Catherine Tollemache facts for kids
Catherine Tollemache (born Cromwell, 1557–1621) was an English noblewoman. She was famous for her cooking and healing skills. Catherine collected and wrote down many recipes for food and medicine.
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Who Was Catherine Tollemache?
Catherine was the daughter of Henry Cromwell, 2nd Baron Cromwell and Mary Paulet. She grew up in North Elmham in Norfolk, England.
In 1580, Catherine married Lionel Tollemache. He was from Helmingham in Suffolk. Their first son, John, sadly died when he was a baby. Catherine's uncle, Thomas Cromwell, also lived nearby at that time.
Catherine and Lionel later moved to Helmingham Hall. They had seven children who grew up, including their son, also named Lionel. Her husband, Sir Lionel, became a baronet in 1611. This was a special title given by King James VI and I.
Life at Helmingham Hall
Helmingham Hall was the main home for Catherine and her family. Catherine and her servant, George Smyth, kept careful records of everything. These old family papers tell us about the servants who worked there. They also show what was bought for the house and clothes for the family.
An inventory from 1597 lists the different rooms used for housework and cooking. These included the "stilling yard," the workhouse, and the "soap house." The "still yard" was a room where special equipment like stills and limbecks were kept. These were used to make distilled waters or medicines. After Catherine died, this room was no longer listed. This suggests that this type of home production became less common.
In 1605, Catherine wrote to her tailor in London, Roger Jones. She asked him about new sleeves for a gown. He suggested a different style would look "fytter" (better).
Catherine's Recipes and Books
Catherine Tollemache was very interested in recipes. Some of her handwritten recipe books are still kept by her family today.
In 2001, two of her recipe collections were published. One was called Catherine Tollemache's Secrets. The other was Receipts for Pastery, Confectionary, etc. The second title was added after she died.
These books don't describe everyday meals. Instead, they focus on special treats like sweetmeats, distilled waters, and fruit preserves. These included quince marmalade and cotignac (a type of quince paste). Catherine would have been personally involved in making these.
Some ingredients came from her own garden. She also bought "poticary stuff," which were materials used by apothecaries (like old-fashioned pharmacists). Catherine even wrote about making fake fruit from sugar paste. This sugar paste was called "manus Christi." She would set it in a mold made from plaster-of-paris. Then she painted the sugar fruit with special colors from a painter.
In another recipe book, Catherine wrote her name: "Catheren Tallemach ow[n]eth this boocke" (Catherine Tollemache owns this book).
Catherine also owned a printed book from 1600 called Treasurie by John Partridge. This book had recipes for sweets and helpful household tips. It is now kept at the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Later Life and Legacy
After her husband died in 1612, Catherine lived in Ipswich. Catherine Tollemache passed away on March 24, 1621.
Her memorial is in St Mary's Church in Helmingham. It calls her "Catharine Tallemache." It also mentions her "skill & singular experience in chyrurgerie." This means she was very skilled in surgery and healing. She was known for caring for sick and injured people.
A portrait of Catherine, believed to be painted by Robert Peake the Elder, is still at Helmingham Hall. In 2016, a British TV show called Who Do You Think You Are? discovered something interesting. The actor Danny Dyer found out he was a relative of Catherine Tollemache!
