[COOKERY MANUSCRIPT] Pocket notebook containing homemade “sickroom” recipes. Melbourne, 1870s.

Octavo, 165 x 105 mm, original stiff marbled wrappers (rubbed), stitch binding; with [9] pages of manuscript in pencil comprising a dozen different homemade recipes, plus [4] pp of manuscript in ink comprising extracts from popular poems; remaining pages blank; some occasional and very light foxing, but internally excellent.

This interesting little pocket notebook belonged to Mary Jane Marwick (née Cattanach), b. 1839, Scotland, d. 1926, Frankston, Melbourne.

The first group of recipes Mary Jane set down in manuscript are entered under the general heading ‘Sickroom Cookery’, and they include two separate recipes for Beef Tea, alongside ones for Arrowroot Pudding, “Invalid Pudding”, “Invalid Fish”, and “Basin of Soup for Invalid”. Under the heading ‘Sickroom Drinks’ is a second group of recipes, for Vegetable juice, Apple water, “Lemonade for feverish patients”, Rice Water, and Barley Water. These are followed by recipes for Gruel, and another for Raw Beef Tea.

Mary Jane was the wife of David Marwick, b. 1833, Kirkwall, Orkney, d. 1886, Canterbury, Melbourne. Mary Jane and David had four children: Catherine Kennedy Marwick (b. 1861, North Melbourne, d. 1941, Frankston), John Garrioch Marwick (b. 1863, Melbourne, d. 1938, Sydney), Margaret Garrioch Marwick (b. 1867, North Melbourne, d. 1950, Melbourne), and Mary Jane Cattanach Marwick (b. 1869, Melbourne, d. 1962, Surrey Hills, Melbourne).