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JOHNSON, Mary - Madam Johnson's Present Young Woman's Companion - Cookery 1765
WPLJ0258

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Madam Johnson's present: or, every young woman's companion, in useful and universal knowledge. London : printed for J. Fuller, in Blowbladder Street; and W. Nicoll, in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1765.

DESCRIPTION: [Title Continues]

Digested under the following Heads: I. Spelling, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetick, taught without the Help of a Master. II. The Compleat Market-Woman. III. The Cook's Guide for dressing all Sorts of Flesh, Fowl and Fish. IV. For Pickling, Pastry, and Confectionary. V. An Estimate of the Expences of a Family in the middling Station of Life. VI. The Art and Terms of Carving Fish, Fowl, and Flesh. Vii. A Bill of Fare for every Month in the Year for Dinner and Supper, and also for extraordinary Occasions. Viii. The Young Woman's Instructor for the right Spelling of Words used in Marketting, Cookery, Pickling, Preserving, &c. &c. &c. To this edition are added, some plain and very necessary directions to maid-servants in general, and several useful Tables: Which renders it the Completest Book of the Kind ever published. 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 1 s. 6 d. Bound; though it contains double the Quantity that is usually sold for that Sum.
Edition

Duodecimo, Pagination iv,193,[19] with the final advert present. The third edition, First published as 'Young woman's companion' in 1753. Bound in contemporary and probably original plain polished sheep, unlettered.

FURTHER COMMENTS

The early editions of this domestic guide for girls are rare in commerce and include a great deal of guidance in cookery.
The name of the original owner, a women, has been scratched out to the endpapers leaving only 'Her Book Oct 20th 1765'.
A later nineteenth century bookplate of the Bourne family has been added to the front pastedown. There are recipes written in a neat early hand written to the front and rear free endpapers as well as the rear pastedown. These add considerably to the interest of this copy. A further syllabub recipe is given on the title page verso.

References: Alston, IV.613 & Maclean, page 75 [noting frontispiece to first edition only.

SIZE: 170 x 102mm

CONDITION: Binding cracked at the joints but securely on the cords and neatly reinforced internally. Slightly worn to corners and spine ends.
Two leaves of text are loose and have been pinned in by an early owner - the original 18th century pin still in place.
Overall in good complete condition for a relatively cheap production of the 18th century made for pocket and practical use.

£950.00

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