Maude Bomberger (1868-1946) was born to Moses and Laura Brining Bomberger. Her father’s first wife, Annie Smith Bomberger died in 1861 shortly after the 1860 birth of Harvey Smith Bomberger, the famous son of Boonsboro.
Maude was an energetic, talented and well-known woman. In 1907 she published Colonial Recipes from Old Virginia and Maryland Manors. This 107-page book contains 70 recipes annotated with legends and traditions collected from famous area families, as well as Mount Vernon and the White House. Recipes for Old Maryland Apple Toddy, Cantaloupe Pickle, Veal Terrapin and Tipsy Pudding were among those dishes attributed to Weldon, the Boonsboro home of the Bomberger family at 40 Saint Paul Street.
Mrs. George A. Davis of Boonsborough provided a “splendid old recipe for quince brandy:”
“Select fine, large and perfect quinces. To make 1 ½ gallons of the brandy take 2 quarts of quince juice, 4 quarts of Cognac brandy, 2 ½ pounds of white sugar, 12 ounces bitter almonds (bruised), 1 pound of coriander seed, 3 ounces of cloves. Let stand for at least 48 hours, then strain and bottle up. This is a very delicious drink. You can let this mixture stand for longer than 48 hours before straining (if you have the patience, Mr. Davis says).”
The final section of Ms Bomberger’s fascinating book includes toasts common to the period. Perhaps Quince Brandy was enjoyed right here in Boonsboro with the toast:
“Here’s to our wives and sweethearts!
May our sweethearts become our wives,
And our wives ever remain our sweethearts.”
