Venting Smoke - The Trade and Consumption of Tobacco in Early Modern England and Wales, c.1625-1685

Sep 1, 2026

This thesis explores the trade and consumption of tobacco in seventeenth-century England and Wales (1625–1685), when tobacco became a widely available commodity and reshaped early modern economic and social life. Produced in English American and West Indian colonies and shipped to Europe, tobacco moved through manufacturers, inland suppliers and retailers before being “vented” to users. Consumption—especially within rituals of sociability—sustained investment, expansion, and the integration of an “exotic” stimulant into everyday diets.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatDOCX

Pages349

Reading Time2 h 2 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Early Modern Worlds

Venting Smoke

Chapter One - London and the Outports: The Transformation of the Tobacco Import Trade

Quantities and Prices

London

The Outports

Bristol

Conclusion

Chapter Two - Merchants and Mariners: Practices and Participation in the Colonial Tobacco Trade

Production

Modes of Transaction

Risks

Participation at Bristol

Mariners

Conclusion

Chapter Three - Regulation and Limitations: The Illicit Tobacco Trade

Regulation

Inter-Imperial Trade

Direct Smuggling

Customs Fraud

Domestic Cultivation

Conclusion

Chapter Four - Manufacture and Distribution: The Circulation of Tobacco

Techniques

Practitioners

Overseas Re-Exports

Inland Distribution

Conclusion

Chapter Five - Retail and Consumption: Tobacco Retailing and Social Practices

Retail Practices

Illegal Ret

Venting Smoke: The Trade and Consumption of Tobacco in Early Modern England and Wales, c.1625-1685 Alexander G. Taylor A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree ofDoctor of Philosophy The University of SheffieldFaculty of Arts and HumanitiesDepartment of History Abstract This thesis explores the trade and consumption of tobacco in seventeenth-century England and Wales (1625-1685). The period under study constitutes the moment when tobacco became a widely available commodity, bringing about huge ramifications for early modern England and beyond. After production in England’s American and West Indian colonies, tobacco was shipped to Europe where it was distributed to manufacturers, inland suppliers and retailers, before ‘vented’ to its users. Paramount to this lifecycle was consumption – above all else in rituals of sociability – which provided the means for continued investment and expansion in the trade. As a result of extensive involvement in its overseas traffic, tobacco became an affordable, everyday commodity, the first ‘exotic’ stimulant to enter the quotidian diets of early modern English men and women. The thesis responds to two broader historiographical traditions, namely the early modern ‘Atlantic world’ and the so-called ‘consumer revolution’. It also taps into more recent inroads made into the history of ‘intoxicants’. Tobacco provided one of the strongest links that ordinary men and women had with the wider world whereas its consumption was a novel form of commodified intoxication that became permanently assimilated into daily life. However, little work has previously focused on the domestic side of the tobacco trade; even less attention has been given to linking up local practices of consumption and production with international patterns of commerce. In responding to these defects, the thesis emphasises the role of non-London ports, the eclectic involvement of dealers, the illegal economy, domestic economic development, and the significance of tobacco consumption as a driving force for commercial expansion. On a broader level, the thesis questions the usefulness of certain historiographical concepts – be they the early modern ‘Atlantic world’ or ‘consumer revolution’ – in analysing economic, social and cultural change in the seventeenth century. Vent: 2. a. To discharge, eject, cast or pour out (liquid, smoke, etc.) 7. a. trans. To sell or vend (commodities or goods); to dispose of by sale. Very common from c1600 to c1670. Oxford English Dictionary For Wilf Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668877" Abstract PAGEREF _Toc519668877 \h iii HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668878" Acknowledgements PAGEREF _Toc519668878 \h xi HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668879" Figures and Tables PAGEREF _Toc519668879 \h xii HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668880" Abbreviations PAGEREF _Toc519668880 \h xiii HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668881" Introduction PAGEREF _Toc519668881 \h - 1 - HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668882" ii. Early Modern Worlds PAGEREF _Toc519668882 \h - 5 - HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668883" iv. Venting Smoke PAGEREF _Toc519668883 \h - 22 - HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668884" Chapter One London and the Outports: The Transformation of the Tobacco Import Trade PAGEREF _Toc519668884 \h - 29 - HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668885" i. Quantities and Prices PAGEREF _Toc519668885 \h - 31 - HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668886" ii. London PAGEREF _Toc519668886 \h - 41 - HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668887" iii. The Outports PAGEREF _Toc519668887 \h - 47 - HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668888" iv. Bristol PAGEREF _Toc519668888 \h - 59 - HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668889" v. Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc519668889 \h - 71 - HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668890" Chapter Two Merchants and Mariners: Practices and Participation in the Colonial Tobacco Trade PAGEREF _Toc519668890 \h - 73 - HYPERLINK \l "_Toc519668891" i. Production PAGEREF _Toc519668891 \

FAQs

What time period does the thesis focus on?

It focuses on the years 1625–1685, when tobacco shifted into a widely available commodity in England and Wales.

How does tobacco move from production to consumers in the study’s lifecycle?

After production in English colonies, tobacco was shipped to Europe and distributed to manufacturers, inland suppliers and retailers, then “vented” to its users.

Why is consumption central to the thesis’ explanation of the tobacco trade?

Consumption, particularly through rituals of sociability, provided the basis for continued investment and trade expansion, helping tobacco become an affordable everyday product.

Sep 1, 2026

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