Shakespeare, plants, and chemical analysis of early 17th century clay ‘tobacco’ pipes from Europe

J Francis Thackeray

doi:10.17159/sajs.2015/a0115

Abstract

In a recent issue of Country Life, Mark Griffiths renews interest in John Gerard's Herbal, published in 1597 as a botanical book which includes engraved images of several people in the frontispiece. One of them (cited as 'The Fourth Man') is identified by Griffiths as William Shakespeare, but this identification is by no means certain. The question arises as to whether the engraving represents Sir Francis Drake. Gerard's Herbal refers inter alia to various kinds of 'tobacco' introduced to Europe by Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh in the days of Shakespeare in Elizabethan England. One can well imagine the scenario in which Shakespeare performed his plays in the court of Queen Elizabeth, in the company of Drake, Raleigh and others who smoked clay pipes filled with 'tobacco'. However, there were several kinds of 'tobacco' in those days, as indicated in this article.

Highlights

Thackeray et al.[4] reported in the South African Journal of Science the results of chemical analyses of plant residues in ‘tobacco pipes’ from Stratford-upon-Avon and environs, dating to the early 17th century
Results of this study indicated Cannabis in eight samples, nicotine in at least one sample, and definite evidence for Peruvian cocaine from coca leaves of the kind which Thackeray et al.[4] associated with Drake who had himself been to Peru before 1597
Gerard[2] has a whole section dedicated to kinds of tobacco including ‘the henbane of Peru’ which can be associated with cocaine (Erythroxylum), recognising that Sir Francis Drake could have brought coca leaves to England after his visit to Peru in South America, just as Sir Walter Raleigh had brought ‘tobacco leaves’ (Nicotiana) from Virginia in North America

Summary

Introduction

Thackeray et al.[4] reported in the South African Journal of Science the results of chemical analyses of plant residues in ‘tobacco pipes’ from Stratford-upon-Avon and environs, dating to the early 17th century. The pipe bowls and stems had been obtained by Thackeray on loan from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon. Results of this study (including 24 pipe fragments) indicated Cannabis in eight samples, nicotine (from tobacco leaves of the kind associated with Raleigh) in at least one sample, and (in two samples) definite evidence for Peruvian cocaine from coca leaves of the kind which Thackeray et al.[4] associated with Drake who had himself been to Peru before 1597.

Results

Conclusion