Place of Origin

England

Date of Composition

1687

Description

This 358-page recipe book, inscribed by Elisabeth Hawar, appears to have been a carefully planned collaborative project. The book is written from both ends of the volume, in two parts, which are inscribed "The First Part" and "The Second Part" on the front and rear paste-downs respectively. "The First Part" is in two sections: a long sequence of mixed medical and culinary recipes, followed by a sequence of culinary recipes only, which includes an index. The bulk of "The Second Part" comprises three distinct series of medical recipes in three different hands, one of which includes an index written in the same hand as the index to the culinary recipes in "The First Part." In addition, "The Second Part" contains a sequence of culinary recipes in a fourth hand. Each part concludes on facing pages with "ffinis Anno Domini 1687."