Background
Whitcher was born on March 31, 1815 in Laurens, New New York
Whitcher was born on March 31, 1815 in Laurens, New New York
When Whitcher was eleven years old her family moved to the Canterbury Shaker Village in New Hampshire. The site of the Canterbury community was the old homestead of Mary"s grandfather, Benjamin Whitcher, who in 1782 dedicated his 100-acre (40 ha) farm to the Society as a basis and the nucleus for the people of the newly formed Shaker community. In time she ultimately became a trustee, family eldress, and schoolteacher of the community.
She also served as a kitchen deaconess.
She was a trustee in the Canterbury Society for some 20 years and became recognized as an ideal Shakeress. This was composed of two male members and two female members.
lieutenant presided over the two Societies of Canterbury and Enfield. lieutenant was the highest office in the Society.
Whitcher died on January 6, 1890.
Whitcher was well recognized nationally for her 34-page booklet titled Mary Whitcher"s House-Keeper that has a drawing of her on the cover. lieutenant promoted Shaker medicines, cooking, and philosophy. Her booklet is the first Shaker cookbook published.
Whitcher designed a cookbook that had a basic economical meal for each day of the week that was different.
This was a novelty for most of the New England homes of the nineteenth century. Many of the recipes she obtained from her friends.
She hoped that the readers would use the daily recipes as a basis for more elaborate meals. The first meal was on Sunday and the last on Saturday.
After this she gave many miscellaneous recipes including several deserts and credited many to whom she obtained the recipe or desert from.
Whitcher brings up some pointers of etiquette for the dinner table at the very end of her cookbook.