Manuscript Location

Pennsylvania State University, Paterno Library

Place of Origin

England

Date of Composition

1827-ca. 1855, with additions to 1975

Description

This recipe book is written in a ledger titled on the front cover "Westminster Asylum from Lady Day 1827 to 18." Spaces have been left following "to" and "18" to be filled in with the month and day, and with the year, upon completion of the ledger. (Lady Day, or the Feast of the Annunciation, is celebrated on March 25th except under special circumstances.) The entries relating to Westminster Asylum include recipes and accounting tallies for food and medicine dating from 1855 (including a detailed page, "Expenses for the sick at home 1855"). The catalog record does not make clear if the Westminster Asylum entries extend past 1855.

In addition to the Westminster Asylum entries, the book contains later material, some written in the volume, and some pasted or pinned in.  Some or all of this additional material, which extends into the twentieth century, was contributed by the Smith family. There are also thirty-nine items laid in the volume.