An early 18th-century manuscript cookery / medical book, in a single hand

Early 18th-century manuscript cookery book, over 200 recipes, original calf binding

'A.S.' , compilor.

An early 18th-century  manuscript cookery / medical book, in a single hand, [England: undated but circa 1700-1750], 4to, 176 leaves, most with text on recto only, divided into two 'parts': titled 'The first part ffor Wines & pre- /serves distilling & Salves &c. / A: S:' and 'the scond part for Cookery / & Distill water &c.'. (clean tears to inner margins of three of the index leaves at te end of the second part). Late-17th century mottled calf, covers panelled in blind with fleurons at the corners of the inner panel, the flat spine ruled in blind, red-stained edges (stitching alittle weak, joints a trifle rubbed , the lower joint slightly split).

A charming, early and wide-ranging collection. The compiler's spelling and vocabulary are eccentric: goosbury, apreecock, rasbury, pares, marmolet, corrans, oring, surrup, biskit, etc., but the hand-writing, although it is quite erratic is also relatively easy to read.  Indices at the end of both parts are a quite unusual feature, and are very useful: images are included of all 14 pages.The 'recipes' range from the culinary through the practical to medical.

Contents:

1p. section title 'The first part ffor Wines & pre- /serves distilling & Salves &c. / A: S:' (verso blank)

82 recipes / receipts  numbered from 1-4,[numbers and headlines only of numbers 5-11],  12-22, [number and headline only of number 23],  24-31, 33-76 [no number 77], 78-91, on 76 pages, + 6 page index

plus: 2 pages on 'Meditations on ye Lordes day'

1p. section title 'the scond part for Cookery / & Distill water &c.' (verso blank)

130 recipes, numbered from 1-121, [no number 122], 123-131, , on 89 pages, + 8 page index