What was the exact date that the first ash tray was invented?

Question

I know that Sir Walter Rayleigh was the first to bring back tobacco to England, and that this was in Elizabethan times. But how soon after that did they invent ash trays?
I have tried an Ask Jeeves search and not found the answer there.

Answer 1

Roughly two minutes after the first cigarette was lit.

Answer 2

An Elizabethan philantropist, and Merchant, named Hironimous Ash, Is credited with introducing the first "ash" Tray, to his Oxfordshire "chocolate house",(the latest drink). called "the coffe mill and tobacco roll", it was based in Oxford, for the new fads, of coffee drinking, chocolate drinking, and pipe smoking, in 1657. Made of clay, they were to tap the pipe into, to empty it, or to discard a bad, dry "pouch" once lit. Also to hold the pipe, whilst drinking. Soon they became decorative/humerous, and fired, and glazed, and hand painted/written, with "advertising" by Ash's own Factory, near the Oxford canal, and transported, country wide. Despite his many other enterprises, (the flywheel seed drill, and spinning dillon,to hold bobbins) the simple "ash" tray, made his final fortune. His country estate is still in Oxford, "Ash Hall", and Early examples, especially of the "humerous" , glazed and fired, origional "Ash" trays,
Command Very high sums, though there are as many fakes, as there are "toby jugs". He died at age 72, Very good for those days, and his ancestors, though changing name by virtue of only having Daughters, Eventually went into business with Sebastian J Embassy, to manufacure the "cigarillo", and finally, modern cigarrette. His great, great, great, great, great, great grandson, ("Pick" Withers)as a musician in the 70's, went on to form the succsessful, and aptly named , "wishbone Ash".

Answer 3

what a great question,i think we have learned something thank you