Thewealthy and socially prominent Jane Gilmor Howard, as Mrs. B. C. Howard, wrote the immensely popular 1873fundraising cookbook. One of therecipes, “Belvidere Rice Pudding” was named for Belvidere, the large 18thcentury 'seat’ of the Howards, where she lived.
JaneGrant Gilmor (1801-1890) married Benjamin Chew Howard(1791-1872) in 1818. She give birth to twelve children, published the cookbook at age 72 (a year after her husband died), and lived to be 89 yearsold. At 65 Jane Howard was president of the Ladies'Southern Relief Association of Maryland which gathered and dispersed over$164,000 ($2.3 million today) collected at their fair in April 1866. [Report, 1866] More HERE
Theywere both from wealthy Baltimore families. Benjamin was one of six sons and two daughters bornto Col. John Eager Howard of Revolutionary War fame and his wife Margaret(Peggy) Chew, daughter of Pennsylvania Chief Justice Benjamin Chew of Cliveden in Philadelphia and courted by the British Major John Andre.
Jane's father was William Gilmor, a wealthy merchant who built a mansion on Monument Square and a country house "Vineyard," her uncle was the collector Robert Gilmor, and her aunt Jane Gilmor Grant died a couple years after Jane's birth.
Belviderewas Governor John Eager Howard’s mansion with impressive gardens. The estate was just north of Baltimore City in a large wooded area known as "Howard's Woods" on the west side of the Jones Falls river. (Shown in the 1801 map below, in the center with a white arrow pointed at the house and gardens.) Started the year before they married in 1787, they moved into the completed north wing building, until it the central part was finished eight years later. Benjamin was raised on the large estate, and after he wed Jane, the “… early married life of the young couple waspassed at Belvidere, and Mrs. Howard, who is now an interesting lady pastfourscore, has a very agreeable recollection of the gayety that reigned therewhen Colonel John Eager Howard was the head of the house.” [Harpers]
In1827, when Col. Howard died, Ben and Jane Howard inherited Belvidere, even though he was the third son, the eldest, John Eager Howard, Jr. had died in Oct. 1822 (with brother-in-law John McHenry in Mercersburg, Pa. where both were buried) and the second son (a future Governor) George had been given another estate, Waverly (now owned by Howard County, MD). After fighting in the War of 1812 and a decade practicing law in Baltimore, Benjamin Chew Howard was elected to four termsin the U.S. House of Representatives beginning in 1829, then spent twenty years as the Recorderof the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
Belvidere’sgarden is described at American Garden History, oneof Barbara Sarudy’s impressive blogs.
The"Howard mansion house" was bought by wealthy businessman John S. McKim in 1844, (photo) sold to the city for one dollar by hiswidow in 1874 then demolished to make room for the encroaching Calvert Street.On land once part of Belvidere, The Belvedere - spelled with an einstead of i - hotel was built in 1903 at Charles Street, and still exists. [Appleton’s]
Belvidere Rice Pudding
Twoquarts of new milk. [ 8 C]
Onegill of rice. [1/2 C]
Onetea-cupful of brown sugar. [3/4 C]
Onestick of cinnamon about three inches in length. [1/8-1/4 powdered]
Washthe rice to remove the floury particles, and put it into the oven, in the dishin which it is to be served, with the sugar, cinnamon, and half of the milk,reserving the other half to add, a little at a time, as the first stews away.
Itrequires to stew slowly, not boil, from three and a half to four hours, andwhen finished, should be rather thick, and look like rich yellow cream.
Nomilk must be added the last half hour, as it should be covered with brown skinwhen sent to table.
Itshould not be stirred or disturbed, except by the addition of the milk, whilein the oven.
Note: After 4 hours of slow baking, the rice pudding becomes very thick and viscous. Well worth the time. However the resulting crust was not the best. Perhaps improved if topped with dabs of butter during the last hour - as my grandmother used to do. Generally I remove the crust with each addition of milk, and stir in the milk and rice on the sides.
other posts on Jane Grant (Gilmor) Howard HERE -
Ladies’ Southern Relief Association fair of 1866 raising $millions HERE
Waverly Jumbles HERE and Waverly Mansion HERE
Many recipes by Jane Howard HERE
Endnotes -
Appleton’sJournal. NY: Dec 26, 1874 black and white sketch of house
HarpersMagazine, 1882
McKim,Randolph H. A Soldier’s Recollections…a young Confederate. NY: 1910 photograph
Reportof the Ladies' Southern Relief Association of Maryland. 1866. Alsomentioned in her New York Times obit, and other newspapers around the country.
Sully, Thomas. First portrait. Maryland Historical Society. 1820
Warner + Hanna's Map, Plan of the City of Baltimore. 1801 Johns Hopkins University
Weidenbach,Augustus. Belvedere. c1869Maryland Historical Society second image
©2014 Patricia Bixler Reber
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