An 18th Century Two-Course Meal

Over the summer, I have been busy in the archives looking at the receipt books of local women with the intention of focusing mainly on medical recipes and what these are able to reveal about the sharing and acquiring of medicinal knowledge in their time. An accidental sideline of this that has really caught my eye (and sometimes, made me a little hungry) are the food recipes that were also recorded side-by-side within the same medium. So, after an unintended summer break from blogging, I thought I'd kick start the new year with a bit of a foodie treat live from the 18th century for you all!

I've chosen the curry because of how peculiar some aspects of the method/equipment might seem to us, but also because I felt it revealed something a little bit unexpected about the already international culinary influences seeping through to at least the noble English households at this time. The pudding is, admittedly, a bit of a simple classic, but if anyone would like to have a go - I'd love a full review!

A note on the source: These recipes have been taken from the recipe book of Henrietta Harley, Countess of Oxford dated 1743. I'm in the process of finding out more, so if anyone has anything to share in this area or about Henrietta herself, please do! I have tried to transcribe as close to the original as possible, punctuation (or rather, lack of) and all.

Image: Henrietta Harley, Countess of Oxford, 1716.

Image source: http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/articles/tts/tts1923/oxford/oxford1.htm

To Make a Pepper Curry
Take a Fowle Flea it, put it in a Stewpan with as much water as will cover it, put to it 14 Corns of whole Pepper, an Onion, & 2 Cloves of Garlick, Let it Boyl 'till the fowle is tender, Strain it through a hair Sieve, put the Broth into the Stewpan again, put it to a Quarter of a lb: of Butter rub'd in a Little Flower, let it Just Boyl 'till it looks Brown, then put the fowle to it, & Mix it all well together, Set it on the fire till 'tis the Thickness of Cream, & Serve it up with a Plate of Boyl'd Rice, & one with a Pancake made only with 2 Eggs, & a Sauce of Different Pickles.
N.B You may make your Curry of Pidgeons, Ducks, Rabbits or what meat you Please, or fish

Puddings By Mrs Rowney
Take a Penny Loaf cut it very thin, put to it a Pint & 1/2 of Milk, Boyl it and Break it fine & put 1/2 a lb: of Butter, & 5 eggs, half a lb: of Sugar & a Little Nutmeg.

Mrs Corlyon, 'A Booke of divers Medecines' (1606)

Pictured above is the cover of a recipe/receipt book manuscript dated 1606 that is held and has been digitised by the Wellcome Library's Archive and Manuscripts department. This is where my research predominantly lies at the moment - exploring the themes of maleficium and beneficium in women's receipt collections, and I am currently in the early stages of trying to find a sensible approach to transcribing (or transcribbling!) some of this large, and very fascinating collection as part of gathering my contextual, non-regional primary source material.

This manuscript as a whole, is fantastically accessible; the work is clearly organised into chapters of health remedies relating to each part of the body, there is an index at the back in the authors own hand and the paleography is uncharacteristically legible from what I can tell of similarly dated works. I wanted to make the most of the clarity of this work in order to make a start in practicing my transcription skills, and so decided to share a few of the extracts from the chapter 3 on 'Eares'. I chose these extracts mostly because they made me chuckle a little, but also because they seemed to say a lot, in just a few examples, about seventeenth-century common practices and processes in both making and administering health remedies (i.e. lots of heat and steam), about the interchangibility of food products into medicines (e.g. fruit, bread and spices) and possibly even more about the way in which these women (and no doubt men too) approached the task of writing down these receipts in a particular format. In the examples of the three recipes below for 'the singinge in the eares' , the structure of the work is able to imply a sense of efficacy to the reader too, who seems to be given the one with the most authority first ('it hath been approved'), to an additional 'very good' medecine, to just 'an other medicine' for the same ailments.

I'll include an image of the page I've taken these examples from below - apologies for the size - it was my intention that it would allow errors in transcription and interpretation to be corrected where noticed, but that seems unlikely seeing the outcome. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy these as much as I did!


"A Booke of diuers Medecines, Broothes, Salues, Waters, Syroppes and Oyntementes of which many or the most part haue been experienced and tryed by the speciall practize of Mrs Corlyon. Anno Domini 1606."

A Medecine to drawe and Earwigge out of the Eare.

Take a sweete Aple and rost it in the fyer untill it bee halfe rosted, then take of the softest of it, and spreade it very thick uppon a Lynnen clothe, and lay it to your eare as hott as you can suffer it, and lye upon the same syde, and when you do feele it stirr, you must lye very still untill it be come to the Aple, and then you must very sodainely pluck it away least the Earewigge retorne into your heade againe. And if you thincke there be any more laye a newe one to your eare.

A Medecine for the singinge in the eares.

Take Barlye flower and bake a loofe of it and when you drawe it our of the Oven devide it in the midste, and strowe uppon it the powder of Nuttmegges, and as hott as you may suffer it, holde it to your Eares, and do so often and you shall fynde ease. It hath been approved.

An other very good medecine for the same.

Take a quart of Sacke, and putt thereto an handfull of grounde Juye(?), as much of Pennyroyall, and lett them boile well together and as hott as you can suffer it lett the steeme thereof goe into your eares by a tunnell that will close cover(?) the pott. Use it in the morning and when you goe to Bedd, and keepe yourselfe warme.

An other Medicine for the same.

Take a greate Onyon and cutt of a rounde peece of the crowne, make an hollowe place within it, and putt into it a little Mythridate, a little olde Sallett Oyle and a spoonefull of Aquavite(?), and cloose it withe the peece that you cutt of the crowne and wrappe it in a paper and roste it in the embers and when it is very softe, that it it out of the fyer and bruse it altogether and laye it in a clothe and as hott as you may suffer it, holde it to your eare.

"At the Sign of the Flower De Luce"

C17th Astrology and Health

A great little (1685) example of an advertisement for the sale of a kind of knowledge, secrets or skills.

In this case, we have an example of an astrologer seeking business but it is no doubt reflective of the style of how other cunning-men and women or other empirics might advertise their 'wares'. The link drawn between astrology and medicine/health is of particular interest to me.

Source taken from EEBO, and transcribed by myself . As below, I have tried to remain as true to the original format as possible. I have refrained from modernising spelling, italics and punctuation marks are the authors own. I have also tried to maintain letter casing.


'At the Sign of the Flower De Luce' near the Church Porch in the Little Miuories, without Aldgate.

A Gentleman, who in his Youth was several Years a Student in Cambridge; hath Travelled, and for above 33; Years, spent the greatest part of his Time, In search after the solid Truth, of the Sublime Science, of Astrology, in all its Various Parts: Hitherto, for the private Satisfaction, and Diversion only, of himself and Intimate Friends. He is now willing, for the Benefit of all Sober Quaerents, to Communicate his Skill, by giving a faithful Answer to any Lawfull Serious Demand, within the Compass of the said Art; to Calculate Nativities, and impart his knowledge, to any Ingenious Gentleman or Others, who shall desire it.
We will add one Instance, (out of many) to prove the Usefulness and Verity of this Noble Science.
The greatest Evil that Invadeth our Bodies, is Sickness, to the Cure of which a certain knowledge of its Cause, Nature, Contenuance, End, &c. With a fit Election of Remedies, and the Time of Preparing, and Administring them, &c. is usually necessary: Now this Heavenly Fountain supplieth us with all this, as manifold Experience hath fully Convinced, not only us, but all the Sons of Urania.

Hannah Woolley, The Gentlewomans Companion; Or, A Guide to the Female Sex: Containing Directions of Behaviour, in all Places, Companies, Relations, and Conditions, from their Childhood down to Old Age (London; 1675)

My own transcription of the interesting and rather charming preface of the title pictured above. Reflections and discussions on the content is intended to follow.

Note: I have tried to remain as true to the original manuscript format as possible. I have refrained from modernising spelling, italics and punctuations are the authors own and I have maintained the letter casing.

To all Young Ladies, Gentlewomen, and all Maidens whatever.

I Have formerly sent forth amongst you two little Books; the first called, The Ladies Directory; the other, The Cooks Guide  Both which have found very good Acceptance. It is near Seven years since I began to write this Book, at the desire of the Bookseller, and earnest intreaties of very many worthy Friends; unto whom I owe more than I can do for them. And when considered the great need of such a Book as might be a Universal Companion and Guide to the Female Sex, in all Relations, Companies, Conditions, and States of Life even from Child-hood down to Old-age; and from the Lady at the Court, to the Cook-maid in the Country: I was at length prevailed upon to do it, and the rather because I knew not of any Book in any Language that hath done the like. Indeed many excellent Authors there be who have wrote excellent well of some particular Subjects herein treated of. But as there is not one of them hath written upon all of them; so there are some things treated of in this Book, that I have not met with in any Language, but are the Product of my Thirty years Observations and Experience.

I will not deny but I have made some use of that Excellent Book, The Queens Closet; May's Cookery; The Ladies Companion; my own Directory and Guide; Also, the second part of Youth's Behaviour and what other Books I thought pertinent and proper to make up a Compleat Book, that might have an Universal Usefulness; and to that end I did not only make use of them, but also of all others, especially those that have been lately writ in the French and Italian Languages. For as the things treated of are many and various, so were my Helps.

I hope the Reader will not think it much, that as the famous Limner when he drew the Picture of and Exact Beauty, made use of an Eye from one, of a Mouth from another; and so cull'd what was rare in all others, that he might present them all in one entire piece of workmanship and Frame: So I, when I was to write of Physick and Chirurgery, have consulted all Books I could meet with in that kind, to compleat my own Experiences.

If any shall wonder why I have been so large upon it, I must tell them, I look upon the end of Life to be Usefulness; nor know I wherein our Sex can be more useful in their Generation than having a competent skill in Physick and Chirurgery, a competent Estate to distribute it, and a Heart willing thereunto.

The like Apology I have for my Prolixity about Cookery and Carving, which being essential to a true Houswife, I thought it best to dwell most upon that which they cannot dwell without, unless they design to render themselves insignificant, not only in the world, but in those Families where they are.

As for what concerns Gentlewomans Behaviour, I have the concurrent advice and directions of the most able Professors and Teachers, both here and beyond the Seas; yet durst not be so airy and light in my Treatise about Ladies Love and Courtship as some of the French Authors have been, but have taken out of them what I found most taking with our English Gentry. The like I may say for Habits and Gesture; I am not ignorant of the vanity of some Mens stiles upon these Subjects: and that young Ladies are too apt to take what may gratifie their Fancies, and leave what may better their Judgments about true Behaviour.

I know I may be censured by many for undertaking this great Design, in presenting to all of our Sex a compleat Directory and that which contains several Sciences: deeming it a Work for a Solomon, who could give an account from the Cedar to the Hysop. I have therefore in my Apology to the Bookseller, declared how I came to be of Ability to do it, reciting to him the grounds of my knowledg in all those Sciences I profess; and also what practice and experience I have had in the World, lest any should think I speak more than I am able to perform. I doubt not but judicious persons will esteem this Essay of mine, when they have read the Book, and weighed it well; and if so, I shall have less trouble my self what the ignorant do or say. I have now done my Task, & shall leave it to your candid Judgments and Improvement; your Acceptation will much encourage

Your 

Most humble Servant,

Hannah Woolly