The jury is still out on this, there are three main contenders for the honour, the most likely being Sir John Hawkins, 2nd favourite is Richard Grenville, and the outsider/longshot is Sir Francis Drake.
Notice that Sir Walter Raleigh's name is not among those above after many years being touted as the person who brought tobacco to Britain, his name has now been dropped from the idea, however, he is the person who popularised the habit in Queen Elizabeth's court.
When?, it is thought mid 16th century.
Wiki User
∙ 2009-01-06 16:27:41Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have introduced tobacco to the UK.
Back in the early 1600's, colonists in Jamestown began to plant a type of tobacco that was introduced to them by the Native Americans. That tobacco had an extremely bad taste to it and was unsuitable as a cash crop. A few years later, a man, named John Rolfe introduced a type of tobacco from the Trinity (in the Caribbean) which thrived at Jamestown. That tobacco also had a better taste to it, making it a good cash crop. The colony traded the tobacco primarily with England for other supplies necessary to the survival of the colony.
John Rolfe
Portuguese
Indians (Natives)
If you mean as in a form for smoking, it was introduced by Portuguese traders in AD 1600. The same traders introduced seeds (in the 1700's) which were the basis for the beginning of tobacco farming.
John Hawkins is credited with introducing the Triangular Trade to Britain's colonial empire. He also introduced potatoes and tobacco to the British Isles.
John Rolfe
John Rolfe
John Rolfe
Portuguese
John Rolfe