Place of Origin

England ➔ Hertfordshire

Date of Composition

ca. 1800-1820

Description

This recipe book was likely written in England by Ann Clapham Kerl. She was born in England around 1780 and married William Kerl, a retired London leather merchant who later turned to farming. After living much of her life in Hammond's End, Hertfordshire, in southern England, she died in 1873.
 
Anna Kerl’s second daughter Emma, born in 1813, brought this recipe book to North America.  In 1833, Emma married William Smith (1800-1866), of Hertfordshire, who came from a family of millers. In 1842, William decided to immigrate with his family to Canada, where he hoped their sons would find greater opportunities. The family lived for eight years in Toronto, where William went into the business of manufacturing tallow candles. In 1850, William moved with his family to Bristol Center, in Ontario County, New York, to develop a candle-making business with a friend.  That business did not prove profitable, and the family eventually moved to Canandaigua, New York. In the 1880 census, Emma was listed as a widowed head of household living in Canandaigua with two of her daughters, Eva Smith and Louisa Smith Hollis, her son-in-law Alfred Hollis, and two young grandsons, Fred and Frank Hollis.

For additional information about this manuscript, contact the historical society.