The Filgates of Lisrenny: a Window on Mid-19th. Century Anglo-Irish Hospitality

Sean O Cadhla

Description

Despite being a comparatively underutilised academic resource, the study of manuscript cookbooks can often provide an invaluable insight into the culinary traditions - and consequently, the social mores - of a particular time period, due in no small part to the extremely detailed and personal nature of such works. As part of ongoing research of the Filgates of Lisrenny Papers - a diverse collection of estate records and personal papers, catalogued and held at the Louth County Council Archives - the author has uncovered a manuscript cookbook belonging to the Filgate family, prominent members of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy in the mid-to-late 19th century entitled simply, The Recipe Book of Mrs. Filgate. The MS details recipes for a diverse range of culinary fare, along with a list of various household cures and remedies, with the first entry dated to September 18th, 1847 - a year of particular significance in the socio-culinary history of Ireland. The author has documented the contents of the recipe book and will present these findings as a contribution towards the evolving study of manuscript cookbooks as an academic discipline and also, as being a typical example of the culinary tradition that existed among the Anglo-Irish élite of this period. Like all primary socio-cultural sources, manuscript cookbooks exist in a broader social context, which the author argues must always be included in any scholarly analysis, so as a more comprehensive academic critique may be arrived at. Therefore, with a view towards properly contextualising the culinary fare contained in the recipe book from a broader historical perspective, an overview of relevant contemporary events directly involving members of the Filgate family during the period under review has also been undertaken. Other corroborative MS sources pertaining to culinary activity at Lisrenny that have been examined as as part of this paper include account books detailing agricultural activity and various livestock transactions on the estate, along with the records of wages and working conditions of domestic and kitchen staff, all of which contribute towards providing a more comprehensive insight into key aspects of the socioculinary traditions and nuances of the Filgate family during the period under review.

 
Jun 6th, 9:30 AM Jun 6th, 11:00 AM

The Filgates of Lisrenny: a Window on Mid-19th. Century Anglo-Irish Hospitality

Despite being a comparatively underutilised academic resource, the study of manuscript cookbooks can often provide an invaluable insight into the culinary traditions - and consequently, the social mores - of a particular time period, due in no small part to the extremely detailed and personal nature of such works. As part of ongoing research of the Filgates of Lisrenny Papers - a diverse collection of estate records and personal papers, catalogued and held at the Louth County Council Archives - the author has uncovered a manuscript cookbook belonging to the Filgate family, prominent members of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy in the mid-to-late 19th century entitled simply, The Recipe Book of Mrs. Filgate. The MS details recipes for a diverse range of culinary fare, along with a list of various household cures and remedies, with the first entry dated to September 18th, 1847 - a year of particular significance in the socio-culinary history of Ireland. The author has documented the contents of the recipe book and will present these findings as a contribution towards the evolving study of manuscript cookbooks as an academic discipline and also, as being a typical example of the culinary tradition that existed among the Anglo-Irish élite of this period. Like all primary socio-cultural sources, manuscript cookbooks exist in a broader social context, which the author argues must always be included in any scholarly analysis, so as a more comprehensive academic critique may be arrived at. Therefore, with a view towards properly contextualising the culinary fare contained in the recipe book from a broader historical perspective, an overview of relevant contemporary events directly involving members of the Filgate family during the period under review has also been undertaken. Other corroborative MS sources pertaining to culinary activity at Lisrenny that have been examined as as part of this paper include account books detailing agricultural activity and various livestock transactions on the estate, along with the records of wages and working conditions of domestic and kitchen staff, all of which contribute towards providing a more comprehensive insight into key aspects of the socioculinary traditions and nuances of the Filgate family during the period under review.