Items
Details
Title
English cookery and commonplace book [manuscript], circa 1695.
Created/published
England, circa 1695.
Description
1 volume ; 9 x 15 cm
Associated name
Handley, Hanah, author.
Note
This is a PRELIMINARY RECORD. It may contain incorrect information. The "FAST ACC" number is a temporary call number. Please email catalog@folger.edu for assistance.
Genre/form
Manuscripts (documents)
Cookbooks.
Cookbooks.
Place of creation/publication
Great Britain -- England.
Item Details
Call number
FAST ACC 271399 (quarto)
Folger-specific note
From dealer's description: "Contemporary paneled-calf binding, blind double fillet and roll pattern on inner panel and corners, spine expertly rebacked, raised bands, gilt, boards rubbed, first and final leaves strengthened in the gutter, second leaf with a small marginal repair (not affecting text), occasional light spotting and thumbing throughout." From dealer's description: "A very interesting manuscript, written in several hands, and containing 192 recipes. The first section is in a single hand and is entitled "Receits off all kinds are such as follow." These recipes are numbered I-XCII and include recipes such as "Ffor a Warden Pye;" "To boile a Capon;" "A Rice Fflorantine;" and "Paste Regall." These pages are ruled and numbered in red ink. I do not believe that this hand matches that of Hanah Handley, and because it is on the first leaves, I think that it is likely that it pre-dates the upper free endpaper inscription date of 1695.This same hand has written on the final two leaves as well, but starting from the other direction (i.e. as in a dos-a-dos binding). These pages are not culinary related. The first begins "Some select Verses for the solace of the Readr, or Crathr, ownr of this Booke." There then follow "Verses upon Psalmes" for one and a half pages. This is followed by two poems: "A Description of Man's Death" ("Continnally att my Beds- head/the ffearse doth hand, wch doth mee tell") and "A Description of Mans Life" ("Our Mothers Wombs the attireing-Houses bee/ Where wee are drest for times short tragedy"). Lastly, still in the same, first hand, there is "A Dialogue betwixt the Sluggard & the Hour-Glass" ("Sluggard awake, no longr lurk/ In bed, betake thee to thy work"). " From dealer's description:"Flipping the book back over, to the "front," a second hand continues the original Roman numeration with a recipe numbered XCIII for Aquamirabillis. This hand is very similar to that of Mrs. Hanah Handley on the upper free endpaper (and dated once as 1695 and again as May 27th, 1695). These recipes continue the numeration till CXIIII, and then continue, unnumbered, for fifteen more recipes. Recipes include "Good Cakes for a funerall or Upon other Occasions;" "To make Curran Wine, Reds or White;" "To make Wiggs" (a dessert made from flour, barm, milk, and sugar); "To make York Gingerbread;" "To make Mackrooms;" "The Queens Cordiall" ("for ye Gout or Dropsie"); and "To make white Marmalade of Quinces." One recipe for "A good Plum Cake" has the note at the bottom: "If ye Company be great You may Doubl ye receipt." Such consideration for portions is unusual for this period. What is interesting about this second hand, is that a number of the recipes are attributed. For example, "Madm. Clarks way to Make Goosberry Wine;" the recipe "To Make Gillyflower Wine" is described at the end as "Tho Sams Way." and "To make a Sack Possitt" is signed at the bottom "Mrs Marg:tt Wilsons Recept." Three recipes are signed "M.W." The remaining pages are of recipes in at least three different later 18th century hands. On the upper pastedown is another inscription that reads "Margaret Elizabeth Beetson, the gift of my Aunt Nancy, Decr 30 in th year Beetson 1786." On the upper pastedown there is an additional, earlier inscription: "To Mrs Hanah Handley yor very Humble Sert." (The last word is difficult to make out with certainty.) A very interesting manuscript, rich with contextual information, and worth further study." Ordered from Ben Kinmont, D 9284, 2019-02-11, List of Books and Manuscripts Exhibited at the Pasadena & Oakland 2019 Book Fairs, #13.
Folger accession
271399