A Manual of Religious and Table Etiquette; A Selection of Choice Recipes For Plain and Fancy Cooking and a Compend of Rules, Tables, and Suggestions of Infinite Value in Every Household (from the title page)

{HISTORY}

Before church cookbooks came in spiral-bound form printed on thin paper and stuffed to the gills with recipes fresh from the typewriter, they came in hardbound covers with gold gilt lettering and artfully displayed ads tucked between party menus and etiquette advice. 

Published in 1888 for the Methodist Church in Bay View, Massachusetts, this rare antique book extolls the gracious art of New England hospitality. Located near Gloucester on Massachusetts' scenic Cape Ann, this area of New England was settled by members of the Methodist community in the 1800s, and the church became a pivotal part of their social life. This book highlights in two sections - one on manners and the other on cooking - how these 19th-century New Englanders valued time spent in the company of each other. 

Etiquette guidelines are Downton Abbey and Emily Post approved with information on how to dress for dinner (coat, bow-tie and tails for gentlemen, gown with train for ladies), what time to serve breakfast (between 10:00am-Noon), how to handle bread at the table, when not to apologize to serving staff, the proper order in which to seat guests, how to sell items at a church fair, handling conversation while waiting for Sunday service to begin, how to plan a church wedding including dress, transportation seating arrangements, music, etc. and how to coordinate a funeral including the roles of family members and friends, the expectations of funeral goers, and the symbolism behind floral bouquets. 

The recipe section is full of dishes intended for social events like afternoon tea parties, garden picnics, holiday soirees and simple family dinners.  Including all meals of the day from breakfast through after-dinner dessert, there is quite an extensive section on baking recipes (breads, cakes, pies, puddings) as well as seafood, meat, soup, salad, and condiments. 

Peppered between the two sections and also appearing at the front and the back of the book, are local advertisements for purveyors in and around the Bay View area who were conducting business in the late 1880s. Wonderful from a genealogical perspective, these ads help illustrate the type of services available in coastal Massachusetts in the late 19th century and offer an intimate look at the men and women who managed them.

Finishing out the final section of the book are helpful hints for homekeeping. These include cleaning, general wellness, laundry, grooming, and beautification tips. 

Please note: Although published by and for members of the Methodist community, this book is not very religious in tone except for a few mentions of God in the church, wedding and funeral etiquette sections. This is not an inclusive book meant for just a select few, yet instead promotes respect for others and encourages convivial hospitality for all. We especially love it for the wealth of information it offers in the way of cooking and manners and how specific local tradespeople who contributed to the coastal Massachusetts food landscape are featured. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Published in 1888

- 76 pages not including over two dozen pages of advertisements

- Rare, hard-to-find book

 - Etiquette sections include the following...

• Etiquette of the Dinner-Party
• Etiquette of the Breakfast
• Etiquette of the Tea-Party
• Etiquette of the Church-Fair
• Etiquette of Church Attendance
• Etiquette of the Wedding
• Etiquette of the Funeral

- Interesting recipes include Irish Stew, Fish Chowder, Scalloped Oysters, Spiced Beef, Dropped Eggs, Piccalilli, Homemade Yeast, Graham Bread, Breakfast Bunns, Breakfast Cakes, Coconut Pie, Transparent Pie, Orange Pudding, Snow Pudding Wedding Pudding, Rochester Jelly Cake, feather Cake, Calvert Premium Cake, Fancy Cake, Charlotte Russe, Hamburg Cream, and Frosted Currents 

- Several blank pages are set aside in the back of the book for note-taking

{CONDITION}

In beautiful antique condition. This book is very clean inside and out. There are no markings, spots or cooking stains. The red coverboards are slightly mottled in color due to age. The spine is tight and all pages are intact. Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

Measures 8"inches (length) x 5.35" inches (width) x .5" inches (thickness) and weighs 12 oz.

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