‘23 old forks & spoons, 3 ornaments. 1 old recipe book’. This was what was written on the customs declaration of a parcel I received from my Aunt Diana in Canada. It doesn’t sound much and yet is part of a story that has completely captivated my imagination and taken over a large part of my life for the last year or so and eventually led to the publication of our book ‘Lavender Water and Snail Syrup’.
If you like detective stories and have a slightly obsessive nature, beware the lure of family history research. If you take the parcel I describe and combine it with some other tangible evidence in the form of a beautiful old portrait rediscovered, several old houses, a collection of wooden boxes containing glass photographic plates – you have the basis of an obsession. The story has many layers and leads in several directions but it all comes back to my ancestor Elizabeth Ambler and her ‘old recipe book’. This collection of cures and remedies was compiled in the period between 1712 and 1766 and contains nearly one hundred pages of ‘receipts’ used on a daily basis by my family in the eighteenth century and passed down through the family to me.
I was sent the parcel at a time when I was unaware of how the story would unfold… valuable family silver and an old book; a country house near Oxford that my grandmother Mollie left at the age of 13; an archive and small museum at that house (now part of a large school); an old photograph of a large portrait of three children suddenly rediscovered in an auctioneer’s catalogue… I could not have predicted then how enchanted I would become with my discoveries. I am fortunate to be the custodian of the book and this good fortune has many aspects. To find out about the people in the story and to piece together aspects of their lives has been an adventure; feeling a connection with them through this process has been of great value to me. On one hand there are the tangible pieces of evidence, the objects, houses and pictures: on the other hand there is the story hidden within these and the creative process of discovery.
To have been able to share this in publishing the book has been so rewarding. Working with Marilyn Yurdan, who has added her enthusiasm and knowledge to the project, has all been part of the creative process. My daughter Laura Lillie has illustrated the multitude of ingredients used in the making of the cures and remedies, illuminating and enriching our book.
I see the book as a celebration of Elizabeth Ambler and her life. To be a custodian of some treasured family heirlooms is one thing but to be able to share the story contained within these objects is so much more than that. The book launch party we had at Holton Park in July was visible evidence of this: a group of 90 people, many also descendants of Elizabeth Ambler, many interested in our Georgian ancestors, many intrigued to know more about our book ‘Lavender Water and Snail Syrup’.
Elizabeth Ambler started compiling her household book of cures in the early eighteenth century, including in it treatments which were much older and had been passed down to her. These intriguing remedies include Sir Walter Raleigh’s Receipt against Plague, Viper Broth, Snail Milk Water and Tobacco for the Eyes, as well as Ginger Bread and Apricot Ratafia.
Mrs Ambler’s book of cures is exceptional in that has been handed down through her female descendants over nearly three centuries. Set against the backdrop of the family’s country houses, silverware and lavish portraits, this book is much more than just a collection of curiosities; it offers a fascinating insight into the sickness and health of our Georgian ancestors, and into what really went on in their kitchens.
Nicola Lillie is a descendant of Elizabeth Ambler and owner of the book of cures. Now based in Cornwall, she works as an artist and interior designer. Her book ‘Lavender Water and Snail Syrup’ is available now.