Description

[003850] Verral, William. A Complete System of Cookery. In Which is Set Forth, a Variety of Genuine Receipts, Collected from Several Years Experience Under the Celebrated Mr. de St. Clouet, Sometime Since Cook to His Grace the Duke of Norfolk. London: Printed for the Author; and Sold By Him; As Also By Edward Verral, Bookseller in Lewes; and By John Rivington in St. Paul’s Church-yard, London, 1759. First Edition. 8vo. Hardback. Good+. [15], ii-xxxiii, [2], 2-240pp

Later speckled calf, even later sympathetic reback, raised bands, spine in six panels, title label to second panel, two line border in blind to covers

Rubbed to extremities. Internally lightly browned throughout, title lightly soiled, with three small chips, and neatly mounted on a stub, inner joints with Japanese tissue reinforcing, some light water staining, slightly heavier water staining to top corners from signature Q to end, but never obtrusive, small ink stain to fore edge margin from signature S to end, not affecting text

Uncommon first edition (fourteen locations worldwide in ESTC), with impeccable provenance, being the Andre L. Simon – Eleanor Lowenstein – John Hodgkin copy, with the joint book plate of Simon and Lowenstein to front pastedown, and the book label of Hodgkin beneath

William Verral was the landlord of the White Hart Inn in Lewes, his brother Edward was a bookseller in Lewes (see BBTI). Some of the recipes were republished by Penguin as Recipes From The White Hart Inn

Bitting, page 477; Cagle 1043; Maclean, page 147; Oxford, page 89, “preface is very amusing”; Simon BG 1553 and Vicaire 859-860