A strange thirst for tea: East India Companies, private trade, smuggling and
the popularisation of the consumption of tea in Western Europe (17001790)
Chris Nierstrasz
(University of Warwick)
Different views on ‘popularization of
consumption of tea’
Theoretically, popularisation of consumption is seen as impossible in
the time period under study.
More specific studies on tea have found indications that tea reached
poorest people in both the Dutch Republic and England during the
eighteenth century
Different views on ‘popularization of
consumption of tea’
Take a different approach:
Compare Dutch and English East India Companies imports of tea.
What quantities and qualities of tea did they bring to Europe?
What role did different companies, private traders and smugglers play
in the trade of tea?
A Comparison
English East India Company (EIC) and the Dutch East India Company
(VOC)
Two strategies:
EIC: Import of tea heavily taxed and import of other tea banned, so
imported tea meant for home-market and colonies
VOC: Import and re-export of tea hardly taxed and import of other tea
allowed, so tea was meant for the home-market and for smuggling
into England
Sales prices and Purchase prices, VOC and EIC
(Pound Sterling/Pound Weight)
1.2
1
0.8
Sales price VOC
Sales price EIC
0.6
0.4
0.2
1788
1785
1782
1779
1776
1773
1770
1767
1764
1761
1758
1755
1752
1749
1746
1743
1740
1737
1734
1731
1728
1725
1722
1719
1716
1713
1710
1707
1704
1701
0
Import of tea, VOC and EIC, 1720-1780 (Kilogram)
7000000
6000000
5000000
4000000
EIC, kg
VOC official kg
3000000
2000000
1000000
1778
1775
1772
1769
1766
1763
1760
1757
1754
1751
1748
1745
1742
1739
1736
1733
1730
1727
1724
1721
0
Purchase price EIC, Tea, 1715-1789 (Pound sterling/Pound
Weight)
Total
0.1
0.09
0.08
0.07
0.06
0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
0
Total
1715
1717
1719
1721
1723
1725
1727
1729
1731
1734
1736
1738
1740
1742
1744
1746
1748
1750
1752
1754
1756
1758
1760
1762
1764
1766
1768
1770
1772
1774
1776
1778
1780
1782
1784
1786
1788
Purchase price EIC, Green tea, 1715-1789
(Pound
Sterling/Pound Weight)
0.18
0.16
0.14
0.12
0.1
0.08
Heyson
singlo
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
1715
1717
1719
1721
1723
1725
1727
1729
1731
1734
1736
1738
1740
1742
1744
1746
1748
1750
1752
1754
1756
1758
1760
1762
1764
1766
1768
1770
1772
1774
1776
1778
1780
1782
1784
1786
1788
Purchase price EIC, Black tea, 1715-1789 (Pound
sterling/English Pound Weight)
0.14
0.12
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
bohea
congou
souchong
0.02
0
Purchase price EIC, Tea, 1715-1789 (Pound sterling/Pound
Weight)
Total
0.1
0.09
0.08
0.07
0.06
0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
0
Total
Sales price VOC, Singlo and Bohea, tea, 17101760 (Guilders/Dutch Pound Weight)
9
8
7
6
5
Singlo, Batavia and Canton
4
Boei/Bohea, Batavia and Canton
3
2
1
1748
1750
1752
1754
1755
1757
1759
1700
1702
1704
1706
1708
1710
1712
1714
1716
1718
1720
1722
1724
1726
1728
1730
1732
1734
1736
1738
1740
1742
1744
0
Mix of Tea
What do we expect:
Smugglers logically can aim for a larger segment of the market as their
prices are lower, whilst the EIC will have to aim for ‘luxury’ markets.
Is this visible in the returns of both companies?
Percentage of different varieties of tea in the cargo of the EIC,
Percentage of total weight, (1715-1789)
100
80
other teas
60
souchong
singlo
40
peko
Heyson
20
congou
bohea
1787
1784
1781
1778
1775
1772
1769
1766
1763
1760
1757
1754
1751
1748
1745
Bing
1742
1739
1736
1733
1730
1727
1724
1721
1718
1715
0
Percentage of different varieties of tea in the cargo of the VOC,
Percentage of total weight, (1710-1794)
100
80
Other tea
60
Souchong
Singlo
40
Pekoe
Heyson
20
Congou
Boei/Bohea
1794
1790
1786
1782
1778
1774
1770
1766
1762
1758
1754
1750
1746
1742
Bing
1738
1734
1730
1726
1722
1718
1714
1710
0
Mix of Tea
• After the Commutation Act: The cheap varieties of tea (Bohea and
Singlo) disappear from the mix, so even poor consumers prefer
higher quality tea.
• The smugglers not only offered lower prices, they also offered more
taste
• Under pressure of competition, the VOC mix evolved more gradually,
predating changes in the mix of the EIC 20 years
Private trade
Why did the VOC lower the relative amount of Bohea it imported in the
period 1735-1755?
Private trade
• VOC allowed private shipments of tea from Batavia against payment
of a fee (1743-1796)
• VOC specialises in the higher quality varieties from Canton, while the
recognition traders buy cheap Bohea in Batavia
Import of tea, VOC official trade and VOC on
recognition, Dutch lbs (1740-1760)
EIC vs VOC and its Recognition trade
7000000
6000000
5000000
4000000
EIC, kg
VOC official kg
3000000
VOC plus recognition
2000000
1000000
1721
1723
1725
1727
1729
1731
1733
1735
1737
1739
1741
1743
1745
1747
1749
1751
1753
1755
1757
1759
1761
1763
1765
1767
1769
1771
1773
1775
1777
1779
0
Private trade
• Private trade only visible with the payment of a recognition fee and
indications it was even more extensive before
• Private trade in tea even at the origins of the tea trade
• Private trade was always tolerated by the VOC authorities
Conclusion
• New aproach offers new insights into the developments on the European
market for tea
• Continental Companies, private traders and smugglers popularised the
consumption of tea in Western Europe and the EIC only followed in their
footsteps
• The changes in the importation of tea in the late eighteenth century, show
how the tea market matured from cheap tea to more flavoured tea