Manuscript Cookery Book. A late 17th-century manuscript recipe book

Manuscript Cookery Book. A late 17th-century manuscript recipe book, comprising 58 pages of recipes written on 29 leaves in manuscript (numbered 15-124 and approximately 45 other unnumbered), and two leaves with few lines of manuscript at head of rectos (one leaf with lower half torn away), with four blank leaves at rear, damp stained at head with consequent fraying and soiling (with some loss of manuscript), original limp vellum covers, rear of upper cover with ownership inscriptions of Eliza Smedley and also John Smedley, both dated 1683, covers soiled, creased, edges torn with some loss, worn, slim folio (leaf size 32 x 20 cm) (Quantity: 1) The manuscript book contains a large quantity of recipes for cakes, puddings, biscuits, cheese, pies, cooking meat, chicken and fish, preserves, pickles and syrups, including To make fritters ye Lady Hush(?) way, To make mackeroons, How to make Jumballs, To make French biskit, A Lumbor pye, To make Quince creame, To make a whypt syllabub, To preserve Cherrys of an excellent color ye Lady Northamptons way, To presserve Orringes whole, To candy cowslips, To make sugar puffs, To make egg shells, To make syrrop of Roses or Gilleflowers or cowslips, To make syrrop of marshmallows..., To make syrrop of Violetts, plus several medicinal or household recipes, including 'The yellow salve good for any soare'. The Derbyshire Hearth Tax Assessments (1662-70) lists a John Smedley living in Ticknall or Calke in 1662, having five hearths. Smedley appears to have been a relatively common name in that part of Derbyshire. The area was home to Lea Mills, specialising in the production of muslin and spinning cotton, which was owned by four generations of the Smedley family, all of which were called John Smedley.