The Housekeeper's Instructor
London, UK [1818]: Thomas Kelly. Henderson, W A & Schnebbelie, Jacob Christopher. The Housekeeper's Instructor; or universal family-cook - 17th Ed. Thomas Kelly: London, UK [1818]. 8vo HC Half-Bd Modern Qtr Bnd Green Cloth, marbled bds 464pp. VG-/VG- minor stains, edges toning, spots
Second-hand hardcover
Henderson, W A [William August] and Schnebbelie, J C [Jacob Christopher]
The Housekeeper's Instructor; or, universal family-cook; being a full and clear display of the Art of Cookery in all its Branches...to which is added The Complete Art of Carving, illustrated with engravings... The Seventeenth Edition, corrected, revised and considerably improved by every modern addition and variation in the Art by Jacob Christopher Schnebbelie.
London: printed for Thomas Kelly, 17 Paternoster-row, (undated)[c.1818].
8vo (215x140mm) hardcover 2oth Century Quarter Bound green cloth, gilt lettered spine, marbled boards, new endpapers, original ffep, [2] engraved frontispiece portrait of Schnebbelie (by A W Warrens, painted by T Uwins), [2] engraved half title depicting a tableau 'Domestic Cookery in all its Branches', 464pp. Ten engraved plates, 'Rules for Carving - Plate VI' is misbound at p271 (rather than p371) and lacks the eleventh engraved plate called for 'A Grand Entertainment 1st Course'.
Previous owner's name to original ffep 'H Guillaume'; water marks and some toning to prelims, small 5mm tear to half title edge; very small incursions to top cnr of the first few pages; plates lightly foxed, very light occasional foxing throughout; edges lightly age-toned.
An elegant simple rebind of a nice tight later edition of a popular Regency period cookery book with only minor blemishes.
First published in 1791, and originally available in 12 parts as well as complete editions, 'Henderson's Art of Cookery, Carving etc' ran to 11 editions before the addition of Schnebbelie's input in 1804 and at least 17 editions in 20 years. Chapters include instructions on carving, making British wines, collaring, confectionery, making cheese and a supplement on seasonal and market gardening. In the preserving section there are a number of recipes for maritime use and suitable for 'long voyages'.
Little record remains of Henderson or Schnebbelie's culinary prowess. In advertisments for various editions, Henderson was said to have a most extensive culinary career. Schnebbelie was originally apprenticed as a draughtsman/stationer (to follow his father's career), but ran away to sea before finally apprenticing more succesfully with Tupp & Perry, a central London pastry & confectionery shop around 1800. The frontispiece celebrates his role at Martelli's, the Albany in Piccadilly. Built originally in 1770, and the home of the Duke of York for a number of years, the Albany was converted into Gentlemans' apartments in 1802 with a 'Maitre d'Hotel' and dining room on the ground floor. According to the records of the Trustees' of Albany, the dining room (presumably 'Martelli's) proved consistently unsuccessful from its opening in 1803 and was abandoned in December 1810.
Oxford notes this edition as undated, but from 1811; Hazlitt's Old Cookery Books & Ancient Cuisine also asserts a date of 1811. A seventeenth edition was published by J Stratford in 1811, however Stratford was declared a bankrupt in 1813 and was in debtor's prison in 1816 with his affairs unresolved. In November 1818 Thomas Kelly purchased the business of Richard Evans in Paternoster-row and moved from number 52-23 to Richard Evans' old business address 17 Paternoster-row. Included in the advertisment of the purchase was a list of titles now published by Kelly, including 'The Housekeeper's Instructor'; thus not before 1818. Worldcat suggests a date of [1823] for the copy held at the British Library at St Pancras.
Oxford p134, Hazlitt p179, Maclean p68, Simon BG 832-833, Bitting p224, Cagle 742, Vicaire col 441 - all earlier editions.
Item #2760
Price: $795.00 AUD