English Recipe Book, 18th century

The book evidently began life as a business account book, probably in the 1760s, which was later re-purposed to record recipes. One of the loose recipes is dated 1734 but the hand seems somewhat earlier than the majority of the entries in the volume. The original owner clearly had some commercial dealings with France. The genealogical content comprises transcripts of the wills of Anne Jolliffe, widow of James Jolliffe, 18 Oct. 1772 (with a codicil dated 26 May 1773) and of William Western, of Rivenhall Place, Essex, 9 Dec. 1774 (ff. 35v-39), and transcripts of entries from registers at Knighton, Radnorshire, and Yverdun, Switzerland, relating to the baptism of Judith Cooper and Jean Michel Potterat in 1721 and 1722 respectively, (ff. 39v-40v). These transcripts are dated 1769.

There is some evidence that the volume may have belonged to William Hanbury (d.1807) of Kelmarsh Hall, Northants. He was named as executor of his grandmother Anne Jolliffe's will in the codicil mentioned above, and a template for a receipt for monies received under the terms of her will from Hanbury as executor is inscribed on the inside rear cover of the volume. The Northamptonshire connection is reinforced by a note on f. 26v : 'Spencer for Stoaks Farm in Althorp £115'. Whether the recipe content has any connection with Kelmarsh Hall is unclear.