Hyson Tea: A Small Adventure in Historical Research

Hyson tea was even a favorite of Thomas Jefferson

"February 8," the jail receipt read, "1/4 lb. Hyson tea, 3s. 9d., 1 lb. sugar, 1s. 6d. for Betsey Walker
she being brought to bed by a son the previous night, 5s. 3d."

The receipt goes on to list ginger and more sugar two days later and the cost of the midwife. Later notations document tea and sugar and midwife expenses for Susanna Harpe, and then tea, sugar, and whiskey for Sally Harpe, after each of them gave birth in the Danville Jail, Kentucky, in February, March, and April 1799 respectively.

I've covered the saga of the Harpes and their unfortunate women elsewhere--and give a full fictionalized treatment in my most recent book The Blue Cloak--but while researching their story I ran across this notation and immediately wondered, just what is Hyson tea?

Well. Turns out Hyson was a well-known and much-loved variety of green tea, dating at least to the 18th century, sometimes considered a mediocre variety but valued enough by the British to carry a higher tax rate than others. It reportedly accounts for 70 of the 300+ cases of tea destroyed during the Boston Tea Party.

Tea instead of coffee for the sake of research is no hardship

Further investigation revealed that part of the tea's charm comes from the slow unfurling of entire leaves, twisted and dried whole, and the light, delicate green tea flavor. (See this short but informative article at The Right Tea, explaining its origin and extolling its virtues.) To my surprise, the variety of tea is still available, and though more of a coffee drinker than tea, I caved to my curiosity and bought some. I also found a sampler offering all the tea varieties dumped into Boston Harbor, but sadly waited too long before purchasing and now it's no longer available. At any rate, Hyson tea does indeed have a pleasing taste, even without milk or sweetener, but especially when not forgotten and oversteeped. :-)

It's curious that the tea, with sugar, was considered part of the care and courtesy extended a postpartum woman, even one forced by the nefarious deeds of her "family" to give birth in jail. Maybe not surprising, given the reported benefits modern-day science has found of green tea in general. Regardless, the notation from jail and court records of the time provides a fascinating glimpse of the material culture of the past. And it's been just plain fun to taste a tea that just may have been very similar to that enjoyed by our colonial and Federal foremothers ... and even offered comfort and sustenance to three hapless new mothers in a Kentucky jail in 1799.

America's Second Great Awakening

George Whitefield, from the First Great Awakening

Did God use the social scourge of the Harpes' killing spree to spark, or at least fuel, America's Second Great Awakening?

It's a question I found myself contemplating while researching for my recent release, The Blue Cloak. In the various accounts of the travels of the notorious Harpes, mention is made of them camping at the site of a recent revival meeting near Russellville, Kentucky. What an odd choice, I thought. Further investigation revealed that an entire movement took place in the region, attributed in Wikipedia as the Revival of 1800. The article explains the custom of "sacrament seasons," begun in Scotland but carried over onto the frontier of America, and how the camp meeting grew out of it. Obviously there were revival meetings happening even before 1800, but it gave me cause to wonder--how much did the terror of the Harpes drive folk to their knees and bring to light their individual need for redemption? And how much did the corporate prayers which doubtlessly were offered around the region for the ending of the Harpes' reign of terror affect the wider move of the Holy Spirit?

The Second Great Awakening, as it was called, had already been taking place in New England during the 1790's. Earlier waves of revival, all up up and down the Eastern Seaboard in the 1730's and into the 1750's, are referred to as the First Great Awakening, influenced by the preaching of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and others. Some accounts state John Wesley as an influence, but I find it interesting that after an unsuccessful ministerial venture in Savannah, Georgia, he found his own spiritual revival through conversations with the Moravians, and then went on to preach all across England and lead many souls to Christ. All such movements were marked by what some condemned as unnecessary emotionalism, but had the undeniable effect of drawing people closer to God in their personal lives and shifting their focus from things of a purely material nature to the more spiritual. (Sound a bit like our own times?)

The revivals happening in New England in the 1790's are noted as being less emotional, though, than what took place in southern Kentucky and spread throughout the region, including Tennessee and southern Illinois and Indiana. Wiki comments, "Early settlers were fiercely independent and egalitarian; skilled with the long rifle; and fond of fighting, gambling, tobacco chewing, and horse racing." (Not terribly different, then, from what we know of the Harpes, before they went public with their criminal career.) In summary, frontier folk were considered to be a people ruled more by their passions than by intellectual reason, so it's likely no small wonder that when moved by the Spirit, they committed to God with that same headlong passion.

And it would be just like God to use something as awful as a crime spree to fan the flames of revival.

~*~*~*~*~


If you're interested in reading more:

• The Great Awakening of the Early 18th Century (ThoughtCo.)
• Great-Awakening.com
• Great Awakening - HISTORY
• Great Awakening - Britannica
• The First Great Awakening, by our own Tamera Kraft (don't miss her other articles under the "Great Awakening" label!)

Colonial Quills Nine Year Anniversary! And Celebration of New Releases!

Welcome to our 9 Year Anniversary Party! We're celebrating at Jamestown, Virginia. Come on in and have some tea and treats!

Gabrielle Meyer:

I am honored to be here today celebrating the ninth anniversary of the Colonial Quills Blog! Congrats to all the wonderful contributors and readers. This is such a fun place to gather and share in all sorts of book love.

Today, I'm sharing my newest release Virginia Company Bride in The Heart's Stronghold Collection. This beautiful book released this month with Barbour Publishers (aren't the new covers amazing?!). My story is joined by phenomenal stories from Amanda Barratt, Angie Dicken, and Kimberley Woodhouse.

Here's a little about Virginia Company Bride: In September 1608, Anne Burras is the only woman in Jamestown when her mistress dies upon arrival. Laborer John Layton is one of only thirty-eight colonists who survived the first year in the colony. Both want Anne on the supply ship returning to England in three months, but neither foresee the difficulties they will face just to stay alive—or the painful sacrifices they will make to stay together.

I had the privileged of visiting Jamestown last year to do research for this story. What a treat to see the oldest English settlement in America! This story is especially dear to me because I have several ancestors who were a part of the early colonization of Jamestown. My earliest ancestor, William Powell, arrived in 1609 and was instrumental in removing an Indian chief who had tried to kill John Smith the year before. William was put in charge of the Jamestown defenses for his services and became the lieutenant governor in 1617.

Jamestown is a unique place to visit, because they have a reconstructed fort, as well as the original site where they are currently doing archaeological research. The first picture at the top of this post is taken at the reconstructed fort and the one above is of me at the original site. I'm standing where the chapel stood. This was important to me because John Layton, the hero of my story, was a carpenter in Jamestown and he's credited with building the second chapel for the fort.

In honor of the blog anniversary and the release of The Heart's Stronghold, I will be offering two copies, one here and one on the Facebook party. The winners will have the choice between a signed copy or an ebook.

Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the upper Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people, places, and events. You can learn more about Gabrielle and her books at www.gabriellemeyer.com.

Shannon McNear:

Greetings and salutations! I hope all is well with our gentle readers in these uncertain times.

NINE YEARS! I can hardly believe it! I'm blessed and honored to have been a part of this wonderful blog for six of those nine years. But with no further ado, it's with joy (and given the subject matter, not a little trepidation!) that I present The Blue Cloak, #5 of Barbour's ambitious True Colors historical suspense series. It's set in the fledgling states of Tennessee and Kentucky, 1797-99, and centers around the account of the terrible Harpes, considered our country's first recorded serial killers.

The story: Daughter and sister of trading post owners, Rachel Taylor watches her best friend Sally's marriage turn to horror before the entire family disappears. Virginia native Benjamin Langford seeks the whereabouts of his missing cousin and uncovers a reign of terror all up and down the Wilderness Road. In their shared grief, the pair join the effort to bring the Harpes' murder spree to an end and rescue Sally from a criminal's life.

To celebrate the March 1 release of The Blue Cloak, I'm offering two signed copies of the book, one here on the blog and one at the Facebook party! If you'd like to be entered, please mention BLUE CLOAK in your comment below. Thank you so much!

Transplanted to North Dakota after more than two decades in the Deep South, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. As the author of four novellas and three full-length novels, with her first novella, Defending Truth in A Pioneer Christmas Collection, a 2014 RITA® finalist, her greatest joy is in being a military wife, mom of eight, mother-in-law of three, and grammie of three. When not cooking, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies.

Connect with her at shannonmcnear.com and on various social media.

Naomi Musch:

Hello, Colonial Quills friends! There couldn't be a better time for an online party, could there? Thanks for celebrating with us. 

I'm thrilled to reintroduce THE GREEN VEIL, a book that's been out of print for some time and has just been newly re-released. It's the first in a three-book saga that spans the lives of three generations of women, their hopes, loves, and adventures in the new rough-and-rugged state of Wisconsin.

Here’s The Green Veil:

1841 ~ Lumberman's daughter, Colette Palmer has always loved timber cruiser Manason Kade, though she's too young for him to consider seriously. Leaving Michigan with her family to settle in the Wisconsin wilderness, and separated from him by miles and years, she grows into a woman. When her heart is broken, she makes her vow to another.

Manason longs to plant roots of his own in Wisconsin Territory, although an alluring female tempts him to do otherwise. Given the opportunity, he strikes out and forms the new Kade Forest Works. When his fresh crew challenges the illegal log harvesting of a rival company, however, it is Colette's husband who will stop at nothing to ruin him.

Logging enterprises collide as the territory nears statehood, and dangerous schemes threaten those Colette holds dear. Then Manason and Colette finally meet again, and when they do, the battle between lumber kings reaches new heights. Now she will have to choose between her first love and her commitment to her marriage vows, while her dreams, her faith, and an empire in pine hang in the balance.

To celebrate the Colonial Quill 9-year blog anniversary, I have something for everyone. For two days--the day of the party and the day following (March 30-31)--you'll be able to download a Kindle copy of The Green Veil FREE!  I hope you'll take advantage of the opportunity and ENJOY!

~Please feel free to spread the word about the free book, too.~

If you’d like updates about the release of Books Two and Three in the series, coming soon, sign up for my newsletter here.

Naomi is an award-winning author who believes a perfect day is spent writing, reading, roaming about the farm, snacking out of the garden, relaxing in her vintage camper, and loving on her passel of grandchildren. Connect with her via her website www.naomimusch.com and on social media around the web.

Pegg Thomas

Greetings History Friends!

'Tis a fine day to gather for a celebration. 'Twas but a short few years past that I was allowed to join these illustrious authors on the blog. It has been an honor and a privilege to write alongside them. To celebrate, I'm giving away one signed paperback copy of my May 1st release The Blacksmith Brides. (to a U.S. address only) My story in the collection is set in Philadelphia at the start of the Revolutionary War. Loyalties were questioned and families were torn apart as our country embarked on its quest for independence, even as it continued to grow into its western frontier. Comment using the word IRON here on the blog to be entered for that drawing.

As always, there will be a shawl giveaway with this release! One subscriber to my newsletter will win Forged Embers, one of my signature wool shawls made from my own flock of sheep. I shear the sheep, wash and dye the wool, card it (prepare for spinning), spin it, wash it again, knit the shawl, and then give it a final wash and blocking. In the entire process, the only power tool used is my sheep shears. My poor old hands can't take using the hand shears anymore. The drawing for Forged Embers will be on May 31st. To be entered, simply subscribe to my newsletter. Subscribe early and find out how to earn extra chances to win!





Pegg lives in Northern Michigan - which is south of Upper Michigan - on a hobby farm with her husband of *mumble* years, a flock of sheep, a flock of chickens, and Murphy the spoiled rotten dog. PeggThomas.com - Writing History with a Touch of Humor




Carrie Fancett Pagels

In the nine years since we launched the Colonial Quills blog, I've had twenty publications (click here to see my website Books Page.) Above is the cover of my most recent publication, a novella in a lovely collection from Barbour. I've been so blessed by this blog and the many bloggers who have helped keep this effort going! I'm giving away one of my in-print books to one of our commenters.

Also, I have MORE codes for FREE audiobooks of Mercy in a Red Cloak! So if you would like a code to listen to my novella set on colonial Mackinac Island, put "Mercy Audio" in your comment and leave me your email address! Thank you for being a Colonial Quills follower and attending our blog party!

Janet Grunst

What a pleasure to celebrate Colonial Quill's 9th Anniversary with you.

I’m excited to share about the October release of the third story in my Revolutionary War series, Setting Two Hearts Free. It takes place towards the end of the war and is about the younger generation.

Donald Duncan joined the Patriot cause for noble reasons, battling the British while enduring deprivation and hardship on every side. The war has changed him, and now the battle is internal. Returning home to Virginia is in sight where a new life and his Mary wait for him.

Mary Stewart spends the war years with her family at Stewarts’ Green, helping them operate their ordinary. Daily, she prays for Donald’s safe return, eagerly waiting for him … until that day the evil side of war touches her.

Two hearts changed by a war that dragged on for six years. Two hearts left hurting and struggling to find the love and trust they once knew. Is there a path for them to rekindle what was lost, Setting Two Hearts Free?

In celebration of Colonial Quill's 9-year anniversary, I will be giving away a Kindle version of whichever of the first two stories A Heart Set Free or A Heart For Freedom (winner's choice) to one commenter on the blog.

Janet is a wife, mother of two sons, and grandmother of eight. She

lives in the historic triangle of Virginia (Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown) with her husband. A lifelong student of history, her love of writing fiction grew out of a desire to share stories that communicate the truths of the Christian faith, as well as entertain, inspire, and encourage readers. You can follow her at  https://JanetGrunst.com

Denise Weimer

Since joining Colonial Quills blog, I've published a number of novels, both historical and contemporary, and become a managing editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas' historical imprints. Today on the blog, I'm giving away an e-book copy of my most recent historical romance, The Witness Tree, which starts in 1805 with a Moravian marriage of convenience in Old Salem, North Carolina, and leads to a dangerous assignment in Cherokee Territory. Would you like to be entered for the drawing? Leave a comment about the Moravians in the comments below.

During the Facebook party, I'll be giving away the winner's choice of an e-book of my two March contemporary releases, Spring Splash and Traces. See you at 8:15 p.m. EST! https://deniseweimerbooks.webs.com

FACEBOOK PARTY

Please join us on Facebook from 7-9:15 PM Eastern Time on Monday March 30 as we celebrate with a number of our current CQ bloggers! (Click here to join)