Michael Pearce
@michaelpearce.bsky.social
History, Scotland. Probably writing about material culture, costume, household accounts, letters, and recipe books
Blog, remember them? https://vanishedcomforts.org/about/
Blog, remember them? https://vanishedcomforts.org/about/
Mistress Young's Edinburgh macaroons c. 1640, 'beat 4 or 5 eggis the wheits of them with a tuig till it be all turned to fome', full recipe in ALT text
![How to make mackaroundes
Take a pound of almondis blansche them in warme water beat them small putting in as yow beat them a little roase water q[ui]ch will beist them from oyling q[uhe]n they be all beatten small take ther weight in sugar and beit them together till it be lyke a past then take them out of the morter and put to them a spoonfull of roase water and 3. of fyne wheate floure mixe altogether then beat 4 or 5 eggis the wheits of them with a tuig till it be all turned to fome then put in the almondis and mixe it with and lay them out in ovells in a pleat q[uhe]n they be halfe baiked louse them of trenscheours then and baike them out](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:p3stfxwzlmhwdtnk4pe63vov/bafkreign7g2ggam74tuqgd2p7y7gg6rjjnlz3wroure5a5bnkrysbgp6wi@jpeg)
November 7, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Mistress Young's Edinburgh macaroons c. 1640, 'beat 4 or 5 eggis the wheits of them with a tuig till it be all turned to fome', full recipe in ALT text
Lochleven Castle imagined for 'Le Chateau de Loch-Leven', an 1822 play by René-Charles Guilbert de Pixérécourt, 1822. I suppose George Douglas is the one in white
November 4, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Lochleven Castle imagined for 'Le Chateau de Loch-Leven', an 1822 play by René-Charles Guilbert de Pixérécourt, 1822. I suppose George Douglas is the one in white
Clothes for Christian Stewart, a childhood companion of Lady Mary, from the accounts of Anne Gordon, Countess of Moray. May 1635
October 29, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Clothes for Christian Stewart, a childhood companion of Lady Mary, from the accounts of Anne Gordon, Countess of Moray. May 1635
Very nice, this castle and tree, I suppose
October 29, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Very nice, this castle and tree, I suppose
August 1589, Margaret Thomsoun sells copies of Edward Hutchins 'David's Sling' at 13s 4d (Scots), bookbinding by John Norton presumably extra (her will NRS CC8/8/21 p.1)
October 21, 2025 at 10:35 AM
August 1589, Margaret Thomsoun sells copies of Edward Hutchins 'David's Sling' at 13s 4d (Scots), bookbinding by John Norton presumably extra (her will NRS CC8/8/21 p.1)
Sweets from Master Thomas for Mary, Queen of Scots, the ambassador will pay, c'est a dire chiches rouge et du sucre candie, NLS Adv. MS 29.2.5 f.89
October 16, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Sweets from Master Thomas for Mary, Queen of Scots, the ambassador will pay, c'est a dire chiches rouge et du sucre candie, NLS Adv. MS 29.2.5 f.89
June 1560, Mary of Guise 'was very weak; she had eaten nothing for the last seven or eight days but had taken drinks constantly; her mind began to wander.' Extracts from the household book
October 13, 2025 at 9:15 PM
June 1560, Mary of Guise 'was very weak; she had eaten nothing for the last seven or eight days but had taken drinks constantly; her mind began to wander.' Extracts from the household book
Mentioned as von Witt and de Witt about five times in 'Stummer Advocat auf das Jahr' (1755). books.google.co.uk/books?id=7jV...
October 11, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Mentioned as von Witt and de Witt about five times in 'Stummer Advocat auf das Jahr' (1755). books.google.co.uk/books?id=7jV...
James VI, wearing the same doublet as in his Edinburgh Castle portrait, but with different buttons
October 9, 2025 at 2:31 PM
James VI, wearing the same doublet as in his Edinburgh Castle portrait, but with different buttons
Two versions, a print collectors dream!
October 9, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Two versions, a print collectors dream!
James VI of Scotland, engraved/published by Jean Rabel, details: art.rmngp.fr/fr/library/a...
October 9, 2025 at 2:01 PM
James VI of Scotland, engraved/published by Jean Rabel, details: art.rmngp.fr/fr/library/a...
A Chinese Shunzhi period dish (1644-1661) with inscription 'a leaf predicts the arrival of autumn, (but) the new spring will be full of fragrance and colour' (picture Feng-Chung Ma ceramics), and a contemporary Persian fritware copy
October 9, 2025 at 11:48 AM
A Chinese Shunzhi period dish (1644-1661) with inscription 'a leaf predicts the arrival of autumn, (but) the new spring will be full of fragrance and colour' (picture Feng-Chung Ma ceramics), and a contemporary Persian fritware copy
Mary of Guise had a lady in waiting called Big Anne (La Grant Anne), according to the master of the wardrobe in 1553
October 8, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Mary of Guise had a lady in waiting called Big Anne (La Grant Anne), according to the master of the wardrobe in 1553
By some coincidence, that was also the name of the battle in Arran's household account, Ankiram or Lillieyeart, NRS E31/13 f.238.
October 6, 2025 at 8:36 PM
By some coincidence, that was also the name of the battle in Arran's household account, Ankiram or Lillieyeart, NRS E31/13 f.238.
'applicuit', a new word to me, when your ship comes in
October 6, 2025 at 10:55 AM
'applicuit', a new word to me, when your ship comes in
I reckon the enamel plaque with the sons of Antoinette of Bourbon, Duchess of Guise, helping her chariot wheel over some heretics and unbelievers is one of the best things in the Frick
October 6, 2025 at 9:16 AM
I reckon the enamel plaque with the sons of Antoinette of Bourbon, Duchess of Guise, helping her chariot wheel over some heretics and unbelievers is one of the best things in the Frick
Letterlocking in October 1542, an invitation from James V to Henry VIII, according to Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie. Noted but not printed in Mackay's 1899 edition, archive.org/details/bim_...
October 4, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Letterlocking in October 1542, an invitation from James V to Henry VIII, according to Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie. Noted but not printed in Mackay's 1899 edition, archive.org/details/bim_...
Would anyone know where 'Olre' in Holland was/is? John Johnston was master and owner of the Sampson of Olre in Holland, carrying oil, salt, wine, & Spanish money in 1593.
September 29, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Would anyone know where 'Olre' in Holland was/is? John Johnston was master and owner of the Sampson of Olre in Holland, carrying oil, salt, wine, & Spanish money in 1593.
So I bought an old pitcher, and discover two authentic storage options; suspended, or upside-down on a shelf, from the 'Augsburger Klebealbum', heiup.uni-heidelberg.de/catalog/view...
September 26, 2025 at 10:05 PM
So I bought an old pitcher, and discover two authentic storage options; suspended, or upside-down on a shelf, from the 'Augsburger Klebealbum', heiup.uni-heidelberg.de/catalog/view...
Seen on eBay, a 1596 document signed by William Penryn of Rysnant (Llandysilio) and Richard Shuttleworth, seems unusual for ebay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/37657031...
September 25, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Seen on eBay, a 1596 document signed by William Penryn of Rysnant (Llandysilio) and Richard Shuttleworth, seems unusual for ebay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/37657031...
There's a kind of wine jug with three small birds in the pattern, called a Vögeleskrug, who knew?
September 21, 2025 at 9:33 PM
There's a kind of wine jug with three small birds in the pattern, called a Vögeleskrug, who knew?
Harry Stewart offered to throw the Duke of Albany's secretary down the stairs at Edinburgh Castle after he insisted on visiting Margaret Tudor's gentlewomen in January 1525
September 10, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Harry Stewart offered to throw the Duke of Albany's secretary down the stairs at Edinburgh Castle after he insisted on visiting Margaret Tudor's gentlewomen in January 1525
Anthony Standen wrote of his first sight of King James in June 1566, when Mary, Queen of Scots, 'usinge other more noble speeches before the kinge and ladies of the omynous castinge hys princely hands open ymediatlye upon his comminge into this worlde', his little mitts betokening a generous nature
September 9, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Anthony Standen wrote of his first sight of King James in June 1566, when Mary, Queen of Scots, 'usinge other more noble speeches before the kinge and ladies of the omynous castinge hys princely hands open ymediatlye upon his comminge into this worlde', his little mitts betokening a generous nature
Novelty hats available on Edinburgh's High Street in 1570, broad hats £6-10s, slight hats half lined £6-10s, unlined 3s-d, and Catholic hats with strings 20s. (will of Jonet Fleming)
September 5, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Novelty hats available on Edinburgh's High Street in 1570, broad hats £6-10s, slight hats half lined £6-10s, unlined 3s-d, and Catholic hats with strings 20s. (will of Jonet Fleming)
The lively portraicture of the most noble and right honourable lady, the Lady Katherin Marchionesse of Buckingham engraved with irresistible caption by Magdalena Passe
August 29, 2025 at 10:40 AM
The lively portraicture of the most noble and right honourable lady, the Lady Katherin Marchionesse of Buckingham engraved with irresistible caption by Magdalena Passe