Richard Twining

Richard Twining was born at Devereux Court as one of three sons in the family of Daniel Twining and Mary Little. He was the grandson of Thomas Twining (d. 1741), the founder of the tea house at Tom's coffee-house, Devereux Court, Strand. After he attended Eton College, as a 16 years old boy he entered the Twinings tea business. Already at the age of 22 Richard was in charge for the overall management of the firm, and as a Chairman of the London Tea Dealers he participated in all events regarding the tea trade.

In the second half of the 18th century, the high taxes on tea encouraged smuggling and Richard persuaded prime Minister William Pitt that the government would earn more revenue if taxation was reduced. Consequently, the tea tax was slashed from around 80% to 12% by the Commutation Act of 1785. That regulation made the tea affordable to all, and not only to the wealthiest. Two years later, Twining commissioned the famous doorway to the Strand shop with the golden lion and the two Chinese figures representing tea's origins.

In 1793 Twining was elected a director of the East India Company, and continued to play an important role in the tea trade in the beginning of the 19th century. At the head of the Twining’s tea company he was joined by his brother John and his sons.

Twining was also a traveller, and his tours on the continent and in England described in letters and journals, were published by his grandson Richard Twining in 1887 under the title “Selections from Papers of the Twining family”.

He died on 23 April 1824.