Johnson Madam (2 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 3rd Edition. Madam Johnson's present: or, every young woman's companion, in useful and universal knowledge. 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 London : printed for J. Fuller, in Blowbladder Street; and W. Nicoll, in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1765. 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.

Condition: Poor. Duodecimo later cloth-spined boards [sl.edge rubbed, rear coverpage missing, 168pp NOT COMPLETE lacks the later part of the "Directions to maid-servants in General." though still present are Directions to house-maids and kitchen-maids +cleaning floors, plate, glass &c. + insturctions concerning chair-frames, tables, cabinets, oil floor-cloths +worsted & other sorts of stuffs etc. LACKS the last 2 gatherings which conclude the rest of the directions for cleaning and a 19 page spelling list. All the recipes and the 8 sections of the titlepage are here complete. Aimed at servants from the lower classes and she thus includes spelling, reading, writing & arithmetick "without the help of a Master" as the first of 8 sections. Other Sections,as listed on the titlepage include Compleat Market-woman + Cook's Guide for dressing meat & fish +pickling, pastry & confectionary +estimate of expences of a family in the middling station of life + art of Carving +fare for every month including special occasions. There are many rhymes and maxims to help memory, as well as rules of life and proverbs mostly of a subservient theme. An unusual book kept short so as to make it afordable to servants-to-be. Contents are clean and tight with minor edge dusting, and the final page somewhat darkened. Name John Robinson to top margin of title, possibly the 18th century MP for Harwich although this is conjecture. 1 volume. Hardcover.