Oranges and lemons trade

Oranges and lemons trade

Editorial history

01/12/12: CSG, created page

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Purpose of page

The MarineLives project is seeking to link and enhance HCA 13/71, not just to transcribe it.

Reference is made to the import to England of oranges and lemons in a number of HCA 13/71 cases and depositions.

All associates, facilitators, advisors and PhD Forum members are encouraged to contribute to this page from their knowledge of the material, and from their broader knowledge and interest in the topic.

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Suggested links

PhD Forum
PhD Forum Themes

Cereal trade
Currants and raisins trade
Metals trade
Salt trade
Slave trade
Textile trade
Timber trade
Wine trade

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Cases in HCA 13/71 mentioning oranges and lemons

Oranges and lemmons seized by the French

XXXX

• "1. ..................., which were noe part of the XXXdd 2500000) alsoe

2. boxes of sweet meates and many gammons of bacon, and some earthenware
3. with the said shipp for his owne account, which oranges and lemmons, sweete
4. meates, bacon, and earthen ware together with his clothes taken away by the
5. said ffrenchmen, were worth the summe of fiftie pounds sterling, all which
6. hee utterly lost by the said seizure."

- HCA 13/71 f.275v Case: On the behalfe of Robert Turner and companie Merchants owners and freighters of the ketch Elizabeth (whereof John Love was master and on behalfe of the said Love and companie; Deposition: 2. William Childe of the parish of Saint Mary at Hill London Salter, aged 27 (Signature of "William Childs" at end of deposition); Date: 16/06/1656 ("same day"). Transcribed by Colin Greenstreet.

Oranges and lemons laden at Saint Remo, near Genoa

The twenty year old mariner, Joseph Smith, of Ipswich in Suffolk, had been a member of the Christopher's crew on a voyage from Saint Remo, near Genoa, to London. He gave details of goods laden onto the Christopher by its captain, Daniel Bradley, at Saint Remo. These included several parcels of wines, oranges and lemons. The ship was surprised by a Brest man of war on the return journey, and Bradley's goods were lost.

• "15. To the second Interrogatory This deponent saith that the sayd Daniel Bradley

16. the Master of the sayd shipp did lade on board the sayd shipp in the moneth
17. of December 1655 last past att Saint Remo aforesayd severall parcells
18. of wynes, lemmons and Oranges for his owne benefit and aććompt
19. this deponent being present att the lading thereof and seeing the same
20. brought on board. And otherwise he cannot depose."

- HCA 13/71 f.149r Case: On behalfe of the said Daniell Bradley; Deposition: 3. Joseph Smith of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk mariner Late one of the Company of the sayd shipp Christopher aged 20 (Signature of "Joseph Smith" at end of deposition); Date: 12/04/1656. Transcribed by Colin Greenstreet

Oranges and lemmons laded at Veales Road, Spaine

XXXX

• "25. To the 9th hee saith that towards the latter end of September 1655

26. and after the difference aforesayd the Culpepper arlate an English
27. shipp came into Veales Roade empty to seeke a freight, and this
28. deponent and Mr Robert Swale English Marchant, did betwixt them
29. freight and lade the ˹sayd˺ shipp Culpepper (the arlate Jacob Reynolds Commander
30. with a Cargoe of Orranges and Lemmons and Raisens, with which hee
31. the sayd Reynolds departed quietly departed thense notwithstanding the
32. difference aforesayd, and arived safely therewith in England,"

- HCA 13/71 f.606v Case: Browning and Company Owners of the Plaine dealeing agianst Mr Bulkley; Deposition: 1. Thomas Baudes of London Merchant aged thirty yeares; Date: 01/07/1656. Transcribed by Colin Greenstreet

Oranges and lemmons laded at Saint Lucars, Spain, for the account of George Robinson, servant of Martin Noell, trading independently

XXXX

• "15. To the second and third and fourth articles hee saith that the said George

16. Robinson being this deponents covenanted servant, and soe not free to
17. trade for himselfe without this deponents permission, hee in or about
18. October last told this deponent that hee had a desire to freight
19. a shipp at Rotterdam to goe for Spaine to lade oranges and lemmons
20. for this port and for his owne accompt, and desired this deponents
21. leave thereto, which this deponent graunted, and was acquainted with
22. his writing to the said Rocus Parvé about the said affreightment
23. and with the answers of the said Rocus and his signifying that hee
24. had freighted a shipp called the Annes of Brill for the said
25. voyage upon account of the said Robinson and company. And this
26. deponent hath bin often informed that the said shipp came to Saint
27. Lucars and tooke in the said oranges and lemmons upon the said
28. account, to be brought into the downes, where shee was to expect
29. further orders from the said Robinson. And otherwise hee cannot depose.
30. To the fifth hee saith that hee hath often heard the said Robinson
31. say to the effect arlate, and verily beleeveth the same to be true
32. And otherwise hee cannot depose."

- HCA 13/71 f.214r Case: Complaint of the said Robinson against the Annes of Brill; Deposition: 3. Martin Noell of London Merchant aged 42 yeares; Date: 04/06/1656. Transcribed by Colin Greenstreet.

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Cases in other HCA volumes mentioning oranges and lemons

Lemmons (= lemon)

"A matter of unladeing and receaving of a parcell of 46 chests of lemmons Laden in the Anne and Joyce" (HCA 3/47 f. 480r (orig), f. 477r. (new); "Satterday 24th October 1657")

"the aclate Manuel Lewis Carrero was and is a Spanish borne and a subiect of y:e King of Spaine and lives in Cadiz and there keepes a house and family and is a merchant trading in lemon and other merchandizes which he deposeth, himselfe living in Cadiz and having good acquaintance with the sayd Carrero" (HCA 13/69 no f.))

Oranges

"Thomas Taylo:r and Loys Taylo:r his wife were, Comonly accounted and reputed the true and Lawfull owners and Proprietors of Eight & twenty Ceder Chests, w:ch contained & were filled (as this depo:t verily beleeveth) with Tobaccoe; and alsoe sixty six Rolls of Tobaccoe, and of foure more Rolls of Tobaccoe, and of a quantity of Oranges" (HCA 13/73 Part One))

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Initial literature review of oranges and lemmons in early modern period

• Where did lemons originate?

"Lemon The fruit of Citrus medica, a tree whose original home may have been in the north of India. It only reached the Mediterranean towards the end of the 1st century AD, whemn the Romans discovered a direct sea route from the sourthern end of the Red Sea to India. Tolkowsky...adduces complex arguments in favour of this view (as against the earlier view that the lemon did not arrive until the 10th century), and refers to frescos found at Pompeii (and therefore prior to AD 70) which show what he regards as indisputably lemons; also a mosaic pavement probably from Tusculum...of about 100 AD in which a lemon is shown with an orange and a citron. Thus the fruit which can reasonably be regarded as the most important for European cookery was a comparatively late arrival. Nor was its use in cookery, as an acid element, appreciated at once. Nor, indeed, was there a Latin word for lemon. It seems likely that in classical Rome the fruit was treated as a curiosity and a decoration, and that lemon trees were not grown in Italy until later. The Arabs seem to have been largely responsible for the spread of lemon cultivation in the Mediterranean region...Arab traders also spread the lemon eastward to China...During the Middle Ages lemons were rare and expensive in N. Europe, and available only to the rich...Lemons reached the New World...in 1493, when Columbus, on his second voyage, established a settlement on Haiti."

"Lemons were one of the most sought after fruits in early modern Europe. Being associated with sunny southern Europe they were considered healthy, much the same way we think of Mediterranean foods today. Their juice was used as a condiment, especially on fish because its acidity was thought to cut through the "gluey humors" abounding in seafood, making them more digestible. Northern Europeans generally had to import lemons, but eventually a way to grow them indoors was devised. Lemon peel, grated or candied lemon was also a typical garnish."

Geoffrey Doye, 'Oranges and Lemons: The Rise and Fall of the West Country Shipping Involvement with the Fruit Trade', in Maritime South West 2006

Dictionary of Traded Goods and Commodities, 1550-1820: Lemon related entries

Nancy Cox and Karin Dannehl, 'Leech - Lewkes hemp', Dictionary of Traded Goods and Commodities, 1550-1820 (2007). URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=58809 Date accessed: 08 January 2013.

Lemon lozenges

LEMON lozenges have been noted offered for sale only once and in circumstances that leave it unclear whether they were intended for medicinal purposes or merely as a SWEETMEAT. Possibly this was intentional. Although lemon was known to help relieve sore throats and the like, it also has a pleasant taste [Tradecards (1800)].

Not found in the OED online

Found in units of small BOX

See also LOZENGE.
Sources: Tradecards.

Lemon pickle

LEMON - PICKLE was apparently not the same as PICKLED LEMONS. It seems to have been a relish or a SAUCE, rather than merely a way of preserving lemons as in a typical pickle. This distinction may be observed in the way this product was advertised; for example one London retailer listed it under 'Sauces' [Tradecards (19c.)].

Mrs Raffald seems to have regarded it highly, She not only named it specifically in the title of her 'English House-keeper', but also gave the recipe on page 1 [Raffald (1772)]. In effect her recipe was for a highly spiced essence, intended for adding to 'fish sauce and made dishes' where a teaspoonful would suffice.

OED online earliest date of use: 1769

Found in units of BOTTLE

Sources: Newspapers, Tradecards.
References: Raffald (1772).

Lemon vinegar

A modern recipe suggests adding the juice of LEMON and the thinly pared rind to VINEGAR and leaving it to steep for some days before straining and returning the rind to the liquor to continue adding flavour [Picklenet (2000-1)]. This is probably similar to recipes used in former times. Lemon vinegar would have been used with salads and anywhere else where a flavoured vinegar was desirable. ORANGE VINEGAR was probably made and used in the same way.

Not found in the OED online

Sources: Tradecards.
References: Picklenet (2000-1).

Lemon water

[lemon-water]

Martha Bradley described lemon water as 'a very pleasant Cordial' that 'strengthens the Stomach'. Her recipe involved distilling the rinds of LEMON and a few grains of MUSK in FRENCH BRANDY and then adding SUGAR, ROSE WATER and ORANGE FLOWER WATER [Bradley (1756 facs.1996-8)]. Fairly large quantities were imported; for example, in 1694-5 six TON and three HOGSHEAD came into London, far more than ORANGE WATER [Houghton]. Since John Houghton seems to distinguish LEMON JUICE from the water, it is unlikely the two terms were confused.

Not found in the OED online

Found imported in HOGSHEAD, TUN Found rated by GALLON, TON

See also AQUA LIMONIS.
Sources: Houghton, Rates.

References: Bradley (1756, facs. 1996-8)."