Susannah Carter
Encyclopedia
Susannah Carter was the author of an early cookery book
, The Frugal Housewife, or, Complete woman cook. The title page of the first edition indicated that Carter came from Clerkenwell
in London
. Otherwise, little is known about her life.
Her book was first published in around 1765 in London
by Francis Newbery, who was based in the printing enclave around St Paul's Cathedral
. He was the nephew of John Newbery
, after whom the Newbery Medal
for children's books was named. The book was also published in 1765 in Dublin, and was first reprinted in North America
in 1772 by Benjamin Edes
and John Gill
in Boston, illustrated with prints made by Paul Revere
.
The book strongly influenced the first cookery book by an American author, Amelia Simmons's American Cookery (1796), with parts copied almost word for word. An appendix was added to an 1803 American edition, adding "receipts" [recipes] "adapted to the American mode of cooking" - such as Indian puddings, buckwheat
cakes, pumpkin pie
, maple
molasses
, and maple beer. The appendix may have been translated from a Swedish book, Rural Oeconomy: the same appendix appears in an 1805 edition of Hannah Glasse
's The Art of Cookery (originally published in 1747).
After passing through several American editions, the book was republished by Lydia Maria Child in 1832 as The American Frugal Housewife. This edition was reprinted many times in the next 20 years.
Cookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
, The Frugal Housewife, or, Complete woman cook. The title page of the first edition indicated that Carter came from Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. From 1900 to 1965 it was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The well after which it was named was rediscovered in 1924. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Otherwise, little is known about her life.
Her book was first published in around 1765 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by Francis Newbery, who was based in the printing enclave around St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
. He was the nephew of John Newbery
John Newbery
John Newbery was an English publisher of books who first made children's literature a sustainable and profitable part of the literary market. He also supported and published the works of Christopher Smart, Oliver Goldsmith and Samuel Johnson...
, after whom the Newbery Medal
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
for children's books was named. The book was also published in 1765 in Dublin, and was first reprinted in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 1772 by Benjamin Edes
Benjamin Edes
Benjamin Edes was a journalist and political agitator. He is best known, along with John Gill, as the publisher of the Boston Gazette, a newspaper which sparked and financed the Boston Tea Party and was influential during the Revolutionary War.-Early life:He was born on October 14, 1732 in...
and John Gill
John Gill (printer)
John Gill was a printer in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 18th century. With Benjamin Edes he issued the Boston Gazette newspaper. He later published the Continental Journal, 1776-1785.-Biography:...
in Boston, illustrated with prints made by Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
.
The book strongly influenced the first cookery book by an American author, Amelia Simmons's American Cookery (1796), with parts copied almost word for word. An appendix was added to an 1803 American edition, adding "receipts" [recipes] "adapted to the American mode of cooking" - such as Indian puddings, buckwheat
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
cakes, pumpkin pie
Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin pie is a traditional sweet dessert, often eaten during the fall and early winter, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas in the United States and Canada. The pumpkin is a symbol of harvest time and featured also at Halloween....
, maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
, and maple beer. The appendix may have been translated from a Swedish book, Rural Oeconomy: the same appendix appears in an 1805 edition of Hannah Glasse
Hannah Glasse
Hannah Glasse was an English cookery writer of the 18th century. She is best known for her cookbook, The Art of Cookery, first published in 1747...
's The Art of Cookery (originally published in 1747).
After passing through several American editions, the book was republished by Lydia Maria Child in 1832 as The American Frugal Housewife. This edition was reprinted many times in the next 20 years.
Further reading
- Botein, Stephen. "The Anglo-American Book Trade before 1776: Personnel and Strategies". Printing and Society in Early America. Edited by William L. Joyce et al. Worcester: American Antiquarian Society, 1983.
- Lowenstein, Eleanor. Bibliography of American Cookery Books 1742-1860. Worcester, MA: American Antiquarian Society, 1972.
- Maclean, Virginia. A Short-title Catalogue of Household and Cookery Books Published in the English Tongue 1701-1800. London: Prospect Books, 1981.
- Townsend, John Rowe. John Newbery and His Books. Metuchen, N.J.: The Scarecrow Press, 1994.