Portrait of Eliza
Eliza Lucas Pinckney came to Charleston with her family from England in 1738. Her Letterbook, detailing her life, and her experiments with indigo have firmly placed her in the canon of influential colonial South Carolina figures. She became a plantation head, a wife, and a mother during her life in the colony. At sixteen, Eliza’s father put her in charge of his three plantations in Charleston, earning her the first of these roles. By 1744 she raised her first successful crop of indigo. That same year she married Charles Pinckney. Soon, she bore three children: Charles Cotesworth (1746), Harriott (1748), and Thomas (1750). In 1758, after a sojourn in England, Eliza, Charles, and Harriott returned to Charleston. The boy children had been left behind for schooling. Charles died of malaria soon after their return, and Eliza took charge of their plantation. In addition to her letters, Eliza kept a journal of her recipes (then called receipts), starting in 1756. Today this collection is known as The Receipt Book of Eliza Lucas Pinckney. The book contains medicinal recipes as well as the expected culinary ones.
The selected recipes reflect Eliza’s role as the head of a large plantation. The selections are ordered the same as they appear in the manuscript. It is interesting to note that Eliza initially focuses her attention on recording numerous medicinal recipes before recording most of her culinary recipes. A few treatments for common ailments are included: an treatment for arthritis, two methods for treating malaria, and a recipe for cough syrup. Coming to the Charleston colony required a specific brand of braveness as many immigrants fell ill upon arrival. Even after years in the colony, Eliza’s husband Charles succumbed to malaria, then known as “fever and ague.” Eliza’s recipe “For an Ague of Fever” is included both because the disease personally affected her family, and because it plagued many colonists. There is also a method for preparing and consuming Cinchona bark. This tree grew in South America and was expensive to import. However, its effectiveness at treating the symptoms of malaria made it worth the expense.
A famous strain from Carolina
Following the medicinal recipes is a recipe for rice that is easily recognizable. Besides making sure the rice is “well picked,” Eliza’s recipe differs little from that on the back of any bag of rice available in the supermarket. Along with rice, seafood was readily available to early colonists. The marshes especially held a copious amount of oysters. Therefore, Eliza’s recipe for oyster soup has been included.
Through these recipes one can form a picture of life in colonial South Carolina. The emphasis on medicines in the manuscript reflects a preoccupation with sickness. As English constitutions acclimated to the new American climate, the learning curve was steep. Additionally, the diets of colonists had to adjust to what was available. The large hilly pastures of England had to be forgotten. Instead, new cash crops, like rice, that were better suited to the wetland environment of coastal South Carolina came into prominence. The abundance of coveted seafood in the marshes was a poor consolation for the high mortality rate.
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Excerpts from The Receipt Book of Eliza Lucas Pinckney
For the Gout—Taken from Part of an Advertisement
The Herb to be used is common Wormwood. The flowers and upper leaves are to be strip’d from the stalk, and upon a handful of these is to be pour’d a pint of Boiling Water; this is to stand twelve hours, and then be pour’d off, and a quarter of a pint is to be taken an hour before dinner and five hours after. It is to be continued regularly for sometime and in this case as also in want of appetite and other disorders of the Stomach will make those very happy who shall use it.
A Decoction of the Bark
Put three or four Spoonfuls of white Hickory ashes in a Bowl and pour on it one Pint of Boiling Water, let it settle and then pour it off clear, and add it to one ounce and quarter of Josuits Bark finaly Powder’d and boil it well together, and when it is done take 2 spoonfulls every 2d Hour as your Stomach will bear it.
D.G.M.
For an Ague of Fever
Infuse a Pint of Hickory ashes and a double Handfull of Wormwood in a quart of Madeira Wine, 24 hours in the Sun and drink one Glass of it in the morning fasting and one at night.
For a Cough
Honey and Liquorish sliced of each 4 ounces, flowers of Benjamin and opium each a dram, salt of Tartar one ounce, Camphor two scruples, oil of aniseeds half a dram. Infuse these Ingredients in a quart of double Rectified spirit of Wine by the fire for ten or twelve days shaking the bottle twice a day. The dose for a grown person is a hundred drops. I have known them of great Service to children in the hooping Cough.
Before the bottle is shaken the cork must be lossend as it must be while it stands before the fire. The bottle must not be quite fill’d. It will keep seven years.
If the patient is not better in 2 or 3 time taking the drops they must take a purge and then repeat them.
Mrs. Brailsford
To Boil Rice
Take a pint of rice well picked and Clean’d Set on a saucepann with one Gallon of water and a handful of salt, when the water boils put in the rice, about a quarter of an hour will boil it enough accouding to the quickness of the fire or by tasting it; but be sure to avoid stiring the rice after tis in the saucepann for one turn with a spoon will spoil all. When ‘tis tender turn the rice into a sieve; when the water is quite draind off return it to the same pan and let it stand near the fire for an hour or more to be kept hot and if the process is well observed it will be white, dry, and every grain Separate.
Oyster Soop
Slice three Onions and lay them in the bottom of a pott with a quarter of a pound of good butter, cover it close and let it fry till the onions are tender then pour on them 3 qts. of boiling water and let it stew and then put in the Liquor of the Oysters being first strained through a cloth, put in also a bunch of sweet herbs made of thyme, sweet marjoram, winter savory and a good handful parsley shed fine. Likewise some pepper nutmeg whole mace and twelf spoonfuls of grated bread. Lett all boil together and just before you take it up put it in the oysters. Let it boil a little longer have ready to yolks of 4 eggs beat up with a glass of wine and a spoonful of vinegar, put it to the soop and let it thicken a little. Dish it with toast bread cut like dice.
Mrs. Blakeway