Food for Weavers (cont.)
19th May, 2008
The diet of the late 18th Century handloom weavers in Ribchester would possibly have been surprisingly varied and far from the poor diet of the town dwelling weavers of the early 19th Century. The "colony" of handloom weavers in Ribchester seems to have survived when others had collapsed and the multiplicity of trades suggests that whilst less prosperous than the 18th Century the ability to produce "niche" products kept the population stable around 1,700 to 1,800.
From this and extensive reading on 18th Century food, and the great good fortune of having access to a Preston 18th Century hand written recipe book, and two later 19th Century hand written recipe books, it is possible to surmise that the diet of the handloom weavers was richer in protein and dairy products than that of the "labourers".
All parts of all animals were consumed and in Lancashire the fondness for tripe, udder and other offal products carried well into the 20th Century. The quality of meat would have necessitated slow cooking and indeed the cooking facilities of the time would have dictated this.
Carbohydrates formed an essential part of the workers diet. This was mostly in the form of oat products and pulses. The climate and the soils of the area resulted in oat breads and oatcakes being a staple food. High fat products cheese, butter, suet, lard and dumpling were also essential elements of the diet.
Vegetables were eaten in dried or well cooked form - not as a dish on their own but as part of a pottage, stew, hot pot or incorporated in a steamed puddings.
Sweetness by this period, the late 18th Century, was being provided by sugar which had become much less expensive and therefore there was less reliance on honey. Black treacle features frequently in Lancashire recipes of the period.
Fruit tended to be cooked or preserved in the form of jams, marmalades and cheeses.
Very little water appears to have been drunk; ale and tea were the most common drinks. Tea had become cheaper though poor in quality, drunk black and weak. As well as the hostelries of the White Bull, Black Bull and the Red Lion numerous other ale house keepers were known in the village. Recipes for homemade fruit and vegetable wines are common.
An overriding influence was the domestic cooking arrangements. The open "down hearth" would have dictated many types of dishes, slow cooking stews, pottages, spit roasting, pan frying, toasting, boiled puddings etc. The cost of firing a bake oven - if one was available - reduced the number of baked goods. The oatcake was ideal as it was made on a "bake stone" or "back stone" on an open fire and then hung in front of the fire to dry. Local wills of the period indicate how valuable the various tripods, spits, cauldrons, etc were.
Ann Ward, 2008
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