Read Letters From the 1850s Between Andrew Melrose and His Son

Interested in tea history?  Now, you can read some of the letters between Andrew Melrose and his son William.   Andrew Melrose, who founded Melrose Tea that still exists today, imported the first tea into Scotland.

Letters from 2848 to 1853 between him and his son were organized into a book published in 1973 by the Scottish Historical Society called William Melrose in China, 1845-1855: The letters of a Scottish tea merchant (ISBN 978-0950026060). Today, you can still find used copies of the book on the Internet.

The letters tell about the life of a tea trader in China during the mid 18th century. Hundreds of letters are in the book. In addition to tell about tea trading the book describes the personal life of young Scots who live in China during this time.

Today the surviving letters are in the Edinburgh City Archives in Scotland.