Question About History of English Tobacco

[condorlover1]

It is usually done by Statutory Instrument so a Minister or more likely Civil servant will modify/change an existing law without recourse to Parliament to bring things in line with current economic or social policy requirements. An excellent example is the recent idiotic change to the UK building regulations mandating that since people are now taller this has somehow changed their center of gravity. Accordingly all new house built must feature bars on the downstairs windows to stop people from fall out and injuring themselves. I jest not see the below link Housebuilders' fury over new rules to put bars on first floor windows - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11238393/Housebuilders-fury-new-rules-bars-floor-windows-stop-tall-Britons-falling.html

 

[mso489]

Good thread! I think the English tobacco purity laws have been mythologized in pipe smoking lore far beyond what the history supports.

 

[ThermionicScott]

An excellent example is the recent idiotic change to the UK building regulations mandating that since people are now taller this has somehow changed their center of gravity. Accordingly all new house built must feature bars on the downstairs windows to stop people from fall out and injuring themselves. I jest not see the below link Housebuilders' fury over new rules to put bars on first floor windows - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11238393/Housebuilders-fury-new-rules-bars-floor-windows-stop-tall-Britons-falling.html

Wacky, I thought it was just the Russians that had trouble with people falling out of windows!

 

[condorlover1]

@ThermionicScott : My thoughts exactly!

 

[coys]

True, a knowledgeable colonist could give me the answers I seek.

But back when there were real pipe shops in Missouri it was just common knowledge that English tobacco was English tobacco because of English purity laws.

I’d like to know what a man who likes hot Guinness beer and tweed jackets says.

I like those things and I’m a Missourian!

 

[gawithhoggarth]

Guinness is Irish so you won't get an Irish man knowing about English laws or wanting to!
And anyone that likes hot Guinness is not from these isles.....what is hot Guiness all about????????

 

[mikethompson]

I feel like @mawnansmiff not only could shed some light on the subject, but has the original document in his library.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I feel like @mawnansmiff not only could shed some light on the subject, but has the original document in his library.

Indeed I do Mike, it's in room 3, shelf 19, row 4.

I shall consult the volume immediately .

Regards,

Jay.

 

[sablebrush52]

Guinness is Irish so you won't get an Irish man knowing about English laws or wanting to!
And anyone that likes hot Guinness is not from these isles.....what is hot Guiness all about????????

Many, many, years ago I was staying at the London Musical Club in Holland Park, which served Guiness, not hot, but slightly cooler than room temp and it was quite good, actually better than the chilled stuff I had at home.

Hot Guiness?

 

[mawnansmiff]

Much is mentioned of the British Purity Laws, little is found of them. The closest I came to anything was during a Google search that landed me with some scans of British decrees from the late 17th century that forbade the unscrupulous exportation of tobacco shipments with added wood bark, grasses, mulberry leaves (IIRC) and other adulterants to increase the weight of the shipment.

For such an oft mentioned topic of tobacco industry history, there's precious nothing to support it. There may be such laws, but they may be squirreled away in some such Act or Proclamation and not exactly easy to find.

SOMETHING SOMEWHERE must have happened, as makers aren't still adding things like talc, asbestos, belladonna, eye of newt, toe of frog, and other fun such additives to smoking mixtures.

Is there a Barrister in the house?

Jesse, one of the early 'purity laws' regarded the adulteration of flour with powdered chalk and even powdered bones!

Loaves of bread baked with flour, bran and sawdust was another.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[sablebrush52]

Jesse, one of the early 'purity laws' regarded the adulteration of flour with powdered chalk and even powdered bones!

Loaves of bread baked with flour, bran and sawdust was another.

Regards,

Jay.

Today, these would be labeled as "enriched with minerals an other natural supplements".

 

[cosmicfolklore]

In one of the novels by Oliver Pötzsch, the Hangman's Daughter series... set on 18th century Austria, he has an episode where tobacco smugglers are bringing in tobaccos and topping them with syrups and confections, turning them into goopy aromatics to add weight, which was against the law, because the tobacco is taxed on weight. They paid taxes on them coming in, and then added weight with the aromatics, and then sold them, stretching out the weight for profit. It wasn't exactly non-fiction, but everything in his navels includes bits of history that he researched.
His books are very good with lots of pipesmoking and tidbits of pipe history as well.

 

[sablebrush52]

but everything in his navels includes bits of history that he researched.

The man's got navels full of history? He should tour the Keith-Albee-Orpheum circuit!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

The man's got navels full of history? He should tour the Keith-Albee-Orpheum circuit!

It's a good thing I don't have to depend on my writing for my wages.

 

[gzzz]

I believe I've read about the english tobacco laws on tobacco pipes blog

 

[telescopes]

As was pointed out earlier, English law weighs heavily on case law. Case law is important in the USA as well, but... in England, it IS the law. Until of course, it isn't.

I think it is very difficult for Americans to wrap their heads around the differences, just as it is difficult for most people in other places to wrap their heads around our Bill of Rights. They are not enumerated by case law. They are the basis for law.

And a good thing for us in the USA.

Although English common law is often the foundation for how we think and decide so many things in the USA, our Federal and State Constitutions override all laws decided by our representatives and bureaucrats when those laws are challenged in court. It is much harder to challenge laws that are based on case law given the complexities of case law, hence why our friend @gawithhoggarth has to keep his ear to the ground to figure out what the company can and can not do.