The severe frost in Britain, which had…

The severe frost in Britain, which had begun the previous December, ends in March, having caused great loss of beast and of wildlife, especially birds.

Similar reports come from across Northern Europe.

The importing of tea into Britain had begun in the 1660s with the marriage of King Charles II with the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza where she had introduced the court to the habit of drinking tea.

In the same year, Samuel Pepys recorded drinking "a china drink of which I had never drunk before".

Early imports had come from Canton via Amsterdam or through sailors on eastern boats.

Tea sells in Europe for less than a shilling a pound, but the import duty of five shillings makes it too expensive for most English people to afford.

Smuggled tea is drunk much more than legally imported tea.