Ancient recipes

Ancient recipes collected down the years from various people, mainly old folks who remember things from their childhood and longed for the return of the old ways! Not sure about that , I think time may have cast a rosy hue over some of the memories but lets give em a whirl and see!!
I will add interesting recipes to this thread from time to time! Here's the first one which is a sign of the times. Sounds like workhouse fare to me!!

SOUP FOR THE POOR.

WASH AN OX HEAD VERY CLEAN; BREAK THE BONES AND CUT THE MEAT IN PIECES.

PUT IT IN THIRTEEN GALLONS OF WATER WITH A PECK AND A HALF OF POTATOES HALF A PECK OF TURNIPS ; SAME QUANTITY OF ONIONS AND SOME CARROTS. PEEL AND CUT THEM ALL DOWN ; A HAND FULL OF POT HERBS AND TWO QUARTS OF OATMEAL SEASON WITH PEPPER AND SALT.

COVER THE LID CLOSELY AND LET IT STEW UNTILL THE NEXT MORNING.

ADD AS MUCH WATER AS WAS WASTED IN BOILING,LETTING IT STEW FOR A FEW HOURS LONGER WHEN IT WILL BE FIT FOR USE.

THIS SOUP WILL BE FOUND VERY GOOD FOR A FAMILY DINNER.
  I hope the people awaiting this soup were not too hungry as they had a long time to wait before they got a bit of nourishment. also --I know they had big families but , Thirteen gallons?? A recipe from a piece of writing from an old Daleswoman .  http://www.foodstuffs.ca/scrapbook/old-measures-pint-peck-what-the-heck see link  for old weights!

Heres one for "Barrelled codfish" 

TO A BARREL THAT WILL CONTAIN SIX OR SEVEN FISH ALLOW FIVE POUNDS OF SALT A POUND OF SUGAR THOROUGHLY MIXED ; SPLIT THE FISH WASH AND CLEAN THEM EXTREMELY WELL AND LET THE WATER DRAIN FROM THEM ; STREW OVER THE MIXED SALT AND SUGAR AND PACK THEM INTO THE BARREL WITH THE SKIN SIDE DOWN TILL THE LAST FISH WHICH PUT IN SKIN SIDE UP.

Thats it! no further instructions--I suppose it's Bachalau in its own sweet way so treat as salt cod and soak well before cooking with some bacon and tomato etc , use the Catalonian method for re-generating cooking and eating.  http://spanish-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/bacalao_spanish_salt_cod_recipes

GROATY PUDDING.

From the Black Country.   This is a strange dish as it is first eaten as a hot kinda stew and then left to go cold and eaten as a kind of savoury cake or pattie the next day! Consider moulding it and breadcrumbing the patties and shallow frying it! Much better than cold stew cakes!

8oz shin or stewing beef ; 2 chopped leeks ; 2 chopped onions ; seasoning ; 80z Groats ; 1 pt beef stock.
Mix all ingredients together in an earthenware pot and bake in the oven  @ 150c , covered,  for six hours.
What are groats I hear you ask?? Well---basically unrolled/unprocessed oats get them from healthfood shops. They look a bit like birdseed!