Nantucket's First Cup of Tea: A Colonial Record

NANTUCKET ISLAND
Sept 20, 1735
MY OWN DEAR MOTHER: —
It seems a very long time since you and my honored father and my ever beloved sisters and brothers started for your new home. But I suppose you have not, at this writing, reached your destination and I think of you every day and all day, marching, following the lonely trail through the interminable forests, and sometimes I am tempted to repine in that my father thought it best to remove to that faraway settlement. But my grandfather tells me that the entertainment of that sentiment would be unworthy of the daughter of a pioneer, and since it was thought best for me to remain behind for a season, I must improve my time to the best advantage. This I try to do with cheerfulness, and Aunt Content is so kind as to say that I am of service to her in our household duties and in spinning and weaving.
Peradventure my letter shall be a puzzle to you. I hasten to say that I endite a paragraph or two at a time upon leisure, and whenever anything comes into my mind that I desire you to know, I straightway go to my uncle’s desk and set it down. I do this, dear mother, that you may share in my pleasurable thoughts, and may know of my daily life, also that my brothers and sisters may in a measure partake of my enjoyment.
The principal news I have now to tell is, my cousin Nathaniel Starbuck, Jr., has returned to Boston from his late long voyage to China, and is now hourly looked for here. There are divers preparations for his coming. My grandfather walks restlessly up and down the yard with his stout stick, peering anxiously up the roadway by which our traveller must come. Uncle Nathaniel says with pride, ‘The boy will have many stories to tell.’ Aunt Content flits about the house with a smile on her face, and, anon, tears in her eyes, concocting some favorite dishes of which her son used to be fond, while dear old Grandmother knits and knits because she says, ’Thaniel never yet wore any stockings but of my make, and I must have a supply for him to take on his next, voyage.’ I, even I, am to have a new blue gown made from Aunt’s last web, which is the softest piece of flannel ever made on the Island.
My cousin has come. He is tall and lithe with handsome hair and eyes, but his complexion is bronzed with ocean winds and Eastern suns. He says it seems to him like a fairy tale that I was the same little dumpling of a cousin he used to toss in the air when he was last at home. He is much grieved to find you all gone and is planning a hunting expedition, whose objective point shall be your far-away settlement. The neighbors all congregate around our kitchen fire to hear his wonderful stories and adventures, which he was relating to us all day and far into the night.
For all he has travelled almost all over the world, he is as pleased as a little boy to be at home, on the dear old Nantucket plantation again. We are all happy as we can be with our divided hearts. We all have a frequent thought for our wanderers, and Grandfather remembers you each morning and evening at the throne of Grace. My cousin has brought a great many curiosities and presents for us all. One is a silken, creamy shawl for me, woven and embroidered with beautiful flowers, another is a gown of foamy Canton crape, as white as snow. They are so pretty I am sure I shall never dare to wear them. Grandma says they shall be kept for my wedding day, but Aunt Esther says it is not seemly for such thoughts to be put into a maiden’s head. Yet Aunt Content gave me the other day a whole piece of linen from the fall bleach, ‘to be kept,’ said she, ‘for a day of need.’ At all events, my foreign finery is packed away in a foreign box, and is not likely to turn any silly maiden’s head at present.
Cousin has returned to Boston and yesterday he sent by trusty messenger another sea-chest — in it a large box of tea, the first that was ever on the Island, real Chinese tea, which Nat himself procured from China. It is of a greenish color with little shriveled leaves, and when eaten dry has a pleasant spicy taste. Perhaps, when I have opportunity to send this letter, I can enclose a sample quantity, that you may see what it is like. He has sent by the same hand a letter, saying when he returns to Nantucket the owner of the ship on which he voyaged — Captain Morris — will come with him from Boston to pay us a visit. We are again making preparations for visitors, and if you will believe it, the large parlor, which has not been used since Aunt Mehitabel’s wedding, is to be used. The floor has been newly waxed and polished, and we have spread down here and there beautiful mats and rugs which Cousin Nat brought from foreign parts, and with the many curious and handsome things whicl are hung on the walls and spread on the table and mantelpiece, and the huge fire of logs which the sharp weather now renders necessary in the chimney, you have no conception how finely the room appears.
While I was admiring it this morning Aunt Esther rebuked me gravely, saying, ‘The bright things of this world are of short duration,’ but dear, gentle Grandma observed with a smile that it was natural for the young to admire beauty, at which Aunt Esther seemed displeased. I sometimes think she dislikes me because I am young, but that cannot be, yet I cannot quite understand how, being my own sweet mother’s sister, she can be so unlike her. We have just had tidings that Cousin Nat and his friend, Captain Morris, intend to arrive here on the 31st of December. Uncle Nathaniel says he will have a tea party and invite Lieutenant Macy’s family and Uncle Edward Starbuck’s family, and a few others, to meet our distinguished guests and to sit the old year out and the New Year in.
We cooked a beautiful dinner and our guests all came. I wore my new blue gown with some lace that Grandma gave me in the neck and my own dear mother’s gold necklace. I tied back my curls, which Cousin Nat will not. allow me to braid, with a blue ribbon which he bought in London. Aunt Esther said, ‘Men dislike to see girls so brave,’ but Grandpa kissed me, calling me his bonnie bluebell.
Aunt Content has been much pestered in her mind because she knew not how to cook and serve tea, and after our neighbors had assembled she confided to them her perplexity. They all gathered round the tea-chest, smelling and tasting the fragrant herb. Mrs. Lieutenant Macy said she had heard that it ought to be well cooked to be palatable, and Aunt Edward Starbuck said a lady in Boston, who had drunk tea, told her that it needed a good quantity for steeping, which was the reason it was so expensive. So Aunt Content hung the bright, five gallon bell-metal kettle on the crane, and putting a two quart bowl of tea in it, with plenty of water, swung it over the fire, and Aunt Esther and Lydia Ann Macy stayed in the kitchen to keep it boiling. While I was laying the table, I heard Lydia Ann say, ‘I have heard that when tea is drunk it gives a brilliancy to the eyes, and a youthful freshness to the complexion. I am afraid that thy sister-in-law failed to put in a sufficient quantity of leaves.’ So Aunt Esther put another bowl full of the tea into the bell-metal kettle.
When the tea had boiled about an hour, my Cousin and Captain Morris appeared. The tea, which had boiled down to about a gallon, was poured into Grandma’s large silver tankard and carried to the table, and each guest was provided with one of her silver porringers, also with cream and lumps of sugar. The Captain talked with me before dinner, and I told him, before I knew that I was getting confidential, how you were all off in the wilds. He said enterprise was what the new country needed and that it was not best to have Nantucket peopled with Starbucks, and that I was one of the old stock, it was plain to be seen, if my name was Wentworth, and he looked pleasantly around the circle of Starbucks. I suppose I do resemble them all. I saw Aunt Esther looking at me so sharply that I remembered that she had often told me that it was not seemly to talk with men, and I presently became discreetly silent. But when dinner was announced the Captain took me out and made me sit by him.
After Grandma had asked the blessing on the food, Aunt Content said to her son and his friend, ‘I have prepared a dish of tea for you, but am fearful that I have not prepared it as hath need and would like to have your own opinion,’ whereupon my cousin and the Captain looked and sniffed at the tea and my cousin made answer, ‘As my beloved mother desired my opinion I must needs tell her that a spoonful of this beverage which she has with such hospitable intent prepared for us would nearly kill any one of us here at the table.’ The Captain said laughingly that Aunt could keep the concoction for a dye to color the woolens. He further said he would, if she desired, instruct how to draw the tea himself, and ‘this young lady,’ he continued, turning to me, ‘shall make the first dish of the beverage used in Nantucket.’
Dinner being over, they all remained at the table except Captain Morris and myself (for Aunt Content bade me to assist him as he should direct), and we searched for a suitable vessel wherein to draw the tea. At last I saw Uncle Nathaniel’s grey stone pitcher, into which our guest instructed me to put as much of the tea as I could hold between my thumb and forefinger for each person and an additional pinch for the pitcher. Then he told me to pour upon it boiling water sufficient for us all and set the pitcher on the coals and let it remain until it comes to a gentle boil. The tea was then poured into the tankard which Aunt Content had made ready and the Captain carried it to the table for me and helped me to pour it into the porringers for the guests. He was so kind as to say it was the best dish of tea he ever drank.
We had a wholesome dinner and an enjoyable one withal. Cousin Nat told stories and sang songs, in which latter recreation Captain Morris joined, and the Happy New Year greetings took the place of good-byes when our neighbors left for their respective homes.
My cousin’s friend still lingers for the shooting and there is not much spinning or weaving done — it takes so much time for the cooking and the eating and the visiting. He is very agreeable and calls Grandfather the Miles Standish of Nantucket. I heard him tell Uncle Nathaniel that we had good blood and that ever since he became acquainted with Cousin Nat he had conceived a great admiration for the Nathaniel Starbucks, and he said something about a wife. Perhaps he remains so long on Aunt Esther’s account, but, dear me, she is so prim (I write with all respect, dear Mother) and he is such a jovial gentleman, I do not understand how such a union could be harmonious. If he has regard for her it must be on account of the Starbuck blood. . . .
Oh! my mother! How can I tell you! It is not for the love of Aunt Esther that Captain Morris remains, but me, your own little daughter, and all the Starbucks indeed (saving Aunt Esther, who declares with quiet wrath that I ought to be put back in pinafores) have given their consent that. I shall be married and sail away with my husband in my husband’s ship to foreign parts, to see for myself the beautiful and wonderful things of which I have heard so much of late. But I will not give my consent until I have that of my father and mother; so there is a company being made up to go with Cousin Nathaniel and the Captain through the winter snows to your far-away home. And so after all it will be this new friend of whom I have written so much who will take this long letter to you. I am sure, dear Mother, that you, who know my heart so well, will not think it unseemly for me, that the Lord will guide your heart and that of my honored father to feel kindly disposed towards the gentleman, for indeed, he is of good repute and is so good as to be fond of me, and I feel that if I can have your consent and that of my honored father, together with your blessings, I shall be very happy and take an honest pride in being his honored wife.
The Captain declared laughingly that I am sending him off on a quest, like a knight of old, to prove his love. I cannot help thinking it strange, his wanting to marry me, and when I said so one day he replied gravely that it was all on account of the tea that had got into his head, and indeed, it may be so, for I was so flighty and hardly closed my eyes to sleep that night, and even dear old Grandmother says she would not answer for the consequences of what she might be led to do were she to make use of it every day. I send along with other small things a quantity of this famous tea and a bit of the white crape which I shall, if it seemeth best in the judgment of my honored father and mother, wear in good time as a wedding gown.
The household all join me in sending loving greetings to you.
I remain now and ever, your dutiful daughter,
RUTH STARBUCK WENTWORTH