SNUFF
See Also: CIGARETTES; CIGARS; MILLS Snuff Mills; THE POLICE The River Police; MENU
Snuff
taking in Europe appears to have originated in the French royal court. It is reputed that King Charles II acquired
the habit during his exile and brought it to England when the monarchy was
restored in 1660. The popularity of
snuff in England received an enormous fillip during the War of the Spanish
Succession. In 1702, during the first
year of the conflict, in a naval action off Vigo, Vice-Admiral Thomas Hopson
captured a Spanish galleon. The vessel s
cargo of which included an enormous consignment of snuff.1
Snuff
vendors indicated their trade by having a carved model of a Highlander.2 The fondness that King George III s wife had
for the substance led to her being known as Snuffy Charlotte (d.1818).
1. This led to the creation of the SP variety snuff. The letters being an abbreviation for
Spanish .
2. From the Union of England and Scotland in 1707 until the American
War of Independence, Glasgow handled much of the Virginian-grown tobacco that
came to Britain.
Commons Snuff
In 1693
a ban was placed on M.P.s smoking while they were in the Chamber of the House
of Commons. However, this was not
blanket prohibition on the consumption of tobacco. The House s 18thC snuff box was
amongst the casualties when the Chamber was destroyed by an aerial bomb in
1941. Winston Churchill presented the
Commons with a replacement. In 2007 it
was reported to still be permissible for Parliamentarians to take snuff. Indeed, for any M.P. who had forgotten to
bring her/his own favourite blend, the doorkeepers maintained a supply of free
English Rose snuff that was paid for by the public purse.
Location:
The Palace of Westminster, Parliament Square, SW1A 0AA (purple, blue)
See
Also: THE HOUSE OF COMMONS The Commons Chamber
Former Snuff Shops
Fribourg
& Treyer
Fribourg
& Treyer, Tobacconists To His Majesty and Purveyors of Foreign Snuffs to
the Royal Family was a firm that was established in 1720. The business manufactured a Bordeaux snuff. The shop was constructed c.1770. The business closed in 1981 although its
snuff brand was sold on. In 2010 the
premises were occupied by a gift shop.
Location:
34 Haymarket, SW1Y 4HA (blue, orange)
See
Also: PERIOD PROPERTIES Fribourg & Treyer
Website:
https://sharrowmills.com/category/fribourg-treyer
G.
Smith & Sons
G.
Smith & Sons was a dedicated snuff shop.
The business was founded in 1869.
Location:
74 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0BD (blue, purple)
Snuff Shops
Segar
& Snuff Parlour
Location:
27a Covent
Garden Market, WC2E 8RD (blue,
white)
David
Backhouse 2024