Place of Origin

United States ➔ Pennsylvania ➔ Philadelphia

Date of Composition

1861-1868

Description

This recipe book contains a lengthy inscription that reads: "Mary H. Westcott from Mrs. C. C. Westcott given by my dear mother on Thanksgiving day Thursday November 28th 1867 20 minutes to four--in afternoon. Mother on the sofa hand on back of it, knitting in other [hand] talking about Matilda--& talking to George about butter in cellar." Mary includes a hand drawn picture of her mother on the sofa with two cats in front of it. Since the book is dated 1861-1868 by the library, the bulk of the recipes were presumably written by Caroline Clarissa Dare Westcott (1810-1870), Mary Silvester's mother, not Mary Silvester herself. The recipes mostly focus on puddings, pies, cakes, and breads. 

Mary Hay Westcott Silvester (1847-1908) married Reverend William Wallace Silvester (1833-1901), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1870. The couple had four children. Reverend Sylvester served as rector of the George W. South Memorial Episcopal Church, in Philadelphia, until his death in 1901.