| The History of Tea Parties The introduction of tea caused an uproar in England. Before the advent of tea, the English had only two meals, breakfast and dinner. The Clergy were convinced tea must be a sin as it came from a heathen country. Medical communities belief that it was unhealthy gave the government an excuse to tax it to the tune of 5 shillings a pound on dry leaf in 1689, causing prices to soar. It quickly became so popular that brewers were afraid it would replace ale as a breakfast drink.
In 1717 Thomas Twining turned his coffee house into a tea shop. Although a lady would never enter a coffee house, they flocked to the new tea room. Tea rooms were one of the few places ladies were permitted to go with or without their constant chaperones. However, the high price of tea was still a problem. Only the aristocracy could afford the high prices. In 1784 Richard Twining, chairman of the tea dealers' guild, persuaded the government to reduce the import tax on tea, making it much more affordable to the masses and making it the drink of choice of Britain.
The first tea is credited to Anna, the 7th Dutchess of Bedford, who instituted the afternoon tea early in the 19th century when she decided to take tea to assuage the hunger of afternoon between lunch and dinner. Soon she was inviting friends to join her for her tea, around 4:00 or 5:00, and serving a light luncheon of tea, sandwiches, small cakes and sweets. In time, the afternoon teas became more elaborate, as did the tea service. Ladies donned their finest gowns for daytime wear, traveled by carriage to friends homes, to dine on an array of light refreshments and discuss the topics of the day.
Tea services grew to encompass cake stands, side plates, butter plates, spoon rests, and serving plates. Local custom decreed when the tea actually started, anywhere from 4 till 5. So important was the social implications of tea, etiquette books were full of advice on everything from how to remove the spoon to proper conversation topics. Courtesy of Absolutely Victorian, a wonderful Victorian website.
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