Apothecary's Stock Book, early 17th century

Inventory of stock and stock ledger of an unidentified apothecary, perhaps based in London, 1635-37. With a large number of medical, culinary and household recipes in various later 17th-century hands. The inventory provides a list of quantities and values of drugs and other commodities in stock, arranged alphabetically. The date 1635 occurs on f. 92r. The ledger begins on 16 October [1635] (f. 132r.) and continues till 13 March [1637] (f. 136v.), and apparently records movements of stock. Most of the formerly blank pages throughout the volume have been filled with later recipes.

1635-1637

155 ff. numerous blanks. 1 vol., 185 x 117 mm, Dark brown calf binding, gilt panel-stamped with central ornament front and rear. Remains of ties.

Purchased from A R Heath, 1998.

The initials J.S. and H.B. occur at various places in the inventory. The tentative attribution of the business to a London apothecary is based on the inscription on the front pastedown, in a later 17th-century hand: `Mattheu's Pill [i e Richard Mathews, The unlearned alchymist his antidote: or, a more full and ample explanation of the use, virtue and benefit of my pill ... London: J Leigh, 1662] is to be bought at Mr Lounds a Boock seller in Little Britinn'. This would appear to refer to Richard Lowndes (fl. 1640-75), recorded as a bookseller in Duck Lane near West Smithfield. See Henry R Plomer, A dictionary of the booksellers and printers who were at work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667 (The Bibliographical Society, 1968), p. 120.

Database description transcribed from Richard Aspin and Christopher Hilton's typescript supplement to S.A.J Moorat's Catalogue of Western Manuscripts