THE COOK AND HOUSEWIFE'S MANUAL:
A PRACTICAL SYSTEM OF MODERN DOMESTIC COOKERY AND FAMILY MANAGEMENT; CONTAINING A COMPENDIUM, OF FRENCH COOKERY, AND OF FASHIONABLE CONFECTIONARY, PREPARATIONS FOR INVALIDS AND CONVALESCENTS, A SELECTION OF CHEAP DISHES, AND NUMEROUS USEFUL MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS IN THE VARIOUS BRANCHES OF DOMESTIC ECONOMY. By MISTRESS MARGARET DODS, OF THE CLEIKUM INN, ST RONAN'S. Eleventh Edition, Revised. EDINBURGH: OLIVER AND BOYD, TWEEDDALE COURT. LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO. 1862.
186 x 124 mm. Paste-down and end-paper with advertisements. [1] Half title. [1] Title page. [1] 1p Advertisement. [1] (1)8-12 Advertisement. (1)14-15 Contents. [1] (1)18-598. (1)600-624 Index. [1] End-paper and paste-down with advertisements. Numerous woodcuts of carving in the text. Original dark green cloth boards with blind tooling and very slightly bumped tips. Sympathetically relaid original spine with gilt tooling, still in good condition. The bottom line of gilt with minimal flaking. Internally in very good condition. A wonderful copy.
- Mrs. Christina Jane Johnstone brought out her well-known contribution to the cookery section of literature under the title of “The Cook and Housewife’s Manual" (first edition 1926). Hiding her authorship behind the pseudonym of Mistress Margaret Dods, who was the landlady in Sir Walter Scott’s tale of 'St. Ronan’s Well' published three years before in 1824. Mrs. Johnstone imparted a novel feature to her book by investing it with a fictitious history and origin. We learn how Peregrine Touchwood, Esq, the ‘Cleikum Nabob’ sought to cure his ennui and hypochondria by studying Apician mysteries; concluding with a syllabus of thirteen lectures on cookery, which were delivered by the aforesaid Nabob. Progressing further one comes to the main part of the manual, which can be readily distinguished from an ordinary one by a literary tone, which certainly betrays a little of the influence of Scott himself. Although this is a Scottish production, with all the smells and flavours of a good Scotch broth, it is not so narrow in its aims. The title page gives a London publisher as well as one from the ‘Auld Reekie'. Mrs. Johnstone has benevolently adapted her labours to both her countrywomen as well as the un-worthy Sassenachs 'doon sooth'. The Cleikum Inn was a hitherto unnamed cotter’s house belonging to the Benarty estate, which was acquired by Lady Scott in 1825 as a lodge at the west entrance to Lochore estate and thereafter given the name of ‘Cleikum Inn’ by Sir Walter Scott. Mistress Dods was the landlady of the Inn near Peebles which hosted the gatherings of the Cleikum Club. The aim of the club, which counted Sir Walter Scott among its members, was to celebrate Scottish national literature. They certainly were among the first organisations to celebrate a Burns' Night. The mighty Mistress Dods was a superb cook and rigorous task master. Staff and guests trembled before her! We assume her book 'The Cook's and Housewife's Manual' was meant to have the same iconic relationship to Scottish cuisine as that of Mrs Beetons’ households south of the border. Surely Mrs Johnstone’s efforts are echoed in the last paragraph of page 16, where we are reminded not to be so impressed by Mr Touchwood’s eloquence as to lose sight of the fact that this is after all; a cookery book, albeit a little unusual!
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Antiquarian category
ref number:
11160