Manuscript Location

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

Place of Origin

England ➔ Yorkshire ➔ Halifax
England ➔ Kent ➔ Sevenoaks

Date of Composition

ca. 1850-ca. 1869

Description

This recipe book was compiled by Anne Sidebottom during the years 1850 to 1869, or thereabout. Born Anne Freeman in 1802, to John Freeman of Gaines, in Whitbourne, Herefordshire, England, she married clergyman Henry Francis Sidebottom in 1823 and lived with her husband lived in Halifax, Yorkshire from 1850-1861, at the parsonage of Holy Trinity Church. This is evidently where she began her book, for she wrote on the first page: Mrs. H. F. Sidebottom, Trinity parsonage, Halifax. In December 1861, Anne and Henry moved to a rectory in Sevenoaks, a village in Kent, southeast of London. The couple had seven children.

Anne Sidebottom's book covers a range of savory and sweet dishes as well as preserves and drinks. Included are recipes for  brisket stew, fried rabbit, veal rolls, Danish Frikadeller, rarebit a la Soyer, Scotch woodcock, curried macaroni, mayonnaise, pulled bread, finger biscuits, lemon mince pie, orange fritters, yule cake, and cherry brandy. The book is notable for its many pudding recipes, including buttermilk, fig, half-pay, Herodotus, hunting, Jewish almond, Lemington, liver, and potato. There are also a few medical recipes.  

Thirty-three leaves are laid in the volume, as well as a gathering of sixteen printed pages of seafood and vegetable recipes from a unknown cookbook. Some recipes are pasted in the volume.