medicinal ingredients bought for the estate in 1644. Included in the English Civil War-era shopping list was an order for a number of bottles of ‘China drink’ – the old name for tea – with each bottle priced four shillings.
The bill is thought to be one of England’s earliest known written references to tea, predating the famous text by Samuel Pepys, who in 1660 wrote, ‘afterwards I did send for a cup of tee (a China drink) of which I never had drank before’. And, interestingly, Temple Newsam House’s Terrace Room is home to two desks that once belonged to the famous Earl Grey.
Leggete l'articolo completo e molti altri in questo numero di
Family Tree
Opzioni di acquisto di seguito
Se il problema è vostro,
Accesso per leggere subito l'articolo completo.
Singolo numero digitale
Family Tree March 2018
 
Questo numero e altri numeri arretrati non sono inclusi in un nuovo
abbonamento. Gli abbonamenti comprendono l'ultimo numero regolare e i nuovi numeri pubblicati durante l'abbonamento. Family Tree
Abbonamento digitale annuale
€47,99
fatturati annualmente
Abbonamento digitale mensile
€4,99
fatturati mensilmente