Receipt book of Catherine Bacon [manuscript], [ca. 1680s-1739].

1 volume (337 p., 14 leaves) ; 30 x 20 cm

Medicinal and culinary receipt book with many named sources. Includes a wide range of preparations for meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, puddings and jellies, pickles and preserves, cheeses, wines, beers and perfumes. The medical prescriptions include treatments for a range of complaints including "A most excellent Drink against [th]e plague (p. 11) "Medicine for the headach" (p. 15) "Medicine for [th]e Kings evill" (p. 26), "A salve for any sore" (p. 31), "An approved Medicine for Convulsion Fits in Children" (p. 109), "To help a woman if her travell be hard & if they have been long without children or of [th]e first child to ope [th]e wombe" (p. 127), "To prevent [th]e growing of a cancer in the brest" (p. 167).

The earliest recipes likely date from soon after Lady Catherine's first marriage in the 1680s; several of the later recipes in part 1 are dated, ending with "Anno 1738-9 Evening Post against the small-Pox to prevent infection" (p. [281]). Some of the later receipts explicitly intended for Lady Catherine or her second husband, such as "Doctor Meads prescription for Mr Gardemans virtigo" (p. 271) and "Doctor Hays Receipt for the eyes given to Mrs Bacon anno 1721" (p. 273)
Part 1 (with partial contemporary pagination): 1-220, 222-231, 231-262, [263-337] pages; Part 2 (foliated by cataloger; beginning from rear of volume): 14 leaves. Part 1: blank pages [283]-[328].
The contents alternate between sections of primarily medicinal (part 1: p. 1-36, 109-187 and 251-281 and part 2) or culinary recipes (part 2: p. 37-107 and p. 188-251).
Decorative penstrokes to opening initials of some entries, especially between p. 49-100 of Part 1.
Includes index (p. [330-337]).
The leaves of part 2, beginning from rear of volume, now largely detached.

Contemporary limp vellum binding; remnants of ties; back-strip mostly lacking.

Ownership inscription of Lady Catherine Bacon on leaf 1; also pen trials and inscription "Stephen Gray" (3 times) on front pastedown.

Christie's - London sale 6237, lot 237 (19 June 2012).

Manuscript Cookbooks Survey description of Folger Shakespeare Library V.a.621
Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library V.a.621

Great Britain -- England.

V.a.621

267281