Background
The son of a fuller who moved to London when the boy was nine years old, Thomas was at first apprenticed to a weaver.
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Thomas Twining
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He changed careers, however, and worked for a merchant and importer. He became a Freeman of the City of London in 1701, and was working for the East India Company merchant Thomas Doctorate"Aeth. In 1706 he bought Tom"s Coffee House at 216 Strand, London from Doctorate"Aeth.
In addition to coffee, Twining also sold tea, and soon got a reputation for having the some of the finest blends in London.
Soon he was selling more dry tea than brewed. He expanded his store in 1717 to encompass three adjacent houses.
By 1734, Twining focused almost exclusively on tea, having given up coffee. In about 1722 he bought a property later known as Dial House, next door to Street Mary"s Church, Twickenham, where he either rebuilt or converted and extended the buildings already there.
The sundial on the façade carries the date 1726, possibly the time when the new building was finished.
Thomas Twining died in 1741 and was buried at Street Mary"s church, where there is a memorial to him at the north-east corner.
