I’m unable as yet to positively identify the original (probably London) manufacturer with the initials C.S. It’s possible that only the C refers to the original manufacturer and the S to Scotch. This being the case the original recipe would likely have been developed by Thomas Ceal. His business is listed in 1795 as 13, Whitechapel Road, tobacconist and snuff-maker.
But whoever the original manufacturers were Taddy & Co paid them £2,000 for this Regency period recipe so it must have been popular at one time.
When this recipe was created the chemical process of fermentation was not yet fully understood and consequently trial and error was necessary in developing a recipe. A successful recipe was worth good money to a rival wholesale House, especially as a parcel containing 2,688lb of tobacco was a substantial investment to risk on something untried. Here, Taddy & Co’s purchase of a scrap of paper for £2,000 was evidently considered worthwhile. Assuming the trade secret was bought in c.1810 the amount paid today would be around £200,937.
Unfortunately the actual recipe photo (unlike the notes below) is partly blurred but it looks like the tobacco is a mixture of 1568lb Vir. and Kent.stalks, together with 986lb york leaf and 134lb smalls. Does anyone have any idea what york leaf is? Or could it refer to curing?
The recipe (a principle Scotch) is unusual in that it is the only one I can see so far that does not introduce additional flavouring through the medium of G (a snuff manufactured solely for mixing). The only additional flavouring is English Oil of Lavender, distilled in Mitcham. The length of time for fermentation suggests a mild snuff with a slight aroma of lavender. The liquor is the same as for S.P but the process of liquoring is different.
Anyway, here is the process of laying down a ‘capital parcel’ of C.S Scotch
Take 14cwt (1,568lb) good stalks (V & K) cut in machine and 10cwt Hand Leaf (unstrip’d) cut in machine and bruised under stones, weighed in ½ cwt bags [28 bags of stalk and 20 bags of leaf] Dissolve 70 PA in top cistern in 100 gallons water & weigh 1.5 lbs English Oil Lavender obtained from Moore Scent distiller in Mitcham in a bottle with the cork slit.
Put five bags leaf on bin & one between cistern & bin to keep floor dry, then liquor it with 3 pots PA water
2nd layer, 4 bags stalks & 3 pots
3rd layer also & on to each layer before the liquor sprinkle the lavender so as to make it last thro the operation
4th layer 4 bags leaf, lavender and 3 pots
5th layer 5 bags stalks, no lavender, but weigh 28tr Alum, put 3 pots hot water with half the alum dissolved in it on this layer
6th layer 5 bags stalks 3 pots hot liquor with the remaining alum
7th layer 4 bags leaf, lavender and 3 pots PA water
8th layer 4 bags stalk , lavender and 3 pots
9th layer 4 bags ditto leaf
10th layer 4 bags ditto stalk , all the lavender
11th layer 2 ditto of each, no lavender on last layer, but remaining liquor
Turn it over the same day
Pack it into 3 Hhds
Let it remain 10 weeks at least (if more no odds) during which period turn the Hhds once, then pack it into puncheons & send to the grind.
C.S Scotch rarely features in mixtures. An exception is S.S No.5 snuff. A later note in pencil states that the recipe is the best seller marketed as Queens Scotch. Here, 100 S.P is flavoured with Otto Rose, oil of cinnamon, lemon, lavender and bergamot (a hefty dose) via the medium of G. The result is mixed with an equal amount of C.S.
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