What does SP stand for?
“Spanish Prize.” Well done Philip. That has to be the best proof yet!
Collins Complete: Sp SP equals ‘Spanish’, That simple. More or less. I’m sticking to the British Isles’ take on Plan Spanish, or Spanish style snuff (maybe not so plain as supposed) for now. This enables me to make my tenous conjecture that the SP sort is among the oldest produced in the land. I’d assume that the original Plain Spanish, perhaps even the fabulous Prize was already milled (you might know better), and that the rasp came later, before the English/French mills got going. See the number of guesses here. The habit of rasping your own led to the taste for the later development of the coarser milled rappee sorts. All was complete when the English mill owners found they could use some of their capacity to mill cheaply, and yet to charge close to those astronmical Spanish prices. SP then stands for ‘relatively cheap to produce English snuff based on an originally Spanish flour, with a very tidy profit for the mills and shops.’
"SP then stands for ‘relatively cheap to produce English snuff based on an originally Spanish flour, with a very tidy profit for the mills and shops.’ " Petersuki - You’ve touched upon an interesting point. Tobacco growing has been prohibited in Britain since the reign of James I. Duty on imported tobacco was excessively high and almost ruined the economy of Virginia in the 17th century. Although contemporary records are confusing it is clear that by the 18th century preferential duty (but not a monopoly) was applied to tobacco grown in our own American colonies and it was from there, not Spanish colonies, that most of the crop was imported. British snuff exports during the same century and early 19th were rappee, Scotch and Brown Scotch and “Snuff work not hereinbefore enumerated or described“. I’ve scoured contemporary records on British manufactured goods for export and can only find reference to these four categories. Several decades after the union with Ireland in 1800 Lundy Foot snuff also appears in the list of manufactured snuffs exported abroad. Spanish snuff was imported into Britain in the 18th century - or in war, seized. Contemporary descriptions vary according to source and of course there was more than one Spanish snuff (just as there are plenty of British snuffs today.) According to generalised definitions, Spanish snuff is simply snuff manufactured in Spain from tobacco grown in the plantations of Spanish dominions - notably Cuba. If Spanish snuff is simply snuff from Spain then, at some point, the appellation was bestowed upon snuff manufactured in Britain whether or not the tobacco was grown on Spanish plantations. Statutes and journals repeatedly refer to “tobacco manufactured into what is commonly called or known by the name of Spanish.” What is not clear, however, is whether “Spanish” refers specifically to a blend with short-cut tobacco and exported as Short Cut Tobacco or snuff. Perhaps you or someone else can give an opinion on this matter by Googling Free eBooks for this quote… The question remains - what unequivocal evidence is there to show when snuff manufactured in Britain (rather than imported ready made from Spain) was made as either Spanish or S.P? It doesn’t appear in export lists so must have been, as you suggest, originally for domestic consumption only. Of interest, the oldest found source to describe S.P is from “Cope’s Tobacco Plant”.1870-1881 " In France, where, under the Imperial regime, snuff-making was a Government monopoly, the tobacco was allowed to ferment for twelve or eighteen months ; and in the principal factory (that at Strasburg) might have been seen scores of huge bins, as largo as porter vats, all piled up with tobacco in various stages of fermentation. The tobacco, after being fermented, if intended for that light, powdery, brown-looking snuff called S. P., is dried a little ; or if for Prince’s Mixture, Macobau, or any other kind of Rappee, is at once thrown into what is called the mull. The mull is a kind of large iron mortar …” This passage is quoted verbatim in ‘Tobacco: It’s history, varieties, culture, manufacture and commerce’ by E.R Billings in 1875. This again supports the Spanish theory as contemporary descriptions of imported Spanish snuff (Spanish Bran excepted) refer to it as being fin and not gros.
"Well done Philip. That has to be the best proof yet! " Yes, I was pleased to find it although it’s a pity the journal isn’t at least a century older. No 18th century dictionary, work on etymology or any other source mentions the meaning of S.P in the context of snuff at all. The earliest mention of the snuff is still only dated 1840.
Where was France getting their tobacco from?
Louisiana? Haiti? Macouba in Martinique? (Macouba is a district in Maritnique)
“The question remains - what unequivocal evidence is there to show when snuff manufactured in Britain (rather than imported ready made from Spain) was made as either Spanish or S.P?” The British Perfumer by Charles Lillie, edited by Colin Mackenzie answers this question. Lillie was writing in the early 18th century but his work was not edited and published until 1822. Snuff sold as S.P today bears little resemblance to the following descriptions of ‘Good English-Spanish‘ and ‘Worst Sort‘. As the two Wilson’s companies were the last survivors making S.P the snuff has simply become associated with their versions, which are now considered by many (including myself) to be the genuine article. This was clearly not always the case. We know the appellation S.P is deemed publici jurus and so anyone could manufacture snuff of any sort under the S.P label. My conclusion (based on the ‘Historical Collections of the Essex Institute (Volume 105) 1863’)) is that S.P stands for Spanish. The entry is unequivocal. Originally Spanish snuff was sold under that name from imported or seized Spanish snuff, but very early on was imitated in England and the counterfeit passed on to a domestic market as Spanish. It’s doubtful whether the S.Ps sold today bear much resemblance to any sort of 18th century Spanish snuff. Only the appellation now remains. **************************************************** GOOD ENGLISH-SPANISH SNUFF. A good and legitimate imitation of Spanish snuff, is made in London, with great success, as follows:— Take good unsifted bale snuff, and grind it down to a fine powder. If the tobacco be too strong, mix it with the fine powder of Spanish nut-shells, which is by far the best mixture (and not at all hurtful) which can be used. Over this sprinkle some water, in which a little treacle has been dissolved; and when, after mixing with the hands, it has lain in a heap for some days, to sweat and incorporate, pack it up; but, when doing this, take care that it be not too moist. Bemarks. This snuff, in the course of twelve months, will be of one uniform and agreeable flavour ; and will keep good, and mending, for more years, than the base stuff, before described, will months. When old, this sort will hardly be inferior to many of the plain snuffs made in Spain. LONDON IMITATIONS OF SPANISH SNUFF. WORST SORT. It is a very common custom in this country, to imitate the several sorts of Spanish snuff; but when the reader has perused the following account, he will be able to judge how far these are fair and just imitations. Havannah snuff, in bales and scrows, at the present period, comes to this country neat as ground down, without having any of its fine flavour taken from it. It may also be bought in great quantities, and very cheap; and it is consequently from this article, that our English-Spanish snuff ought to be made. If this was done with care and honesty, the imitation would undoubtedly be very good, and not inferior to the genuine article; whereas, the common sort is thus managed:— The fine powder, which is the best part of the whole, is sifted from the bale snuff; and the coarse and stalky part which is left, is ground down by a horse or water mill. This, however, is previously mixed with some strong cheap tobacco powder, with tobacco dust, which formerly used to be thrown into a common dust-cart, with that abominable vegetable called savine, and with brick-dust, common fine yellow sand, the sweepings of tobacconists’ shops and work-shops, old rotten wood, commonly called powder of post, and with many other filthy vegetable substances, both dry and green, to render the flavour whatever the dishonest compounder may wish it to be, and to pass it upon the consumer as the real flavour of tobacco. All or most of these ingredients being mixed into one body, they are now to be washed, as the next operation is technically termed. This is nothing more than colouring the filthy compound with red ochre, or umber, or other noxious red or brown colour, mixed with water and molasses!!! The whole, when properly incorporated, is now passed through a wire or hair sieve, to mix it more intimately; and is then left for some time to sweat, or become equally moist. This moistness is intended to imitate the oilyness (G—d help us !) which is peculiar to the real genuine Rancia from Havannah. This compound, or snuff, as it is called, is now packed up in barrels, tin canisters, and stone jars, in order that it may come out in lumps, like the Spanish snuffs. This is effected by hard pressure; and is done merely to deceive the ignorant purchaser, on whom this compound of dirt and filth is imposed, for real Spanish snuff, made from neat bale snuff from Havannah. Such is the composition of a very great part of what is made and sold in this town, for common Spanish snuff. Charles Lillie
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Once again Philip, you continue to be an amazing wealth of information. ^:)^
no kidding
Jaap - Or you could try making the ‘Worst Sort’ by adding savine, brick-dust, common fine yellow sand, the sweepings of tobacconists’ shops and work-shops and old rotten wood. Make it as a scientific social experiment to see if people are as gullible now as they obviously were in the 18th century :<)
Just a further point of interest - Genuine Spanish, according to British History Online, used more leaf as opposed to Scotch which comprised more stalk. At some point in the first half of the 19th century the two types became intermingled, denoting neither a place of origin (Spain or Scotland) or even a specific type. Queen’s is a very old name on Wilson’s list (now sold as Queen‘s Extra Strong, with the old Queen’s sold as Best SP). It’s an SP but was advertised in the 19th century as a Scotch. How confusing! ‘The art of perfumery and the methods of obtaining the odours of plants’ by George William Septimus Piesse (1862) tells us that “Queen’s Scotch is flavoured with bergamot.” Indeed, George, it still is.
The question of what type of Spanish nut shells resurfaces here.
‘Perhaps you or someone else can give an opinion on this matter by Googling Free eBooks for this quote…’
Philips S.
I’ll see what I can do.
In any case, my mind, which is more easily set at rest that that of any professional historian or researcher, (though still curious), is more or less content with what you have generously provided.
Your recent findings are fascinating reading. My conjecture, having been to some extent informed by some of your comments here and on other threads, remains much the same for now.
The attempt to originate SP in t’north, is probably hopeless.
SP as an abbreviation must go back to or beyond the days when the English sailed the seven seas in more or less the same style as our own latter day Somalian pirates Their lists of booty may have read something like this - if they were lucky:
sp:Reales 50
sp: Dubloons 10
fr wine: 10 casks
sp snuff: 2 casks (‘What’s that?’ , ‘Snuff somer up your nose’ ‘Achoo’)
Perhaps even merchants in Chaucer’s day were listing their goods as sp this and sp that…
(Sans Pareil, although curiously enough a friend, whose memory I would trust, says that he recalls it from some thirty years ago (!), would be simply a marketing gimmick to cash in on the much older stuff and name)
Without anything solid to back it up I would guess that the Spanish Prize, was already milled. The fabled descriptions of clouds of snuff rising up over Plymouth or wherever seems to indicate that the stuff was already a fine powder. It would have taken a while to convince the mill owners in Britain, that there was good money to be made, and time to learn the techniques and so on. No doubt these early experiments were aimed at producing similitude to the Plain Spanish.
Meanwhile the rasp. Once this became the customary practice there would again in some quarters be a sort of conservative reaction against milled snuff, or a preference for the do it youself variety. But the great mills of Mitcham (which once, as I read, produced the bulk of London’s snuff), began to win against this practice. When did it finally disappear is another interesting question.
I somehow wonder if the Spanish themselves ever went through a rasp phase at all! And this appears to be another interesting question. Has anyone seen a Spanish snuff rasp?
Juxtaposer: What nut? Oh no not another ?. The Spanish didn’t have access to tonka did they…but not the shell? Ah well. Help!
(As another aside I see that F & T once produced a Mitcham Mint snuff. It is a sad fact that neither mint nor lavender are now grown commercially in Mitcham, nor is snuff produced there. I once listened to a French radio programme where it was acknowledged that ‘menthe de Mitcham’ is the best in the world. The French seem to know more about English herbs than the English do, dear oh dear. However, this does lead me to surmise that the minted snuffs have their origin here.) But would a London Brown, made in Mitcham be like…
The Victorian description you have provided: 'The tobacco, after being fermented, if intended for that light, powdery, brown-looking snuff called S. P., is dried a little…. is all so suggestive to me that I return to my hobby horse: if a snuff were made according to the SP method here described, using Havana leaf, we would in my view have recreated something like the early ‘Plain Spanish’. Though not perhaps the Plain Spanish of Alexander Pope, which I’d guess would more than likely be the suppositious English version, or proto-SP. And, as I’ve suggested, more than likely produced in Mitcham,Surrey. Far, sadly, from Sheffield.
Now I must stop guessing and see if I can find the EVIDENCE you were looking for.
What nut
I’ve been watching you all from the side because nobody asked ME what SP stands for. Now I feel it’s time to help you out of your predictament.
SP, of course, stands for Sir Pieter
@petersuki The nutshell powder to mix with tobacco to make the a “bastard” Spanish snuff of the “best sort”.
Pieter: haha. It’s time for you to explain everything. Best Wishes.
Juxtaposer: Yes I saw that. I mean, along with you, What was it?’ Not Tonka surely?
No, not tonka. I think almond shells. That would be my best guess. I forget what some of the other guys suggested the last time we discussed it. Anyhow when it first came up (last year I think) I took it as a recipe to make “Spanish snuff of the best sort”. But now, with more snuff making experience, I clearly read “imitation Spanish snuff” not of the “worst sort”.
HMM?
Nutmeg? : I had a little nut tree nothing would it bear but a silver nutmeg and a golden pear, The king of Spain’s daughter came to marry me, And all for the sake of my little nut tree.
I don’t like the stuff and would NOT buy a snuff with this ingredient. But our ancestors seem to have prized it hightly. No evidence for this guess whatsoever. Only for a laugh.