By Lesley Abernethy
This document identifies recipes written by Lady Grisell Baillie, Lady Murray, Janet Kirk, and May Menzies beginning on page 175 of the manuscript cookbook “Scots Cookbook Partly in the Hand of Lady Grisell Baillie” (W. a 111 in the Folger Shakespeare Library). The handwriting of Lady Grisell, Lady Murray, and May Menzies can be identified from letters and other writings at Mellerstain. Janet Kirk identifies herself with signatures in several places in the cookbook.
This document also reveals the identities of persons to whom recipes in this section of the manuscript are ascribed. The names of these persons are written below in italics, together with any additional information if available.
Portrait at Mellerstain of Lady Grisell Baillie 1717 by William Aikman (Photo credit Darren Walley)
Portrait at Mellerstain of Grisell, Lady Murray 1725 by Maria Verelst (Photo credit Ray Bird of Rare Bird Media) Lady Grisell’s elder daughter Grisell, Lady Murray lived in her mother’s household consistently except for very short periods between 1711 and 1714 when a legal separation was arranged between herself and her husband Alexander Murray of Stanhope, whom she had married in 1711 at the age of 17.
Pages 175-187 are in Lady Grisell’s handwriting.
Pat: Steel (181)
Patrick Steel kept the Cross Keys Tavern in the High Street in Edinburgh during the period George Baillie and Lady Grisell lived there. He was a violinist and violin maker, and held concerts in the tavern. He built a tenement adjoining Wariston’s land, where the Baillies lived.
Doctor Troter (184)
Dr. Trotter, a doctor of medicine who was living in the High Street in Edinburgh in 1700, before moving to Duns on his marriage to Julian Home, sister of George Home of Kimmerghame, diarist and relative of Lady Grisell.
Porterfild (186)
A man named only as Porterfield was engaged by Lady Grisell in Edinburgh in 1701 to teach her daughter Rachy (Rachel) to read, as shown in Lady Grisell’s account book.
Mrs Edg (187, also 415 and 477)
Mrs Edges- not identified
Page 189-190 (top half) Lady Grisell’s handwriting, page dated June 15 1706.
Mr Cockburn (189)
Probably John Cockburn (1679-1758) Scottish politician and landowner, fellow member with George Baillie of the Squadrone Volante who worked towards securing the Union of Scotland with England.
Lady Tiviot (189)
Lady Teviot, Macktellina Walrave de Nimmequen, (died 1729), wife of Thomas Livingston, Viscount Teviot
Pages 192-200 (top half) Lady Grisell’s handwriting.
Page 201 (lower half) -202 (top half) Lady Grisell’s handwriting.
Page 207 Writer not identified, but with title inserted by Lady Grisell.
Pages 209 (bottom) to 226 (top) appear to be in the handwriting of Janet Kirk (see pages 423ff) but without any of her characteristic signatures, initials or ‘doodles’.
Page 221 Lady Grisell inserts the title ‘saucages’ [sic].
Page 222 ‘Ma [possibly Mary or Margaret] Sallerfield [not identified] is written beside the recipe for ‘A rump of beef’, and the following recipe that the writer has been asked to copy into the book and which concerns scouring of dishes [possibly pewter?] is headed ‘Memorandum from Mary McIntosh’.
Lady Grisell says of Mary McIntosh, “Mary McIntosh came to my service as cook At Whitsunday [May] 1703 her fie in the year is £36:0:0 [pounds Scots]”. Mary McIntosh received £54 in total, so must have remained for a year and a half, to November 1704.
My Lady Hermiston (226)
Elizabeth Hume, Lady Grisell’s niece, daughter of her brother Andrew, Lord Kimmerghame, who had married Charles Sinclair of Herdmanston [Hermiston].
Page 228 is written by Grisell, Lady Murray (1692-1759) in 1712, the year after her marriage, in a slightly juvenile hand identical to that in a letter written by her in 1711. The recipe is ascribed to Lady Anne Murray.
Lady Ann Murray (228)
Lady Anne Bruce, wife of Sir David Murray of Stanhope, mother-in-law of Grisell, Lady Murray.
Page 260 ‘From my Lady Hyndfoord’
Lady Hyndford (260)
Lady Elizabeth Maitland, daughter of John, 5th Earl of Lauderdale, and wife of James Carmichael, 2nd Earl of Hyndford, whom she married in 1710.
Page 261 Writer unidentified, with inserted note from Lady Grisell. It is also noted that ‘the following 8 receipts are from Mrs Johnston’, (to page 266) probably meaning Lucy Claxton, 3rd wife of James Johnston, rather than the writer of pages 3-175.
Mrs Johnston [261]
Lucy Claxton of Dublin, married James Johnston in 1716.
Page 269 Writer unidentified. Recipe ‘from Mr Scott’, possibly Grisell’s relative Hugh Scott of Gala.
Page 270 First 2 lines writer unidentified, then 2 recipes in Lady Grisell’s writing. In another unidentified hand, ‘Recepts from Mrs Clevland’.
Mrs Clevland (270)
Not identified, but may be Mrs Cleland, Lucy DuPass (d. 1763), wife of William Cleland (1673-1741) who lived in St. James’ Place. Cleland was a friend of Alexander Pope, who was also in Lady Grisell’s circle of acquaintance.
Page 283 Unidentified writer, ‘Mrs Johnston’ (see above, 261).
Page 285 Unidentified writer, ‘Lady Orkney’.
Lady Orkney (285)
Elizabeth Villiers, (1657-1733) who had married George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney in 1695.
Page 286 (top) Unidentified writer, ‘Mrs Brigs’
Mrs Brigs (286)
Not identified
Page 286 (lower half) Lady Grisell’s recipe for punch; she notes the source as ‘my self’.
Page 288 Unidentified writer, ‘The Dutchess of Roxbrugh’
The Duchess of Roxburghe (288)
Mary Finch 1677-1718 who married John, 5th Earl (later 1st Duke) of Roxburghe in 1708.
Page 289 (lower half)- Lady Grisell’s writing.
Page 290 Lady Grisell’s writing, ‘Lady Moriston’.
Lady Moriston (290)
Grizel Cochrane (1666-1748), daughter of Sir John Cochrane, wife of John Ker of Moriston. Grizel Cochrane is famed for an armed robbery in 1685 on a post rider, to prevent her father’s death warrant reaching Edinburgh.
Colonel Matthew Graham (290)
Not identified
Page 291 Lady Grisell’s writing
Page 292 Lady Grisell identifies the recipes as coming from ‘L For’ and ‘L F’.
Lady Forester (292)
Lady Mary Cecil, (d.1740), wife of Sir William Forester
Page 293 Lady Grisell’s writing. The second recipe is credited to ‘Mrs Graham’ (probably wife of Colonel Graham above) and dated 1720.
Page 294 (lower half) Lady Grisell’s writing.
Page 302 (lower half) Lady Grisell’s writing until page 307. Here she is obviously copying from a manuscript as spaces have been left for two illegible words.
Page 309 Lady Grisell’s writing, and Lady Grisell’s mistake as the page numbering jumps from 309 to 400.
Page 405 Lady Grisell’s writing, with notes by Lady Murray, noting the recipe is from ‘Lord Sunderland’
Lord Sunderland (405)
Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (1674-1722)
Page 406 Lady Grisell’s writing, the recipe for Stilton cheese ‘got from a dairymaid there 1717’.
Page 407 (top of page) Lady Grisell’s writing.
Page 407 (lower half) Lady Murray’s writing.
Page 408 Lady Murray’s writing. She notes that the first recipe is ‘from Mrs Tonyne’.
Mrs Tonyne (408)
Jane, wife of Charles William Tonyn, a Colonel in the Enniskillen Dragoons who acted as factor to Lady Grisell’s father Sir Patrick Hume while he resided in Berwick-upon-Tweed in the years preceding his death. Jane, otherwise known as Jean/Jeannie, was Lady Grisell’s niece, the daughter of her sister Julian whose runaway marriage to Charles Bellingham had caused scandal in the family.
The second recipe on this page is ‘To make Earle of Marchmont’s juniper watter’, and most probably refers to Lady Murray’s grandfather. This recipe is dated by Lady Murray ‘Mellerstain Apr 10th 1735’.
Earle of Marchmont (408)
Sir Patrick Hume (1643-1724) First Earl of Marchmont, Lady Grisell’s father.
Page 409 Unidentified writer. First recipe is attributed to ‘La. Irwine’.
Lady Irwin (409)
Anne Ingram, Viscountess Irwin (Irvine) (1696-1764)
Page 409 Second recipe in the same hand, with a note by Lady Murray, attributing it to ‘Do: Arbuthnot’
Do:Arbuthnot (409)
Doctor John Arbuthnot (1667-1735) Scottish physician, mathematician, satirist and inventor of the figure of John Bull.
Page 411 Unidentified writer – recipe from ‘Mrs Lewis’
Mrs Lewis (411)
Not identified
Page 412 Unidentified writer – two recipes from ‘Ly Carlisle’
Ly Carlisle (412)
Lady Anne de Vere Capel, (1674-1752) wife of Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, and mother of Lady Murray’s close friends Lady Mary Howard, Lady Anne Irwin, and Lady Elizabeth Lechmere
Page 413 Unidentified writer, with note in Lady Murray’s hand, ‘Do: Cheney’
‘Do: Cheney (413)
Doctor George Cheyne 1672-1743, Scottish physician and dietician working in Bath and London, and prescribing regularly for the Baillie family in the 1730s.
Page 414 Unidentified writer, with note on first recipe by Lady Murray ‘Mrs Perris’.
Mrs Perris (414)
Not identified
The second recipe is annotated by Lady Murray ‘Naples August 14th 1732’. (George Baillie, Lady Grisell, Lady Murray, Lady Binning, and Grisie Hamilton, Lady Grisell’s granddaughter all travelled to Naples in 1731 in the hopes that the sunny climate would cure the tuberculosis of Lord Binning, Lady Grisell’s son-in-law, but in vain as he died there in December 1732).
Page 415 3 recipes, ascribed to 3 different people:
Lady Lowth (415)
Not identified
Mrs Edge (415, also 187 and 477)
Not known, but annotated by Lady Murray ‘a la Palais Royal’
Mrs Menzies (415, also 450, 467, 493, 500, 501) recipe ascribed by Lady Murray to ‘Mrs Menzies’
May Menzies, daughter of William Menzies of Raw WS, engaged by Lady Grisell in 1705 as governess to her daughters Grisie [Lady Murray] and Rachy [Lady Binning]. Mrs Menzies remained with the family until her death in 1753. (The title ‘Mrs’, spoken as ‘Mistress’ in eighteenth century Scotland, was used to address all untitled adult women, and did not necessarily indicate they were married). In the account of May Menzies’ funeral expenses Lady Murray writes, ‘a most faithful and affectionate friend and servant for 48 years in our family’. May Menzies was buried in the family mausoleum at Mellerstain.
Page 417 Unidentified writer notes recipes from ‘Ld Baitman’ and ‘The Dutches of Norfolk’.
Ld Baitman (417)
William, Lord Bateman (1695-1744) Whig politician and MP.
The Dutches of Norfolk (417)
Mary Blount (1702-1773) who married Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk in 1727.
Page 418 Unidentified writer, recipe from ‘Ly Irwin’.
‘Ly Irwin’ (418-see 409)
The second recipe on this page has a note from Lady Murray that it is from ‘Earl Hadinton’.
Earl Hadinton (418)
Thomas Hamilton (1680-1735), 6th Earl of Haddington, father of Lady Grisell’s son-in-law Lord Binning.
Page 419 Unidentified writer, with a note from Lady Murray that the cake recipe is from ‘Lady Alice Hume’.
Lady Alice Hume (419)
Alice Moore (1679-1750) wife of Sir Gustavus Hume, a relative of Lady Grisell, living in Ireland, and mother of Elizabeth Hume, wife of Lady Grisell’s elder brother Patrick.
Page 419 A note from Lady Murray that the second recipe is from ‘Mrs Duncomb’.
Mrs Duncomb (419)
Not identified
Page 420 A recipe for clearing wine ‘as it was done at Lord Marchmonts cellers at Cambray’.
Lord Marchmont (420)
Lady Grisell’s brother Alexander (Sandy) Hume 1675-1740, 2nd Earl of Marchmont, ambassador at the Congress of Cambrai 1722-24.
Mrs Duncomb (422 also 419)
Pages 423- 472 (top of page) are all in the handwriting of Janet Kirk.
This writer identifies herself in several places in the book with signatures ‘Ja: Kirk’ or initials ‘JK’ and adds flourishes and embellishments, including some curious cartoon-like drawings, to some recipes. While the first 175 pages of the book were filled sequentially by Catherine Poulett, it seems that once in Lady Grisell’s possession some pages were left blank and later pages written on perhaps in an attempt to group similar types of receipts together, as many of those that Janet Kirk has been asked to copy out in this group are remedies rather than culinary recipes.
In Lady Grisell’s account book, with the date January 1706 and ‘Mellerstain’ written in the margin (the family’s most frequent residence was in Edinburgh at this time) she notes, ‘For Arles and fieing Janit Kirk £1:1:0’ and in the list of servants’ wages, ‘Janit Kirk came to be cook Martinmas [11th November] 1706 her fie in the year is 30 [pounds Scots] Feb 26 to her £1:9:0 May 15 to her for half a year £13:11:0’. Sadly it is not possible to further identify Janet Kirk, and her name does not appear in any subsequent list of servants’ wages.
Page 429 ‘Dutch of Rg’
Duchess of Roxburghe (429- see 288 )
Page 433 Signature ‘Ja: Kirk’
Page 435 Initials ‘JK’
Page 436 Initials ‘JK’ ‘Lady Montrose’
Lady Montrose (436)
Lady Christian Carnegie (d. 1744) wife of James Graham 1st Duke of Montrose, whom she married in 1702. She did not become Duchess of Montrose until April 1707 when her husband was made a Duke, which ties in with Janet Kirk’s employment as cook in 1706/7.
Page 439 ‘Dutchess of Gordon’
Dutchess of Gordon (439, 445)
Lady Elizabeth Howard (c1658-1732) who married George Gordon 1st Duke of Gordon in 1676. They separated in 1707.
Page 441 Initials ‘JK’.
Page 445 ‘Dutchess of Gordon’ (See 439).
Page 449 ‘Mr Francis Montgomerie’s Lady’.
Mr Francis Montgomerie’s Lady (449)
Elizabeth Sinclair, second wife of the Hon. Francis Montgomerie, son of Hugh, 7th Earl of Eglinton.
Page 450 Note from Lady Murray ‘Mrs Menzies’ (See 415).
Page 451 Curious cartoon!
Page 453 recipe which the Countess of Haddington got from Mrs Traill.
Countess of Haddington (453)
Helen Hope (1677 -1768), forester, wife of Thomas Hamilton 6th Earl of Haddington and mother of Lady Grisell’s son-in-law Lord Binning.
Mrs Traill (453)
Not identified.
Page 457 ‘Lady Balhaven’.
Lady Balhaven (457)
Anne Bruce (d. 1707) who married John Hamilton, 2nd Lord Belhaven, in 1697.
Page 457 ‘Lady Hellen Anstruther’
Lady Hellen Anstruther (457)
Lady Helen Hamilton, daughter of the 4th Earl of Haddington, who married Sir William Anstruther, Lord Anstruther in 1677.
Page 461 Signature ‘J Kirk’.
Page 464 ‘Doodle’ of a fleur de lys.
Page 466 ‘Doodles’ of a boar’s head and a fleur de lys.
Page 467 ‘Doodles’ of a lion rampant and a flower. A note ‘Mrs Menzies’ in Lady Murray’s hand.
Pages 468 and 469 are followed by another 468 and 469 in Lady Grisell’s numbers.
Page 472 Top of page in hand of Janet Kirk.
Page 473 Top of page, Lady Grisell’s hand. ‘Lady Mountjoy’.
Lady Mountjoy (473)
Anne Boyle (d 1741), who married William Stewart, 2nd Viscount Mountjoy in 1696.
Pages 474-5 Note by Lady Murray at end of first recipe.
Page 476 Unknown writer at top of page, rest of page written by Lady Murray, recipe from ‘Mrs Louisa Cagnony Naples 1732’.
Mrs Louisa Cagnony (476)
A friend who was significant in the Baillie family’s stay in Naples in 1731/2, and who continued to be sent gifts on their return home.
Page 476 ‘Lady Frances Ereskin Spa 1731’. (The Baillie family had a stay of several weeks in Spa, in modern-day Belgium, from 9th July to 15th September, on their journey to Naples).
Lady Frances Ereskin (476)
Lady Frances Erskine (1715-1776), daughter of John 23rd/6th Earl of Mar and his wife Lady Frances Pierrepont, a close friend of Lady Murray.
Page 477 First two recipes written by Lady Murray. First mentions ‘Mr William Hall’
William Hal (477)l
Second son of Lady Grisell’s brother-in-law Sir James Hall of Dunglass, who had married Grisell’s sister Anne in 1698.
Page 477 Mrs Edge (see 415).
Page 478 (top) Unidentified writer – ‘Ms Crokes’
Ms Crokes [Crooks?]
Unidentified.
Page 478 (bottom of page) Lady Murray’s writing- ‘Mr Harte’.
Mr Harte (478)
Walter Harte (1709-74), poet, historian and tutor to Lady Grisell’s grandsons Thomas and George when they were studying at St Mary Hall, Oxford in the late 1730s.
Page 479 Lady Murray’s writing (top).
Page 479 Unidentified writer- ‘Mrs Gilbert’.
Mrs Gilbert (479)
Margaret Sherard, wife of the Most Reverend John Gilbert, who successively held the bishoprics of Llandaff, Salisbury and York. Mrs Gilbert and her husband were among those who visited Lady Grisell regularly during the last weeks of her life.
Page 480 Unidentified writer- ‘Sent by My Lady [Grisell] from London Jan’y 23rd 1745’. ‘This rect from Docter Warde’.
Docter Warde (480)
Precise identity unknown, but Dr. Ward attended Lady Grisell on December 5th 1746, the day before she died. His fee was one guinea.
Page 493 Handwriting of May Menzies, note added by Lady Murray ‘the best way Mrs Menzies’
Page 493 ‘Mrs Johnston’ (See 261)
Page 494 May Menzies’ writing, with a note from Lady Grisell ‘Mrs John.’ Second recipe ‘Mrs Johnston’.
Page 495 Three recipes in May Menzies’ writing, all ascribed to ‘Mrs Johnston’.
Page 496 as above.
Page 497 as above.
Page 498 May Menzies’ writing continues, another recipe ‘Mrs Johnston’.
Page 499 as above.
Page 500 May Menzies hand. ‘Lord Baitman’ (see 417).
Page 501 May Menzies (top of page).
Page 502 Unidentified writer ‘from Ann Cassels 1743’.
Ann Cassels (502)
In the accounts for servants’ wages for the household at Mellerstain in 1743 Lady Grisell writes, ‘Ann Cassels Cook in the year 8 [pounds]. She came Janr 1739 payd 16£ in t’other book’. In the accounts for 1745, in Lady Murray’s writing, ‘To Ann Cassels Cook at £8 a year in full Apr 25th 1745. A good one’.
Page 504 Unidentified writer ‘From Miss Mitchel’.
Miss Mitchel (504)
Longstanding friends of the Baillie family were David Mitchell (né Cook) and his wife Mary Burnet (1692-1788), daughter of Bishop Gilbert Burnet, a cousin of George Baillie. David Mitchell and Mary his wife had a daughter Mary, who must be the ‘Miss Mitchel’ referred to.
Page 504 (bottom of page) ‘Mrs Blencowe’s receipt’.
Mrs Blencowe (504)
Not identified.
Page 505 Unidentified writer, recipe ‘sent from London by Lady Murray’.
Page 506 Unidentified writer, ‘Coll’l Stewart’s Lady’.
Coll’l Stewart’s Lady (506)
Elizabeth Scott, daughter of Sir Francis Scott of Mangerton who married before 1704 Colonel John Stewart, who had several estates including Hartrigge by Jedburgh. Colonel Stewart is mentioned by Lady Grisell in 1714 when arranging for her daughter’s separation from her husband Alexander Murray. Colonel Stewart was killed by Sir Gilbert Elliot of Stobs in 1726 in a drunken argument.
Page 524 bottom – 527 Janet Kirk (see page 423).
Page 528 ‘Ja: Kirk’ signature.
Pages 533 -536 Janet Kirk’s handwriting.
Page 537 ‘Ja: Kirk’ signature.
Pages 538-540 Janet Kirk- writing much cramped at bottom of 540 as the writer is running out of space, as if 541 were already written on.
Pages 541-582 An unidentified writer, no originators of recipes named.
Pages 583-586 Janet Kirk resumes.
Page 587 ‘Ja : Kirk’ signature.
Pages 588-591 Janet Kirk’s handwriting.
Page 592 is blank, then follow an index and a supplementary index when space ran out in the first one. The hands of Lady Grisell, Lady Murray and Janet Kirk (with fleur de lys doodle) are all recognisable in the indices.
It is interesting to note that the names of a number of persons who contributed recipes also appear, some very frequently, in the list of visitors to Lady Grisell’s (London) house in November and December 1746, the last weeks of her life. These are: Lady Irwin, Mrs Cleland, Lord Bateman, Mrs Gilbert, Mrs Johnston, Mrs Stewart, the Duchess of Montrose and Lady Carlisle.
Lesley Abernethy
Kelso, Scotland