Broseley Pipe Works.—Broseley is perhaps more universally known as a seat of the manufacture of tobacco-pipes than in any other way; for in this particular it has “held its own” against other localities for about three centuries, and seems still likely to do so for three centuries more, should the habit of smoking continue so long. As a few words must in the course of this work be said upon this branch of ceramic art, it may be well here to introduce it; and I cannot do better than give, in an abridged and altered form, what, some years ago, I drew up for the pages of the Reliquary.[85]
The period at which the introduction of tobacco into England took place is a vexed question, which it is not necessary here to attempt to solve. To Sir Walter Raleigh, Mr. Ralph Lane (his governor of Virginia, who returned to England in 1586), Sir John Hawkins (1565), Captain Price, Captain Keat, and others, have respectively been assigned the honour of its introduction and of its first use in this country. But, at whatever period tobacco was introduced, it must not, I think, be taken for granted that to that period the commencement of the habit of smoking must be ascribed. It may reasonably be inferred, from various circumstances, that herbs and leaves of one kind or other were smoked medicinally, in this country, long before the period at which tobacco is generally believed to have been first brought to England. Coltsfoot, yarrow, mouse-ear, and other plants are still smoked by the people, for various ailments, in rural districts, and are considered highly efficacious, as well as pleasant; and I have known them smoked through a stick from which the pith had been removed, the bowl being formed of a lump of clay rudely fashioned at the time, and baked at the fireside. I have no doubt that pipes were in use before “the weed” was known in our country, and that it took the place of other plants, but did not give rise to the custom of smoking.
It is difficult to assign dates to these early pipes, but the one represented in Fig. [645] is probably Elizabethan. It bears on its spur a rose. Mr. Crofton Croker considered that the smaller the pipe, the more distant its date, and therefore he assigned the diminutive example shown on Fig. [648], of its full size, to an early period. This idea, which originated in the knowledge that tobacco was an extremely expensive luxury when first imported, and as it gradually decreased in value allowed a larger indulgence to the smoker, will not, I think, hold good, for dated examples show that some of the later specimens are far less capacious than others which are of an undoubtedly earlier period. The form of the pipe is generally a better criterion of age than its size, though even this cannot always be depended upon. Adopting Mr. Croker’s arrangement as to periods, the following series of examples, partly selected from pipes in my own possession, will be useful to the collector, and enable him pretty accurately to appropriate any specimens which may come under his notice. The engravings are, of course, of a reduced size. Fig. [649] is of similar form to the one above; it is probably Elizabethan.
Figs. 645 to 665.—Old English Clay Pipes.
The next example Mr. Croker assigned to the period of James I. or Charles I. It does not differ very materially in shape from the preceding specimens. Of pipes of this period, a large variety of shapes might be adduced. These forms may be understood from the figures in the accompanying group, copied from engravings of the period. The dates are, No. 1, 1630; 2, 1632; 3, 1640; 4, 1641. The latter example is of the same shape as those known to have been in use in the reign of Elizabeth, and is pretty nearly similar to Mr. Croker’s example. The same form is found in use through several reigns. The usual shape of the period, however, will be seen on Figs. [1], [2], and [3].
The barrel-shaped pipe, engraved as an example of the period comprising the Commonwealth and the reign of Charles II., is from Devonshire, and may be taken as the usual type of that era. Of this period, the examples given are chosen principally from Traders’ tokens. One (2) will be seen to be of the form usually ascribed to William III.’s reign. The dates of these specimens are 1, 1650; 2, 1666 (Dunstable); 3, 1688 (Chipping Norton); 4, probably same year (Southwark); 5, 1669 (Leeds). Pipes were made at Leeds from a peculiar vein of clay found there.
Mr. Croker considered the pipes of the reign of William III. to have had bowls of the elongated form (Figs. [662 and 663]), and it would appear probable that this is correct, for at the places where his Dutch troops were stationed, the pipes of this and the accompanying form are most abundant. Barrel-shaped bowls were, however, still in use, and I have copied one from Mr. Fairholt’s book, on which the date 1689 is incised. That these long pipes were not imported in very large quantities, may be gleaned from the following highly interesting notice, which I quote from Houghton:—
“The next are tobacco-pipes, of which came from Holland, gross one hundred and ten, chests four. I have seen some very long ones and also small from thence, that truly are very fine. If there comes no more, they’ll do us no great hurt. I think they must be permitted to be patterns to set our people on work, and if our smoakers would use none but fine ones, I question not but we should make as fine as anybody.”[86]
From this it appears that, in 1694, only 110 gross, or four chests, of Dutch pipes were imported, and this included both sorts—the “very long ones and also small.” It is worthy of note, for comparison’s sake, that in the same year from Holland 12,000, and from Germany 23 tons, of “marbles for boys to play with,” were imported.