Language & Handwriting
John and Joan Gibson: medical recipe book (Wellcome Collection, MS.311; p. 18)
Most recipe books included in digital collections are written in English that was typical for the Early Modern era (1500-1750). The following resources may be helpful when deciphering handwriting and grammar from that time period:
'Grammar in early modern English' (Oxford English Dictionary)
'Palaeography: reading old handwriting 1500 - 1800, A practical online tutorial' (The National Archives, UK)
'English Handwriting Online 1500-1700: an online course' (University of Cambridge)
Fewer standards for spelling and grammar during this era presents additional challenges in deciphering ingredient or recipe instructions. A word might be spelled one way in the first sentence of a paragraph and will have been spelled three other ways by the end of that same paragraph. Attempting to read names aloud may be useful in deciphering what is trying to be communicated.