English culinary and medical recipe book, 18th century

Collection of cookery and medical recipes transcribed by several members of the Sheldon family, of Weston, Warwickshire. There is no discernible arrangement, each recipe being recorded in turn as it was acquired. Some of the entries are written from the rear of the volume. There are various dated receipts ranging from 1748 to 1809, some of the later ones apparently obtained as a result of consultations with London physicians, but the earliest undated entries seem to be in a somewhat earlier hand. Many sources and authorities are given, both lay and professional, including among the former Lady Fitzwilliam (ff.5v-7v), Sir John and Lady Lawson (ff.10, 15 and inside front cover), Lady Seymour (ff.16v-17 and inside rear cover), Lady Elizabeth Townsend (ff.25v, 27v, 48v, 49v), and Lady Marchmont (ff.28v, 50). Medical authorities include Dr Dover [?Thomas Dover MB, d.c.1742] (ff.11, 12v), Dr Smyth (ff.20v, 39, 41v, and loose enclosures 9 and 46), Dr Elliot, of Swansea (ff.23, 64v, 73v), Dr Paterson (f.23v, 32v), Dr Hugh Smith, of London [Hugh Smith MD, d.1790] (f.36), Dr Moseley, of London, [?Benjamin Moseley MD, d.1819] (ff.52v, 57, 63v), Dr Atkinson (f.53), Dr Ford, of London (f.57), and Dr Stack (f.65). A mid-century recipe for tincture of rhubarb (f.17) is ascribed to Mr Mister [Thomas Mister (1711-1780), surgeon-apothecary of Shipston-on-Stour]. One of the loose enclosures (no.34) is endorsed 'given to Mr Sheldon by the pedlar at Weston, Septr 1795'.

18th century

80 ff. and 50 loose enclosures 1 volume: 200 x 155 mm. Original vellum-covered boards with blind-stamped border. A few enclosures are fixed inside both front and rear covers with sealing wax. 50 loose documents have been removed from the volume and filed separately.

Purchased from David and Lynn Smith, January 2007

The earliest hand seems to date from the beginning of the 18th century, and is probably the same hand that has signed an ownership inscription on the first page: 'E Sheldon Her Book'; this may be Elizabeth Sheldon, wife of Thomas Sheldon, who were recorded as the parents of one William Sheldon at his christening at Burmington, Warwickshire on 26 March 1734 (International Genealogical Index). The presence of a recipe by Thomas Mister (f.17) links this collection with Wellcome MS. 3584, Thomas Mister's cash book for 1765-69, which in turn has a record of William Sheldon's account with Mister. In MS.3584 William Sheldon's address is given as 'Burmington Mill'; it is not clear that this is the same location as the Sheldon house at Weston. One of the loose enclosures, apparently dating from the mid 18th century (no. 22), is a French receipt for a rheumatic powder addressed to 'Monseigneur Sheldon a son palais de Weston dans ... Warwick'. Another recipe is incorporated in a letter of similar date (loose enclosure 33) from her niece Miss Fitzwilliam to 'Mrs Sheldon at Weston in Warwickshire'. In short this collection may have belonged to a different Sheldon household from that of William Sheldon of Burmington Mill.