A series highlighting women who have innovated the tea industry

Roberta C. Lawson and Mary Molaren

Inventors of the Tea Bag

In 1901 Roberta Lawson and Mary Molaren designed the “Tea-Leaf Holder.” They had identified an issue with the way tea had been commonly brewed for thousands of years. Having to make a whole pot of tea for the sake of having a single cup meant the rest of the pot was wasted. The easiest solution: just brew the tea in the cup you wanted to drink it from. But they had to make sure the leaves wouldn’t just be floating in the tea, “which would spoil the pleasure of the drink.” Hence their patented mesh bag. The bag folded over the top end of the pocket holding the tea leaves.

Penelope Barker

Edenton Tea Party Organizer

(June 17, 1728 – 1796) was an activist in the American Revolution who in 1774 organized a boycott of British goods known as the Edenton Tea Party

Leader of The Edenton Tea Party a boycott of British goods following the Tea Act - The Boston Tea Party without the violence. “Maybe it has been only men who protested the king up to now. Tat only means we women have taken too long to have let our voices be heard. We are signing our names to a document, not hiding ourselves behind costumes like the way the men in Boston did in their tea party. The British will know who we are.”

Mary Tuke

Queen of Confectionary

One of the very first tea merchants and among the most outstanding across all eras. She built the first chain of stores in the tea and chocolate industry. Tuke faced many struggles in starting her business. For starters, permission to trade in the city of York was only granted if you were a member of the Society of Merchant Adventurers. Being a woman, she was not permitted to join. Lacking a licence to trade, she ran her business anyway. For 7 years Tuke was threatened with fines and jail time. Finally, 8 years after her business was established Mary was ordered to pay a small fine to the society and she was allowed to continue. She is accredited as being the key to making York the global center of the chocolate industry.

Oura Kei

Tea Export Pioneer

A young woman created the Japanese tea export market in the years following Admiral Perry’s forced opening of the the nation. By 30, in a country where women had minimal rights, she built an entire industry. Kei was engaged to the family's adopted son, who was to become the head of the family business. Unfortunately, he passed away at an early age. After this dramatic event, Kei also lost her birth mother and a huge fire destroyed her family's business. Starting over, she saw an opportunity for tea exportation and took action. Kei is responsible for establishing sencha as main crop and built exports from zero to 200 tons in 5 years, 5,000 tons in 10 years.

Women and Tea Innovators