This little cookery book is from the Scottish company of Brown and Polson, from Paisley in Renfrewshire. The company was formed in 1840 and two years later it started producing starch; starch was commonly used for stiffening fabrics, and in Paisley was a textile town. Silk was produced there initially but then the famous paisley patterned cashmere was woven. Starch was used in the weaving trade, and this was the market for Brown and Polson’s product. By 1860 the company had moved into food products including what it is possibly most famous for, patented cornflour.
“Indian Corn, or Maize,” the book tells us, “has been grown for centuries in hot climates, where it practically forms the staple food for the people of those countries. But it is only within the last sixty years or so that the refined starch substance known as Corn Flour has been specially prepared from this cereal for cooking purposes.”
Lois Elsden 