Brooker, Joseph (1628- )

Collection of medical and veterinary receipts. The script changes from a rounded scrivener's hand (pp. 1-70) to a very illiterate variety. It is possible that the MS. was begun by a professional scribe for the compiler, and later continued in his own hand and spelling. On the last leaf verso (in the second hand) 'I was marryed to my first wiff on November 1655 bought a long hop [hoop ?] Ring cost L.1. 12s. od. Shee departted this liffe September the 26th 1676'. Pasted inside the lower cover, and written in the formal hand, 'Buriall of my wife on the 28 September 1676, the charges'. These follow, and include 19/- for a barrel of beer, 11/- for 11 quarts of wine, 10/- for a sermon, and 8/- for a 'cophin'. The total was £4 5s. 6d. Below this in the informal hand '1632. Mistress Sarah Gree[n]away was born ye 9th of May a quter [sic] past 3 In the afternoon 1632'. 'Joseph Brooker was born ye 21st of Jun[e] 1628'. 'The bill burring [sic] my Wiff apr[il] ye 25 1704 ye parish duttys [sic] Minister & Clark & Sexton L.1.: o.: o.'. The date 1686 appears on p. 73.

1686-1704

1 volume 1 l. + 120 pp. + 1 l. + 25 bl. ll. + 7 ll. 8vo. 18 x 111/2 cm. Original calf binding, with two brass and leather clasps. First leaf cut out.

Purchased 1931.

From the John Hodgkin Collection of Cookery-books.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).