English recipe book, later 17th century

Collection of medical, veterinary and culinary recipes in several hands. With an addendum comprising some late 18th-century copy medical correspondence. The contents are as follows:

1. Index to ff. 1-53v

2. ff. 1-53v medical recipes, with one or two veterinary recipes, in a single later 17th-century hand

3. ff. 54-59v medical recipes in a second hand

4. ff. 59v-87 medical and culinary recipes in a third hand

5. ff. 87-94 recipes, mainly medical, in several hands

6. ff. 95-99v copy correspondence relating to gout, 1776-77

7. f. 100v recipe for a sore breast, late 18th or early 19th century

This is a fair copy collection compiled by several later 17th and possibly early 18th century owners, apparently in sequence. The first section is arranged with some care, with a fairly crude index to the contents. Relatively few authorities are cited, but where they occur they are mainly professional medics, including Dr 'Denodat', f. 14v, Dr 'Gourdain' or 'Gewdayn', ff. 19v and 46v-47 respectively [probably Aaron Gourdan MD, fl. 1627-1664], Dr 'Beauvoy', f. 20 [perhaps Gabriel de Beauvoir MD, fl. 1648-1673], Dr Mathias, f. 21v, Dr Arris, ff.30v-33v [probably Thomas Arris MD, fl. 1651-1664], Dr Lowther, f. 32, and Dr 'Louer', f.33v [probably Richard Lower MD, c.1631-1691]. A purge ascribed to Dr Gewdayn (f. 47) is dated May 1656, giving a date post quem for compilation. The compiler notes after one recipe in this section (f. 46v) that 'with gods blessings this did me much good L(?). M.' This section also includes a lengthy description of a cure for dropsy, with details of his own case history, by a certain Henry Coney, ff. 8-9. The later contributions are also fair-copy, but most authorities are lay; several recipes are ascribed to members of the Sheldon family. Medical authorities include Dr Ludwell, f. 54v [John Ludwell MD, fl. 1644-1722], Dr Ballard, f. 59, and 'Mr Atwood the famous occulist of England', f. 58v.

There is some contextual evidence to suggest a North American provenance for some of the recipes if not for the compilation as a whole. The use of ingredients such as hogsgrease, plantain and gourd, which are very rarely found in contemporary English recipes, implies ready access to these American products, or perhaps in the case of hogsgrease recourse to it as a substitute for European ingredients. One recipe for a salve makes use of 'green tobacco leaves' (f. 23), which would not presumably have been readily available in Europe at the time, and tobacco generally is frequently invoked for its curative properties. It is tempting to associate Henry Coney, mentioned above, with the early Virginian settler of that name (see Louis Foley, Early Virginia Families Along the James River, 1974). A non-British origin would also makes sense of the formulation 'Mr Atwood the famous occulist of England'.

The last section has no clear connection with the recipe contents that precede it: it comprises copy correspondence in English of a Marseilles lawyer called Monsieur 'Emorigon' [probably Balthasar Marie Emerigon, 1725-1785], presumably translated from French, on his treatment for gout.