Early 1800's Clay Tobacco Pipe Ref. CL-5
It is not until the mid to late 16th Century that written references are found pertaining to smoking in England. All thanks to Sir Walter Raleigh, who, in the late 1500's is reputed to be the first to introduce tobacco to England. These first tobacco imports were very small and used for medicinal purposes However, by the Elizabethan period, men, women and even children were addicted to the habit of smoking.
The earliest clay pipes made were produced in England and Holland and had tiny bowls - enough for just a pinch of tobacco,the cost being so expensive. By 1620 the habit was spreading rapidly and tobacco was started to be grown locally in England. With local 
crops now available,the price for tobacco dropped and the trend was for the pipe bowls to get bigger and the stems longer. By the 1720's clay pipes were being made in small factories in virtually every town and city, and it is thought that the thicker and stubbier pipes were more favoured by the countryman, and the elegant, thinner pipes, often embellished with designs, were usually used by the townsman.
King James finally tried to wipe out smoking and had the crops destroyed but because the people were not favourable to this move it was decided to ban crops in England and have the Virginia Colonies import the product with tax duty applied.
By the early 1800's a 'spur' at the base of the bowl was the norm and many showed the makers initials.The spur is thought to have allowed the pipe to be fitted into a hole in a tray or stand and enabled the pipe, or a circle of them, to be filled and lit in advance and then handed around a group of smokers. Decoration was added, often in the form of a 'fern' which was used to cover up the seam line where the two halves of the pipe bowl were joined.
The above pipe bowl, showing part of the stem, was uncovered on the banks of the Thames river in England and is likely to date around the 1790-1830 era.
Please note, I am NOT a qualified archaeologist/antiquarian and the description I have given is based on research of the subject.
This is a genuine antique. Please remember the classification of an 'antique' is that it should be 100 years old, OR MORE. There are many articles being offered as 'antiques' when, clearly, they are not.
Price R55.00 Post R30.00
Terms: We offer a strict three-day approval period from the date the parcel reaches you. Refunds/credits are based on the cost of the article, NOT including delivery charges. Please advise us within this period whether you would like to return any article for a refund/credit. Although we pride ourselves in our packing, the buyer remains responsible for loss, non-arrival or damage to goods being sent to, or returned.
