I wrote a brief history of Queen’s snuff available as a pdf file. What has that to do with S.P you might ask? My research indicates that S.P, apart from the taste imparted by choice of tobacco mix, method of’ laying down’ and liquoring was originally unscented. The double liquoring in water mixed with Pearl Ash (top cistern) and lime (lower cistern) and finally a solution of alum produced a type of snuff known as Brown Scotch – a moister version of the regular dry Scotch. I posted an early recipe for S.P Scotch a while back.
A manufacturer came up with the idea of scenting S.P with, amongst other scents, citrus of bergamot (Citrus Bergamia) obtained from Reggio-Colabria in Italy, which is a cross between pear lemon and the Seville orange and calling it Queens. Who the original manufacturer was remains unknown to me but soon all the major Houses were producing their own versions of Queens based on S.P. Two versions of ‘the leading Queens’ by Taddy & Co. were posted a while back. Additional flavourings could include lavender, lemon, cinnamon, and Otto Rose – but the predominant flavour of Queens is bergamot.
Mark Chaytor in his history of the Wilsons of Sharrow tells us that their S.P. was evolved over time. Somewhere in this evolution S.P. took on the flavour of Queens and was named Best SP. Thanks to Sharrow, most people now associate the demigros Brown Scotch S.P. with an Earl Grey ambience because of the bergamot.
When Joseph and Henry Wilson parted ways they would undoubtedly have known the recipe but from the outset determined to make an S.P. that was different to Sharrow’s version – and so it was. The recipe passed into the hands of C.C Harland of Windemere and was known in the trade as Mr. Harland’s Formula.
Others may disagree but I always found J&H Wilsons S.P. has but the merest hint of bergamot, relying for its pungency and flavour on the tobacco mixture and the degree of fermentation. I preferred it to Sharrow’s version for that reason.
Tom Buck is another Queens-style S.P. with a higher concentration of flavouring. Here is a page from the Sales & Pollard notebook. As yet I can’t decipher the book as everything is coded. It clearly shows, however, that Tom Buck is very similar to No. 3 QS (which I presume to be Queen’s). Who first made a snuff under the name of ‘Tom Buck’ is unknown to me. It was only added to the Sharrow list in 1844 so another large manufacturer would have been the first to use the name. If my supposition that the snuff is after Thomas ‘Buck’ Whaley (1765-1800) is correct then its inception in the early 19th century is likely. Probably regency when there was a vogue for naming snuffs after people (Esterhazy, Blucher, Wellington, Jefferson etc.)
I hope that answers your question on what is an S.P.