From Pomanders to Perfumers, a Brief History of British Perfume – S... https://storiesparfums.com/en-fr/blogs/news/from-pomanders-to-perfum...

C O M P L I M E N TA R Y D E L I V E R Y O N A L L O R D E R S ( U K & I R E L A N D ) L I M I T E D T I M E O N LY | W E S H I P
WORLDWIDE

OUR STORY

GIFTING

PERFUME

HAND &
NOW READING: SHARE
BODY
F R O M P O M A N D EFRRSA N
TCOE P E R F U M E R S , A B R I E F H I S T O R PREV NEXT FRANCE

PERFUME (EUR €) (EUR €)

REFILLS

JOURNAL

SUSTAINABLE
OUTLET

SHOP ALL
★ REVIEWS

MARCH 06, 2019

FROM POMANDERS TO PERFUMERS, A

BRIEF HISTORY OF BRITISH PERFUME

The phrase, ‘keeping at bay’ was coined during the Roman Conquest of Britain when
fragrant plants where introduced and used to scent luxurious baths. Bay was believed to
ward off the plague. The only other use of fragrant products around this time was incense
in the Catholic Church.
Fast forward to the fourteenth century; the Crusaders brought exotic essences back from
1
the Middle East. Initially these were used for their protective properties. King Henry V �lled
Chat with us
a golden ball, known as a pomander, with Musk and Ambergris in order to avoid
contracting the plague. It was not until Queen Elizabeth I’s reign that scent became a

1 sur 7 12/12/2022, 23:37

From Pomanders to Perfumers, a Brief History of British Perfume – S... https://storiesparfums.com/en-fr/blogs/news/from-pomanders-to-perfum...

cosmetic luxury.
 
Scented Leather
In that time, scented leather was the favoured way to experience perfume. This practice
has its roots in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world. In those days, the town was best
known for producing the �nest leather gloves in the world. Part of the process that made
their product so unique was soaking the hides in urine in order to soften them. This meant
the gloves needed to be scented. Perfumed oils where widespread in the area and the
leather craftsmen used these to improve the smell of their product.
NOW READING: SHARE
During the reign of Charles I, there was an excise duty on soap so personal hygiene was
FROM POMANDERS TO PERFUMERS, A BRIEF HISTOR PREV NEXT
the preserve of the elite. The upper classes used Civet to mask the stench of the unwashed
masses. The paste comes from a scenting gland of a small cat, known as a civet cat. It has
a nauseating stench on its own but when combined with the right ingredients it lends a
fresh, animalistic aroma. The civet cat became the sign of the perfumer’s shop in Britain.
 
Masking the Stench
During the Great Plague of 1665, the stench of the dead and the dying became a matter of
great concern. The Lord Mayor of London ordered that sulphur, saltpetre and Ambergis be
burnt in the streets to mask the smell. After the Plague, personal hygiene was a priority. It
became fashionable to have a perfumed bath and ‘sweating houses’ gained popularity.
These were essentially old-fashioned saunas with the addition of diffused oils.
One of Britain’s �rst perfumers was Charles Lillie. His revolutionary concept was to
★ REVIEWS

introduce fragrance to snuff. He was known as the only man to have been ‘bred in the
business of perfumery’ and he ran a successful business for 30 years. He also published
The British Perfumer in 1822 as a tool for negotiating the commercial perfume market. It is
essentially a perfumer’s recipe book that encourages those working in the industry to use
their senses when curating a blend.
 

2 sur 7 12/12/2022, 23:37

From Pomanders to Perfumers, a Brief History of British Perfume – S... https://storiesparfums.com/en-fr/blogs/news/from-pomanders-to-perfum...

 
Houses of Perfumery
It was not until the nineteenth century and the arrival of the Industrial Revolution that
perfumery became what we would recognise today. Scienti�c discovery of molecular
N O W R E A Dstructure
ING: and the discovery of new methods ofS extraction
HARE in Europe gave rise to unique
creative
FROM POM ANDER practices.
S T O P ENatural
R F U M Ematerials
R S , A B could
R I E F be
H I blended
STOR with
P Rfragrant
EV chemicals
NEXT to great
effect and modern houses of perfumery were established.
Modern day fragrance designers can build on this strong historical foundation. There is a
rich heritage from which to glean inspiration and a generation of artisan creatives alongside
which to stand. As we look ahead to National Fragrance Week, it seems appropriate to give
a nod to the men and women who forged a path in perfumery. The future of fragrance
design is a blank canvas
 
Do you know your EDP from your EDT? Read more here. 

WRITTEN BY BETHANY JOY DAWSON

★ REVIEWS

3 sur 7 12/12/2022, 23:37

From Pomanders to Perfumers, a Brief History of British Perfume – S... https://storiesparfums.com/en-fr/blogs/news/from-pomanders-to-perfum...

NOW READING: SHARE

FROM POMANDERS TO PERFUMERS, A BRIEF HISTOR PREV NEXT

★ REVIEWS

THE ESSENCE OF PERFUME

4 sur 7 12/12/2022, 23:37

From Pomanders to Perfumers, a Brief History of British Perfume – S... https://storiesparfums.com/en-fr/blogs/news/from-pomanders-to-perfum...

NOW READING: SHARE

FROM POMANDERS TO PERFUMERS, A BRIEF HISTOR PREV NEXT

TAKE NOTES
★ REVIEWS

SHOP NOW

5 sur 7 12/12/2022, 23:37

From Pomanders to Perfumers, a Brief History of British Perfume – S... https://storiesparfums.com/en-fr/blogs/news/from-pomanders-to-perfum...

E P A R F USM
T O3R0IM
ELS Nº.01 EAU DE PARFUM
S T1O
0R0M
I ELS N º . 0 1 E A U D E P A R F U M 1 5 M L
S T O R I E S J U T E T O T E B ASGT O R I E S K E E P S A

€ 1 7 7, 9 5 €47, 9 5 €8,95

NOW READING: SHARE

FROM POMANDERS TO PERFUMERS, A BRIEF HISTOR PREV NEXT

STORIES

Af�liate Programme

E-Gift Card

Friends of STORIES

Stockists

Sustainability
★ REVIEWS

INFO

Delivery

Refund Policy

Klarna FAQ

Payment

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Terms & Conditions

NEWSLETTER

Sign up to receive 10% off your �rst order, receive updates and access to exclusive deals. T&Cs apply.   Privacy
Policy

COMPANY DETAILS

6 sur 7 12/12/2022, 23:37

From Pomanders to Perfumers, a Brief History of British Perfume – S... https://storiesparfums.com/en-fr/blogs/news/from-pomanders-to-perfum...

Email Address:

Email

Phone Number:

Phone Number

Celebrate your birthday with STORIES:

NOW READING: SHARE

DD/MM
FRO M POMANDERS TO PERFUMERS, A BRIEF HISTOR PREV NEXT

By entering your phone number and submitting this form, you consent to receive marketing text messages (such as access to exclusive deals) from
STORIES Parfums at the number provided. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. You
can unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP or clicking the unsubscribe link in one of our messages. View our Privacy Policy here and Terms of Service
here.

SIGN ME UP

Company No. NI645359
Contact us or call: 02895380393

© STORIES PARFUMS
★ REVIEWS

hyper

7 sur 7 12/12/2022, 23:37