Manuscript Location

Place of Origin

Date of Composition

Description

John Martin’s recipe book is neatly composed in a compact leather bound pocket ledger measuring 68 x 166 millimeters (2.5 x 6.5 inches). A large section in the middle of the 242-page book is blank.  

The detailed early provenance of the book is notable. The book's author, John Martin, of the village of Brundish, in Suffolk, England, dated the manuscript “7th of May 1715.” An undated inscription in the book written by John's mother indicates that John had presented the book to Eliz. Beare (also of Brundish, possibly John's fiancee) before John died in 1718: “Sarah this book was given to Eliz Beare by my dear son John Martin who departed this life to live with God the 28th of Aprill, 1718. Mary.” (It is not known who Sarah is, and it is not clear why John's sister Mary is mentioned.) Eliz. Beare left her own inscription in the book, simply writing, “Eliz Beare.” After John died, Eliz Beare returned the book to John’s mother, Catherine (née Woodcock) Martin. She then bequeathed the recipe book, along with a long list of books, linens, silver, furniture, and other goods, to her daughter Mary, in a will several pages in length recorded inside the book. Catherine Martin's 1720 will was witnessed by her husband, also named John Martin, shortly before Catherine's death the same year. Mrs. Martin's intentions regarding the disposition of the book are noted: “Mrs. Martin to her daughter Mary Martin.” In the late nineteenth century, the manuscript fell into the hands of I.H. Cromshey and I.W. Cromshey, who wrote :“To I.H. Cromshey from I.W. Cromshey, 1897.” Also inscribed in the inside back cover is “A receite B/ AA receite Boock/ Booke.”

The book was planned with care. John Martin laid out an alphabetical table of contents at the beginning of the book with the title “For the more Ready finding out of the Receipts Contain’d in this Book.” The bulk of the book is given over to culinary recipes. They include blood pudding, cheese cakes, Naples biscuits, neat’s foot pudding, pease pottage, pickled herring, potted beef, shrub, hashes, wines, preserves, and preparations of veal, oysters, and mutton. There are also a few medical recipes typical of the period, such as Aqua Mirabilis, and there is a single household recipe, for dying gloves various colors.  The book is almost entirely in John Martin's hand except for a few later additions.