COLL COOK 02

COLL COOK 02

Cook's books

Sub-series

1810 - 1901

63 items

Variously titled Hall, Commons or Cook's books, these are a record of the mutton and other meat consumed in College Hall. As in other books to do with food, the weeks are numbered within quarters and the year starts in November or December, so that "1868" on the cover really means 1867-1868. The books are covered with old leases at first, then paper wrappers with only a few having stiff marbled covers. For each dinner and supper, the number of messes is noted and the quantity, in pounds, of mutton provided. This is totalled, and the difference between this quantity and the total of meat brought in and remaining from the previous week is the amount noted as remaining "in house". Notes of such items as puddings, cheese and butter also appear. The consumption of the choristers, brewer, sluicer, servants and almswomen is shown as a separate total at the bottom. From 1839-40, the total amount of beef consumed (or possibly brought in) per week is also noted although not until 1894-5 is this sometimes broken down into individual meals. (Those meals without a number beside them were presumably those at which beef rather than mutton was provided). Other meats, notably veal and salt beef, appear around this time, but only for mutton is there a calculation relating amount used to amount brought in. The last datable book, for part of 1901, has no note of the number of messes, only the daily and weekly totals of all meats. Many of the books are signed or initialled by the Bursar, as part of the audit. Such initiallings have been noted, as have contemporary titles. Titles or dates added around the 1930s have not.

typed list