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Books compiled by women

Introduction
Books by women
Suffragette literature
Books compiled by women
Books translated by women
Books for women
Books about women
Biographies of women
On women's education
Owned by women
Illustrated by women
Published by women
  


Page 55 from 17th century collections of recipes (MS Ferguson 61) 


Collection of recipes. 17th Century manuscript. MS Ferguson 61 

A  cutting from a sales catalogue inserted in this volume describes this book as a large and curious collection of recipes. There are 330 recipes in this book, although the index at the end of the book indicates only 277, most of which appear to be of a medicinal nature. Titles in the index include entries such as "to thicken hair", "for the scurvy" and "for pain in limbs" amongst others. There are also several recipes for cordials and syrups. An inscription on the flyleaf of this volumes reads "Mary Harrison her book 1692." The recipes are written in several different hands which may indicate that the book has been written in by several generations of women. 

Page 55 on the left shows recipes for "The Plague Water" and "To keep small pox out of mouth and throat".

Alexander, Margaret. Commonplace book. Manuscript book, 1694-1731. MS Murray 188

Margaret Alexander lived in or near Glasgow, and was the daughter of John Alexander, who may have been John Alexander of Blackhouse who died in 1712. This is a commonplace book, a volume where references which the author thought important would be noted. This volume contains a number of different writings, for example, what appears to be notes on Greek writing, some simple arithmetic, religious and historical notes, some recipes and a cure for heart burn, a love poem and the definition of a good wife.  At the end of the book there are a number of receipts from tradesmen dated between 1723 and 1734. Several of these shopkeepers are listed in A view of the city of Glasgow, by John McUre (1736).  

Maxwell, Lady Betty of Millhead. Manuscript book, 1709-1735. MS Murray 271 

This volume, perhaps a commonplace book, was owned and written by Lady Betty Maxwell of Millhead and contains a number of writings including a treatise on arithmetic, household accounts and recipes. Also included in the volume is what appears to be diary entries, dated from June 9th 1709. These entries discuss sheep, their sale and clipping, for example "Seven and fifty sheep is clipped...two old tips and a young one." Later an entry notes "ane account of sheep belonging to Bishoptoun." These accounts suggest that Lady Maxwell was somehow involved in agriculture and farming. Included in the book are also several medicinal recipes including "to cure a child of rupter" and "for pouder for the worms". Near the end of this document there is A catalogue of the Lady Millheads books. There are 29 of these in total, all of which are religious works.