Manuscript Location

University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Kislak Center for Special Collections - Manuscripts

Place of Origin

England

Date of Composition

1716-1762

Description

This eighteenth-century English recipe book bears two inscriptions on the recto of the third leaf: "Bettee Saffin Her Book 1716" and, directly below, written twice, "Ann Ellis Her Book Oct^br y^e 21^st 1762."  At some point, the book must have comprised at least 185 leaves, for the leaves are numbered to 185 in a period hand. However, by the time the two alphabetical indexes at the front of the book were written (the first covering the culinary recipes, which comprise the bulk of the book, and the second covering a 20-page selection of medical recipes written at the back of the volume), nearly half the leaves had been been removed, leaving only 99. Although it is impossible to know what was written on the missing leaves, the book appears to have originated as a compilation of recipes written on the rectos of the leaves only. At some point, additions were made on some of the versos as well as on some blank leaves that marked breaks between clutches of recipes of like type. Among these additions are the two indexes, which are written on the versos of leaves 1 through 5. Many recipes are also written on versos or on blank leaves. (All of these recipes appear to be listed in the indexes, insofar as it has been practical to check.) In addition, some non-recipe material has been entered on versos or on blank leaves, including some accounts of Sir George Rooke's naval engagements, and the charge delivered by Provost William Smith at the commencement of the College and Academy of Philadelphia in 1757.

It seems that an organizing plan was established at an early point in the book's compilation. Then, perhaps over a span of decades, a number of different writers--the book is written in at least six different hands--attempted to shoehorn their recipes into appropriate spaces. However, these writers were not always able to follow the original organizational plan due to space constraints and therefore entered their recipes wherever they could find a place for them. Despite many organizational lapses, a number of clutches of like recipes can be discerned in the text, as follows: preserves and dessert creams, leaves 1-20; biskets and little cakes, leaves 21-22; puddings, leaves 42-45; pies and pasties, leaves 45-49; fish dishes, leaves 89-91; meat dishes, leaves 87-93; pickles, 132-133; fruit and flower wines, leaves 157-162; medical recipes, leaves 163-184. Some of the intervening leaves have a mix of recipes, while other intervening leaves are missing.

Leaf 29r contains a list of visual clues to the adulteration of bakery bread. The list includes a reference to an article on the subject in "Universal magazine," which could possibly aid in more precisely dating the manuscript.

This book may have been compiled by several generations of a single family. Or it may have been begun by Bettee Saffin and subsequently come into the possession of Ann Ellis, who continued it. Or the book may have come about in some other way. It is an intriguing document that merits further study.