John Locke owned a catering and confectionary business in Gloucester and his son Henry owned one in Cheltenham. This archive is made up of manuscript cookery books from these businesses.

Note: It is believed that "Do" in these manuscripts means "Ditto."

The archive consists of six physical items:

1) "Hy Locke on Cookery & Confectionary. Cheltenham '52."

Written all in the same hand, this cook book contains mostly English versions of French recipes, probably translations of cookbooks in his library. Also included are "a few French terms," and a list of seasonal items. The recipes are mainly for fish and meat dishes and include tips, usually starting with "Observe . . ." on cooking some of the items, such as the following: "Observe. All fish and other sauces that are thickened must be sent to the table quite thick as thin sauces are unpardonable.

" 2) "Henry Locke, Cook and Confectioner, Cheltenham." Octavo in blind stamped roan cover, 100 pages. There is an inscription on 7th and 8th pages that reads, "To the memory of John Locke who departed this life January 1, 1833 aged 41 years." Also on these pages is an inscription reading, "To the memory of Henry Locke who departed this life Dec. 22 1896, aged 75 years." Written in at least three hands, this contains a wide variety of items. The recipes are mostly for cakes and biscuits and other sweets commencing, as one might expect of a confectionery, with the stages for boiling sugar. The amounts are for lage batches, appropriate for a bakery. Later additions are often written over older entries. Also included are "Top and bottom dishes," including roast turkey-mushroom and celery sauce, saddle of mutton-plum sauce, and hashed calves head-brown sauce; August entrees and June sides; seasonal charts for fruits; dinner menus; and table layouts.

3) Inscribed inside front cover, "Joe Beecham, 229 High St." Velum bound. This could be the owner of the book or a tradesman's or client's address. In a different hand from the Locke's manuscripts, this book may have been in their archive, rather than actually written by them. It does not appear to be in either John's or Henry's presumed handwriting. In it are some recipes in quanatity; but also included are notes on the amounts of items produced and items sold. For example, "Cross Buns Thursday March 29 '77. Not enough buns - 4 tins made early - Fancy Bread left - must not make so much - Saturday a little bread left - Chelsea Bath & Cross buns made as usual. Make 2 bushels flour up for x buns - wet morning - finished early."Â Some laid-in materials, including a memorandum book from The Home and Colonial Tea Stores, London, in which there are recipes written in several hands.

4) A flyer for "John Locke, Cook and Confectioner, 48 Barton Street, Gloucester." Advertising his services on the cover of the 8 x 5" leaflet. Inside are handwritten recipes for Chutnee Sauce and Locke's Gloucestershire Relish.

5-6) Labels for Gloucestershire Relish, bottled by John Locke