It was not until 1615, that Europe was formally introduced to
coffee. Venetian traders, who had strong trade links with the
Levant (historical term referring to a large area of the Middle
East incorporating the countries of: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and
Syria), started to import coffee into Italy. Once in Europe, the
consumption of coffee soon spread. However, the introduction of
coffee into Europe was not without its controversy. According to
many accounts, a group of Christian clerics tried to have coffee
banned before it had become widely available. They came to Pope
Clement VIII (1535-1605), claiming that coffee was for Satan's
followers, and that Christians who drank it might lose their
souls to the Devil. But before Pope Clement would ban coffee he
insisted on tasting it. After drinking his first cup, the Pope
was so impressed with the flavour, that he reasoned that such a
drink could not possibly be the work of Satan and instead
declared that coffee should be baptized to make it a true
Christian drink.
The first person recorded in history to brew coffee in England
was an international student named Nathaniel Conopios from
Crete, who was studying at Balliol College, Oxford. This simple
act, which happened in May 1637, was recorded by both; scholar
John Evelyn and historian Anthony Wood. Although, shortly
afterwards Conopios was expelled from college, his influence had
a lasting effect on Oxford, as it was in Oxford that the first
English coffeehouse was opened in 1650 by Jacob, a Lebanese Jew.
Even though Jacob moved to London a few years later to repeat
his success, he had begun a trend that saw many more
coffeehouses open in Oxford during that decade.
The most significant of these coffeehouses, was the one open by
Arthur Tillyard in 1655. Tillyard's coffeehouse became a meeting
point for a group who were known as the Oxford Coffee Club. This
group was made up of Oxford's leading scientists, including Sir
Robert Boyle, and their students, who would meet to discuss
their theories and research and share ideas. It is from the
Oxford Coffee Club which the world famous Royal Society, one of
the leading scientific societies in the world, evolved from.
The first coffeehouse in London was opened in 1652 by an
Armenian man named Pasqua Rosée. Originally brought to London as
a servant by the merchant Daniel Edwards, Rosée served coffee
each morning to Edwards' house guests. Curiosity about the new
drink soon spread through Edwards' friends, and the number of
visitors to Edwards' house steadily grew over time. There was so
much excitement created by Rosée's brew that Edwards eventually
decided to financially back Rosée in opening a coffeehouse at St
Michael's Alley in Cornhill. As with Oxford, the idea soon took
off, and by 1715 there were as many as 2,000 coffeehouses around
London.
One of the world's largest insurance companies, Lloyds of
London, started as a coffeehouse on Tower Street in 1688. Opened
by Edward Lloyd, it primarily served seafarers and merchants.
Lloyd would circulate amongst his customers creating a list of
what ships were carrying, their schedules, and their insurance
needs. This list drew underwriters to his coffeehouse to sell
insurance to those who needed it and merchants so they could
keep track of the ships.
It is thought that the custom of tipping originated in English
coffeehouses. There would often be a small box hung near the
counter in establishments with the words "To Insure Promptness"
(TIP) inscribed on them. Customers would drop a coin in the box
to encourage swift service.
The early growth of coffeehouses was largely due to support by
doctors, promoting coffee for its supposed healing abilities.
Before the introduction of coffeehouses, there was a widespread
problem with public drunkenness as beer was consumed with almost
every meal. But with public knowledge of the health benefits of
coffee, and with coffee being significantly cheaper then beer,
coffeehouses began to replace the tavern as the meeting place of
choice. Needless to say, tavern owners were not going to let
their profits dwindle without a fight, and many of the most
aggressive attacks against coffee came from them. They claimed
that coffee was an Arabic drink not suitable for well-mannered
Christian men, unlike beer which had been brewed by Monks' for
centuries.
Tavern owners were not the only group to attack coffee. Women
upset that their man would spent more time at the coffeehouse
then at home with them, soon started to protest. In 1674, the
'Women's Petition against Coffee' was published. In this
document women protested that coffee reduced the male sperm
count and would lead to a decline in the population: "coffee
makes a man as barren as the dessert out of which this unlucky
berry has been imported; that since its coming the offspring of
our mighty forefathers are on the way to disappear as if they
were monkeys and swine." It was understandable that women were
aggrieved, as at the time they were banned from setting foot in
a coffeehouse. However, this did not stop the 'Men's Answer to
the Women's Petition against Coffee' being published later that
year. The document defended coffee claiming that women should be
thankful for coffee, as it was in fact an aphrodisiac.
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