Three leather bound books, all of British origin, once owned by different persons. One certainly by a chemist, the other by a scientist/ builder/chemist or perhaps just curious person and the third owned by someone that owned a great many rams that he rented out for the purpose of breeding.
The first of the three books is marked as having been owned by Mr Woods of Southampton in Hampshire. Also by W. Bleakman in 1884. Also by Woods The Chemist of 27 High Street, Worcester. (This shop still exists as a museum). The book measures 17 x 10 .5 cms or 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches and is most obviously a chemist's recipe book. (see photographs 1 to 9). It contains recipes for all manner of tinctures. Also Rat Paste, Boot Top Liquid, Black Soap, Ginger Beer Powder, Black Basicon, Permanent Ink and Sap Green, Currie Powder, Mushroom Ketchup, Eau de Luçon and Carminative Pills. There are 224 pages in the book. All are used with many having 2 recipes on the page.
Condition: Very Good. This book remains tightly bound. The pages are clean. The writing is legible.
The second book is entitled Receipts meaning Recipes and was owned by F. Goulding. A date on one of the newspaper cuttings that is pasted onto the pages places it as early as 1829. It contains instructions for, amongst a great many other things, the making of Saxon Blue, The Removal of Oil Stains From Paper, The Preservation of The Polish of Marble When Exposed To The Atmosphere, The Filtering of Water, An Antidote For Poison, Waterproof Cloth and Gooseberry Wine. Also other pieces of information such as A Plan For A Writing Desk, How To Make Leeches Bite Eagerly, The Magic Square of Letters, Instructions For Preserving Flowers and The Rearing of Apple Trees ( see
photographs 10-16).
One hundred and one pages are used in this book. About half of the book remains unused. It measures 19.5 x 12.5 cms or 7 3/4 x 5 inches.
Condition: Very Good. The front cover has fallen off but the binding is otherwise sound. The pages are age toned but remain clean and legible.
The third book accounts for the activity of its owner’s rams that I presume are rented out to mate with sheep belonging to other farmers. Entries are dated as early as 1771. They list the names of individuals and the price paid for the renting of a top. The book is British but no specific area is identified in the book. It measures 20 x 15.5 cms or 8 x 6 inches. It is bound in vellum.
Condition: Very Good. The cover is well used . The boards are buckled; they do not lie flat. The binding remains secure. The pages within are age toned but legible.
