Marlene Penman from Ontario, Canada, whose Taylor ancestors erected the stained glass window of St Nicholas in the church, recently found an old recipe book in Minnedosa Regional Archives dating back to the early to mid 19th C. Marlene gives the background to this book –
“It belonged to Jane Ann Anderson (nee Baillie) married to Alexander Gillam Anderson, both born in Scotland, Elgin in 1820 and Bishop Mill in 1825 respectively. They immigrated over to New York City upon marriage in Glasgow on April 18, 1853, sailing for 10 weeks! From biographies written, they eventually travelled on to Embro, Ontario and lived near family from Jane’s side. They had four children who passed away as toddlers (ages 0 – 2) and then five children who survived into adulthood. Two of these children were Hannah and Selina Anderson. Both of these girls married a Taylor; Hannah married Henry Stephen Taylor and Selina married Ebenezer John Taylor, sons of William and Ann Taylor from Husthwaite.
When Alexander and Jane trekked across the Canadian country wilds by horse & buggy, train, boat and then the last of their journey by Red River Oxcarts, they were one of the first inhabitants of western Manitoba, settling in Birtle area and then finally residing in Franklin, Manitoba with their children. Their journey and various life stories are documents in history books in Manitoba which I borrowed through our library system available across the country. Jane passed away in Franklin at the age of 96 years old on October 19, 1926. Growing up in Scotland, Jane worked along side a physician as he treated his patients and learned many medicinal treatments. As per family folklore, due to the lack of medical assistance within a 100 mile radius, Jane assisted in many births and treatment of many ailments, thus the recipe book was written listing healthy food recipes and medicinal recipes.”
From this large and historic document, with help from Juliet McDougall in selecting them, a few of these recipes are given here, showing the original spellings and with some punctuation added. A wide range of animals, fish, vegetables and spices were used (often in one recipe) and no parts of animals or fish were wasted.
To dress a calf head treat like turtle. Lay the head in water all night to take out the blood then boil it just enough to bone it. When it is boned season it with Jamaica pepper, a little mace and salt. Have ready some forsmeat stuffing made of a pretty large lobster boiled as for eating or some crab fish. Pick the meat out of the tails, claws and body. Shred it very fine and season it with the above spices and a little lime and twice as much parsley, both shred very fine then mix it up with a raw egg and lay it on the inside of one half of the head and the other half upon it. Tye it with tape to lay in a broad lump and bake it. Boil your shells in very strong broth made of any kind of meat. Put some of your gravy into the pot then send it to the oven.
To Roast Tongues & Udder. Boyle the udder and tongues till they be allmost enough. Blanch your tongues and dress them with lemmon, grill on each side, stick some cloves down the middle but 2 or 3 cloves together as you do rabbits. Dridge them well at the first lyeing down, baste them, take the black skin of the udder and cut it in diamonds. Lightly dridge it well and broyle it before the fire. Lye it in the midle between the tongues and under(?) the venison sweet sauce.
Sirrop of Violetts & Clove Gilleflowers [clove scented pinks or carnations]. To a pint of picked flowers sprinkled in put in half a gill of boyling water and let them infuse till the next morning. Skim them and put twice the weight of the liquor of loaf sugar. (If to gilleflowers add your same quantity of double refind sugar) into a gally pot and salt it into a pan of water on the fire and let the sugar dissolve there till it is fit for steaming (?) then it will be good sirrop.
For the Stone and Gravel [concretions in the body and gravelly matter in the kidneys or bladder!]. Take a sufficient quantity of blackberries in their ripe state. While they are red put these into a jar well covered and set it in a kettle of water over the fire. Let it continue there 5 or 6 hours. Then press the pulp or juice through a sieve, and to every pint of it add two pounds of white lump sugar, powdered, then boil and scum it as you do other damson jellies. Take a spoonful of this every night going to bed, when in pain, repeat it in the morning if necessary.
Marlene Penman 2020