Madam JOHNSON's Present; Or, the best INSTRUCTIONS:
FOR [YOUNG WOMEN,] (printed in red) IN Useful and Universal Knowledge, WITH [A Summary of the late Marriage Act,] (printed in red), and Instructions how to marry pursuant thereto. Digested under the following HEADS. 1. An Estimate of the Ex-penses of a Family in the middling Station of Life. 11. The Art and Terms of Carving Fish, Fowl, and Flesh. 111. A Bill of Fare for e-very Month in the Year for Dinner and Supper, and also for extraordinary Occasions. (a single vertical line) 1V. The young Woman's Guide to Knowledge. V. A new English Spell-ing Dictionary. V1. The Compleat Mar-ket-woman. V11. The Cook's Guide for dressing all Sorts of Flesh, Fowl and Fish. V111. Pickling, Pastry, and Confectionary. (end columns) [With several useful TABLES, being the compleatest Book of its Kind ever published.](printed in red) (a single horizontal line) The Compiler, Madam JOHNSON, in order to make this Book come as cheap as possible to the Purchasers, has, out of her Benevolence, fixed the Price at 1s 6d. Bound, Tho' it contains double the Quantity that is usually sold for that Sum. (a double horizontal line). [LONDON] (in red print). Printed for M.Cooper. Pater-noster-row; and C. Sympson, at the Bible, Chancery-lane. 1754. Price 1s 3d, bound 1s 6d. Also containing a loosely inserted letter addressed to the late bookseller Mike McKirdy, owner of the now defunct 'CooksBooks', in a reply from the Brotherton Library, Leeds University, to a query about the text of this cookery book.
FIRST EDITION as such. Large 12mo. 170 X 103 mm. no fep. Frontispiece on verso, recto blank. Title page. [1] 2p un-numbered, Preface. (1)vi-xiii. (1)2-222. 2p Table of Contents. 1fep. Title page browned top margin - no loss. Very slightly age-browned. Full contemporary brown calf with nice patina. Spine cracked at front cover, but holding well, with small pieces at both ends missing. MacLean pp.75-77. Bitting p.247. Cagle p.782. Oxford p.83. Vicaire p.465. Provenance: Ink inscription - E. Guertz. 1754 on recto of Frontis.
- Researching Mary Johnson's book, there was, besides the heading and chapters on the book itself surprising little information about her. In Oxford page p83, there is a book titled 'The Young Woman's Companion' dated 1753. It is compiled by Mary Johnson, proclaiming her for many years a Superintendent of a Lady of quality's Family in the city of York. Oxford states further that there are many points of difference from 'The Young Woman's Companion' and this copy of 'Madam Johnson's Present'. MacLean even presents them as two different books. One thing is clear that Mary Johnson was in a position of management. As such, the books are compilations of previous facts, the headings pertaining to important knowledge assembled for instructions to her staff, which was then taken to its conclusion; That of an interesting and wide-ranging printed domestic and cookery book.
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Antiquarian category
ref number:
11162