The Livery Newsletter and Gazette Issue 29 Summer 2018 | Page 35

First known image of a European smoking, from
‘Tabacco’, 1595
With this royal following wind, tobacco soon
became seen as a wonder drug. In 1571, a Spanish
doctor, writing about medicinal plants of the
New World, claimed that tobacco could cure 36
health problems. The English intellectual Thomas
Harriot, who joined an expedition to America in
1585, thought that tobacco “openeth all the pores
and passages of the body”, so that the bodies of
the natives were “notably preserved in health, and
know not many grievous diseases, wherewithall we
in England are often times afflicted”. An English
pamphlet of 1595, ‘Tabacco’, lauded its “health
giving” properties and claimed that smoking
tobacco relieved chest conditions.
The lunch was deliciously catered by Mark Grove
and his team at Cook & Butler and we cracked
along at a goodly pace. Our guests were admirably
introduced by Liveryman Fran Morrison and our
Principal Guest, Tim Wonnacott gave a generous and
very humorous reply to which I responded initially
by drenching poor Tim in a glass of water - he was
very kind about it (sorry Tim!). I was very pleased
to show off the newly found Livery Grant of Arms
and Letters Patent which have been missing for many
years - our Clerk tenaciously sought them out, and
the new Immediate Past Master, Chris Allen, and his
IPM, Mark Gower-Smith have funded a beautiful re-
presentation and they are now resplendent in frames
carved with tobacco leaves (or close to); Sandra also
located a huge banner not seen since 1985 and Angus
Menzies, Clerk to the Master Mariners and never shy
of a challenge saw to it that it was displayed on the
Quarterdeck.
By the 1600s, doctors were enthusing about tobacco
as a cure for hiccups, imbecility, jaundice, bad
breath, corpulence, syphilis, gout, ‘general lousiness’
(whatever that is) and even cancerous tumours, with
the leaf being turned into pills, poultices, oils, salts, tinctures
and all
balms.
One going
widely on,
used
treatment biblical-
was the
Whilst
this was
apparently
tobacco smoke enema. Details of how it was administered style
are best
left
to
the
imagination,
but
it
was
said
to be
downpours were being had all over London
“excellent good against colic”.
- oblivious to all that drama we ended our lunch
Sir Walter enjoying a pipe, 19th
century image
Sir Walter Raleigh brought the
first Virginia tobacco to England,
and famously loved a pipe. His
charisma probably helped to
popularise smoking. One story
records that while happily puffing,
he was doused with water by a
servant who thought he was on fire.
Sir Walter later fell out badly with
King James I and ended up having
his head chopped off. We are told
he “tooke a pipe of tobacco a little
before he went to the scaffolde".
Well done, Walt.
and trooped back to the quarterdeck where Coffee,
Cigars, and Cognac awaited us (I did mention that
our Livery enjoyed dining on the High C’s..) and
which seemed to hit the mark – Liveryman Jemma
Freeman had kindly provided the torpedo cigars
and had had them placed in souvenir tubes with our
Crest emblazoned on it. Several of us also sported
a limited edition Livery Smoking hat - originally
conceived as a sort of shooting hat, it serves its
purpose so well as a “team” hat, that of the twenty
ordered, but one remained by the close of the day!
Thank you to the Master Mariners for allowing us the
use of the venue, to Tim for being a perfect Principal
Guest, and for everyone attending and giving my
year such a special start.
The Master
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