English 18th century manuscript recipe book, probably from London

English mid 18th century recipe book containing medical and culinary recipes in various hands. The front part of the volume is mostly culinary, the latter mostly medical.

The front end paper and first two leaves are unnumbered, plus the recto of the third leaf: they contain several recipes, a bill of fare for dinner and supper, and lists of suppliers for food products in London. Starting at the verso of the third leaf are 192 numbered pages carrying recipes followed by 14 unnumbered leaves of the same type of material (with some blank areas). Finally five leaves comprise alphabetical indices to medical recipes (L-Z) and culinary recipes (A-Z), presumably covering only the material on the numbered pages.

There is no ownership inscription but the addresses cited for sellers of food products suggest a London provenance. Various recipes are ascribed to named individuals, including (inside front cover) the cook of the Middle Temple.

The dates 1750 and 1760 are assigned to two recipes; most are undated.

Mid-18th century

1 volume Some pages near the end have undergone conservation work before acquisition by the Wellcome Library.

Puchased at Sotheby's, August 2010.