Food for Thought Parsonage Recipes 1961 First Edition Terence R Leach
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
Food for Thought. A Book of Parsonage Recipes
Compiled by Shirley M. Hanson
With a foreword by Constance Spry
Published by The Lincolnshire Old Churches Trust, The Subdeanery, Lincoln, 1961.
First Edition.
76 pages.
Designed and printed in Great Britain by W. S. Cowell Ltd, Butter Market, Ipswich.
The original price was 5/-, with postage of 7d. All profits from the book were to be used towards the repair of Lincolnshire churches.
 
Historical & Culinary Context
This charming and unusual 1961 cookbook was compiled from recipes gathered from Rectories and Vicarages throughout Lincolnshire.
In her introduction, Shirley M. Hanson explains that she believed the parsonage houses contained a wealth of culinary knowledge and therefore circulated a request for recipes throughout the county. The response was so extensive that not every recipe could be included.
The result is a fascinating collection of practical mid-twentieth-century recipes preserving something of the domestic and culinary traditions of Lincolnshire's parsonage communities.
The book includes recipes for a wide range of dishes, including cakes, buns and biscuits, as well as less familiar preparations such as Mock Crab.
 
Constance Spry Foreword
The book has an especially appealing literary and culinary association through its foreword by Constance Spry (1886–1960), the celebrated British cookery writer, florist and educator.
Spry praises the practical nature of the recipes and their value in preserving what she calls valuable kitchen lore. She particularly appreciates the use of traditional ingredients and flavourings, including elder flowers and blackcurrant leaves, which she feared might be lost amid the increasing use of processed and convenience foods.
Her foreword gives the little volume an additional historical interest as a record of changing British food culture.
 
Binding & Exterior Description
Original orange cloth over the boards and spine, with dark brown lettering to the spine.
The binding is intact, robust and in good condition for its age. There are only very light marks, very light fading to the spine and other minor age-related wear. Please refer to the photographs for a full impression of the condition.
There is no dust jacket.
 
Interior Condition
The pages are very lightly tanned, with light foxing to the page edges. The contents are otherwise very neat, clean and largely uncreased, with only occasional very small marks which do not affect the text.
The binding remains tight and secure, with no rips. All 76 pages are present.
 
Provenance: Terence R. Leach
This copy bears the contemporary inscription:
“Terence R. Leach. Dunholme. 14th Dec. 1961.”
A printed ownership plate bearing his name and Dunholme is also attached to the front pastedown.
Terence R. Leach (1937–1994) was a significant Lincolnshire local historian, teacher and author, with a particular interest in the history, families and country houses of the county. He was involved with the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology and served as its Chairman in 1990. He also wrote several works on Lincolnshire history, including Lincolnshire Country Houses and Their Families and, with Robert Pacey, Lost Lincolnshire Country Houses.
The Society's obituary records his close connection with the parish church at Dunholme, including service as Church Warden, making his ownership of this Lincolnshire Old Churches Trust publication particularly appropriate.
The inscription and ownership plate therefore provide a strong contemporary association with a recognised Lincolnshire historian and author.
We cannot establish that Leach contributed a recipe to the volume or had any direct involvement with its compilation, so the provenance is presented here specifically as his ownership of the book.
 
Rarity & Collector Notes
The book itself is an uncommon and appealing example of a locally produced fundraising cookbook, reflecting the domestic life and culinary traditions of Lincolnshire's parsonage communities.
Ordinary copies do not command a high price, but this example is considerably more interesting because of its contemporary provenance to Terence R. Leach, whose work has become an important source for Lincolnshire local history.
An attractive choice for collectors of Lincolnshire history, cookery, church history, social history and books with documented local provenance.
 
Physical Details
Dimensions: approximately 22.2 x 14.5 x 1.1 cm
Weight: approximately 225g