A couple of posts ago (“Hunkering Down”) I yakked about that
cookbook I found (Oysters, a Culinary Celebration) which contained a recipe/receipt
for “Sotterley Oyster Pye”, attributed to Miss Ann Chase’s Book from 1811. (errata:
somehow I got the idea there was a Mary in there.. wrong, just plain Ann). I sort of decided to try to find out more
about Ann and her book. Besides I am
coming up with the next piece for the Tourism clan and thought maybe that would
make a good basis for a story. Googling
only drove me to that Maryland’s Way book from which the oyster book people
pulled the Pye receipt. So I sent out a
couple of notes to some historical buddies who were kind enough to share some
of their amazing knowledge of local and regional history.
So, with their able help, a little light was shed on Miss
Ann Chase, but kind of low wattage.. She
was the daughter (b. 1771) of Samuel Chase (1741 – 1811) of Annapolis. Savvy American history folks will know he was
a signer of the Declaration of Independence, as well as an Associate Justice of
the Supreme Court (who endured an impeachment movement, another story) and
moved in pretty high circles. Ann Chase
was also a contemporary of an Ann Elizabeth Tuttle (or Elizabeth Anne –
depending on your source) who eventually married John Rousby Plater. Alert local historians will immediately
recognize this name as being the name of the family who operated Sotterley Plantation during
the last half of the 18th century.
Sooo, that would perhaps establish some connection between our Miss Ann and
Sotterley, explaining why some of her receipts referenced Mrs. Plater’s
way. Don’t know if Ann Chase ever
visited.
The second piece of good fortune was that one of my friends
said that his wife had a copy of Maryland’s Way, and would I like to borrow it! Of course!
So with a little logistic jockeying between here and Leonardtown I got a
copy of the book containing Miss Ann’s receipt(s)
And contains many receipts from Maryland History gathered
from various sources. A great little
book. There were actually about 15
attributed (which I marked with stickies) to Miss Ann Chase including the Pye one that got all this
started. Anyway, she apparently included
little remarks about the receipts where appropriate, quite often of the form: “Peach
Jamb – Mrs. Snowden’s Way”, or: ” Cabbage
Pudding or Stuffed Green Cabbage - Sophia Ridgely's Receipt revised”. Besides receipts she also had entries for
technique, like “Mr. Paca's way to Dress Crabs”. Mr. Paca was William Paca a fellow signer of
the Declaration with his buddy Sam Chase.
Apparently Ann moved in pretty elite circles. Don’t know if she was a cook, or just assembled
the receipts. Wish I could find out more about her and her “book” begun
in 1811, but can find no reference to it.
It would be fun (and hard work) to go trace down who the Sarah Ridgelys
and Mrs. Snowdens were..
The book has many more recipes from all counties of Maryland,
and the ones from St. Mary’s are usually by what we would now call “county names”. Like “Kenneth
Duke's Bean Soup” (by Kenneth), which MFO speculates is associated with Duke’s
Bar in Leonardtown. Many of the recipes
one could make today, others you might think about
It is fun to read
them. I am going to try to get a copy of
the book for my very own. You never know
where a liking of cookbooks, a passion for food and cooking, plus a nose for
history will lead you. And given Miss Ann
Chase’s (presumed) social status, I have no doubt she would admonish us to
DFD
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