An interesting nineteenth century cookery manuscript, seemingly in a single hand throughout over a period of time. Dimensions: approximately 7” by 8” (20.5cm x 17.5cm). approximately 142 numbered pages, pp 1-88; 91-130; 135-146; 147-8 blank, followed by 11 pages of index. Loose note inserted for recipe for lavender water. Pages 89-90; 131-134 excised, one page excised to rear. Mostly one recipe per page: occasionally two or rarely three. Contemporary half calf, very worn, marbled endpapers. Pages occasionally rather foxed or marked. Notes to front end paper for ‘Cumberland Pie’. On recto of fly leaf is written ‘Receipt book of Mrs Farrer’. Many recipes have indications of where they are taken from, which seems to be a close groups of friends, particularly Mrs Miles, Mrs Gosdon, also from Mr Farrer and Mrs Farrer. Presumably, ‘Mrs Farrer’ refers to the name of the household, and not to the cook herself. The recipes covered include lemon cake, plain cake, sponge cake, plumb cake, blancmange, milk punch, Portugal Pudding, Dr Hitchen’s Sauce, with equally mixed up with them the occasional medicinal or household remedy, including one for Odor Delictabilis, the sweet-smelling pomade that could be used in the room of a sick person whose wounds were petrifying. Occasionally, there are meta-comments such as ‘excellent’, occasionally a recipe is crossed out. A good representative mid-nineteenth century manuscript that shows the variety of ingredients and recipes being used in a reasonably well-off household circa 1840-1860, nevertheless not by any means a grand or large household as the amounts given are fairly small for the recipes, and not particularly luxurious. Nevertheless, they had access to spices such as turmeric, and occasionally were willing to look at something more unusual, such as ‘sauce piquante’, or spice mix.