The Yeoman's Food 1580-1660

Historical rabbit holes, for those who are inclined.

These slender booklets from Historical Management Associates are the work of an organization dedicated to historical re-enactment in the UK. They are written with a stickler’s attention to historical precision and a conviction that nothing is too arcane to investigate. Some of the books are simple transcriptions of period manuscripts; others represent significant original research, as in Cattle Farming and Grazing Management, which is 52 pages long but cites 36 sources, many of them published in the 17th century.

From the text.”:

“It is hard to discover the food consumed by English Yeoman in the early 17th century, There are a variety of possible sources of evidence but they have to be treated with caution. Many recipes exist for this period but there were probably generally published for the gentry and the urban elite…. The Yeoman had two main sources for his food. Firstly it could come from his own farm, secondly he could buy it from other British importers or thirdly from importers.”

Staplebound pamphlet. 24 pages.