BILL OF FARE OF 1626.
If an actual bill of fare in a gentleman's house, anno 1626, be worth your acceptance, as a pendant to the one prescribed in your fourth number, you are welcome to the following extract from the account book of Sir Edward Dering, Knt. and Bart.:—
"A Dinner att London, made when my Lady Richardson, my sister E Ashbornham, and Kate Ashb,—my brother John Ashb, my cosen Walldron and her sister, and S'r John Skeffington, were with me att Aldersgate streete, December 23, 1626. My sister Fr Ashb and cosen Mary Hill did fayle of coming.
Wine 3s. 10d.
Stourgeon 7s.
a joll of brawne 5s.
pickled oystres a barrell 1s. 6d.
viniger 3d.
Rabbets a couple—larkes a dozen—plovers 3 and
snikes 4 7s.
Carrowaye and comfites 6d.
a Banquet and 2 dozen and a half of glass plates to
sett it out in 1l. 3s.
Half a doe—which in y'e fee and charge of bringing
itt out of Northampton 8s.
a warden py that the cooke made—we finding y'e
wardens 2s. 4d.
ffor a venison pasty, we finding y'e venison 4s.
ffor 2 minct pyes 2s. 6d.
a breast of veale 2s. 4d.
a legg of mutton 2s.
——————
Sum totall expended 3l. 10s. 3d.
——————
The dinner was at y'e first course—
a peece of Brawne.
a boiled ducke in white broathe.
a boiled haunch of powdered venison.
2 minct pyes.
a boyled legge of mutton.
a venison pasty.
a roast ducke.
a powdered goose roasted.
a breast of veale.
a cold Capon py.
Second course—
a couple of rabbitts.
3 plovers.
12 larks.
4 snikes.
pickled oysters—2 dishes.
a cold warden py.
a joull of Sturgeon.
Complement—
Apples and Carrawayes.
wardens bakt and cold.
A Cake and
Cheese.A banquett ready in y'e next room.
Mem'd—we had out of y'e country y'e goose, y'e duckes, y'e capon py, y'e Cake and wardens, and y'e venison; but that is allways p'd for, though given."
The above seems to have been a family dinner. Sir Edward married, for his second wife, a daughter of Sir Ashbornham, as appears by the following entry:—
"1. January 1624/5, beeing Saturday, at sixe of y'e clocke att night, atte Whitehall, in y'e Duke of Buckingham's lodgings, I married Anne Ashbornham, third dâ of Sir Ashbornham, late of Ashbornham, Kt."
In another entry we have—
"... Dec. 1626, being thursday, Elizabeth Lady Ashbornham widor of S'r Jno Ashbornham, was married in S't Giles his Church in y'e feildes, nere London, to S'r Thomas Richardson, K't, then Lo. cheife Justice of y'e common pleas."
The day of the month is torn out. It would almost seem as if this was the wedding dinner, on the occasion of the marriage of the Chief Justice with Lady Dering's mother; at all events the reunion of the family in London was caused by that event.
Banquet was the name given to a dessert, and it was usually set out in another room.
The large baking pear is still called warden in many counties.
Appended to the above is a bill of the items of the "banquet," with the cost of hire for the glass plates; but it is so hopelessly illegible that I will not venture to give it. Many of the items, as far as I can read them, are not to be found in "the books," and are quite new to me.
Having had no small experience in deciphering hopeless scribblings, I think I may pronounce this to be better left alone than given in its present confused state.
LAMBERT B. LARKING
Ryarsh Vicarage.