Paper short abstract:

This paper investigates how the trade of rogue companies, private traders and smugglers popularised the consumption of tea in Western Europe, 1700-1760. Rogue companies, private traders and smugglers pushed the boundaries of the traditional Companies’ (VOC and EIC) tea imports to Europe.

Paper long abstract:

This paper investigates how the trade of rogue companies, private traders and smugglers popularised the consumption of tea in Western Europe, 1700-1760. The globalisation of the tea trade led to new ways of organising tea trade to Europe from Canton, substantially increasing the amounts and the varieties of teas brought to Europe. By exploring the import of different varieties of tea of the Dutch (VOC) and English East India Companies (EIC), new light will be shed on the popularisation of tea drinking and its origins, both in Europe and Asia. In the creation of a market for popular tea, however, the trade of rogue companies, private traders and smugglers played a vital role, while the two big companies simply seem to follow in their footsteps. More remarkably, private enterprise had a decisive impact on competition and popularisation of tea on every step along the way from Canton to Europe. The interaction between the official Company trade and the trade of these actors will help us to understand where the popularisation of tea in Europe came from and may even challenge our views on how the monopolies of East India Companies functioned. Whilst the Companies tried to organise their monopolies entities such as Rogue companies, private traders and smugglers simply worked round them and even gave the companies who made use of their energy an edge over the competition.