Not Just the Tudors How to Run a Stuart Household
Feb 24, 2025
Dr. Kimberley Connor, a historical archaeologist and food historian, joins Professor Suzannah Lipscomb to explore Stuart-era recipe books. They discuss Margaret Baker's 1675 collection, revealing how these texts were vital for sharing medicinal and culinary knowledge. The conversation highlights women's pivotal roles in domestic spheres and culinary practices of the time, emphasizing the recipes’ rich social contexts. They also examine how these books served as educational resources, connecting women across different social strata and reflecting their adaptations during crises.
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Discovering Margaret Baker
- Dr. Connor discovered Margaret Baker through a transcribathon, noticing numerous recipe attributions.
- Intrigued by the unknown Baker's identity, she meticulously built a family tree to uncover her background.
Margaret Baker's Literate Upbringing
- Margaret Baker's father, Sir Richard Baker, was a writer of religious texts and a well-known history of England.
- This suggests she grew up in a literate environment, possibly influencing her recipe collection and access to continental sources through his European travels.
17th-Century Recipe Books vs. Modern Cookbooks
- 17th-century recipe books were comprehensive guides for household management, including medicine, cookery, and other necessities.
- Unlike modern cookbooks, their recipes combined ingredients and instructions, lacking the structured format we use today.
