Tea Blog

It’s not surprising that many English writers of earlier centuries felt compelled to weigh in on tea. After all, it was a relatively recent arrival to Britain in the 17th century and didn’t reach widespread popularity until decades later.

Opinions on tea were sharply divided. While some commentators praised it enthusiastically, others warned that it was a dangerous habit that could lead to social decay and declining health.

Jonas Hanway (1712–1786) clearly fell into the latter camp. His views were laid out in his 1757 work An Essay on Tea, which was included in a larger publication—this two-volume historical account of his travels and social commentary titled A Journal of Eight Days Journey from Portsmouth to Kingston Upon Thames.

According to historical accounts, Hanway was an English traveler and philanthropist, and is often noted—perhaps apocryphally—as the first Londoner to carry an umbrella. His perspective on tea, however, was far less charming.

The full title of his essay reveals his stance: An Essay on Tea, Considered as Pernicious to Health, Obstructing Industry, and Impoverishing the Nation. In it, Hanway argues that tea consumption could harm both individual well-being and the broader economy.

He attributed a wide range of ailments to tea, including digestive issues, weakness, and nervous disorders—claims that reflect the skepticism and medical misunderstandings of his time.

Hanway’s writing style may not appeal to modern readers, but his critique did not go unanswered in his own time. Notably, Samuel Johnson—famously a devoted tea drinker—responded with a spirited defense of tea. Johnson proudly described himself as a “hardened and shameless tea-drinker.”

You can explore more about this literary exchange in this account of Samuel Johnson’s response to anti-tea arguments, which includes excerpts from his critique of Hanway’s views.

Today, of course, tea enjoys widespread popularity around the globe—suggesting that Hanway’s dire predictions were, fortunately, unfounded.

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