Manuscript Location

Johns Hopkins University, Milton S. Eisenhower Library

Place of Origin

England ➔ Oxfordshire ➔ Yarnton

Date of Composition

likely mostly ca. 1693-ca. 1700

Description

The bulk of this fascinating English recipe book was compiled collaboratively by twenty or more individuals in the circle of Jane Spencer. It was then presented to Jane Spencer, who inscribed it near the front: "Jane Spencer Her Chose Recate Book Aprill y^e 10 1699." Jane Spencer (1638-1712) was born Jane Garrard, a daughter of Sir John Garrard (ca. 1614-1686), 2nd Baronet of Lamer, in Hertfordshire, and his wife Jane (1617-1692). She was the sister of Elizabeth, Rachel, and of John and Samuel Garrard, the 3rd and 4th Baronets of Lamer. She was the wife of Sir Thomas Spencer (1639-1685), 3rd Baronet of Yarnton, where four of the couple's five children were born. Over a dozen of the recipes in Jane Spencer's receipt book are attributed to members of her family: Lady Garrard (presumably Jane's mother), R. Emerton (Jane's sister Rachel, born 1657), Lady Marwood (Jane's daughter Constance, born 1666), "my sister Garrard at Lamer" (one of Jane's sisters-in-law), and "my sister Garrard" (either one of Jane's sisters or one of her sisters-in-law). There are also recipes attributed to Dipsey Garrard and Mr. George Garrard. The dates 1693, 1694, and 1699 appear in the book on digital image pages 33, 37, and 65, indicating that the book was compiled over a span of years. The date 1700 appears on digital image page 73, suggesting that the project was continued after the book was presented to Jane Spencer. 

Multiple recipes in the book are attributed to "Mrs. Dorner," who was presumably Alice Dormer, who had possession of the book in 1728, as indicated in an inscription in the back: "Alice Dormer Her Book January 18, 1728." Alice Dormer, in turn, passed the book to Mary Wise, who inscribed the book at the front: "Mary Wise her Book given her by A Dormer October y^e 30th." The final 10 pages or so of the book appear not to be part of the original collaborative project and may have been added during its possession by Alice Dorner or Mary Wise.


The book contains approximately 180 pages of recipes, about two-thirds of which are medical and one-third culinary. For the most part, the culinary recipes outline standard gentry dishes of the time, with a decided emphasis on the sweeter side of the repertory. Recipes for meat and fish dishes are mostly limited to stewed beef rump, alamode beef, fricassees of chicken and rabbit, and Scotch collops. There are also recipes for veal and "pig" pasties, collared beef (salted and rolled), potted lobster, lobster pie, and oyster loaves. There are no vegetable recipes at all except for a few pickles, including cucumber.  Otherwise, the book includes recipes for "French bread," seed cake, queen cakes, pancakes, dessert biscuits, dessert creams, cheesecakes, curd cakes, cheese, fruit preserving, and many sweet fruit and flower wines.

There are several recipes of note. The first page features a recipe for "excellent oatcakes." "Kings cakes" (digital image 11) are very rich, unusually large drop cakes with currants that will "keep good a quarter of a year." "Puffs" (digital image 44) are in the family of the conceits commonly known as "buttered loaves" and "cheese loaves." (The name "puffs" generally designated a meringue of some sort.) "To fry tost" (digital image 48) is a very luxurious rendition of today's French toast. "Kidney tosts of veal" (digital image 49) are fried toasts covered with a veal forcemeat. This recipe is attributed to "Lady Garrard," Jane's mother, which makes sense, as the toasts were very old-fashioned by the 1690s.

To access the PDF containing the digital images of this book, click on the link beneath the thumbnail image in the library record.