I am grateful for the various suggestions regarding the “fowl cake” which was sent to my
great uncle Daniel Jones in the first world war. I am not inclined to taken the meaning
at face value - and the only thing Google suggested before I contacted the list - as a
sort of poultry terrine, as that seems implausible for a wartime parcel. The recipe was
also very old and poultry was then very expensive, not the cheap staple it is today.
Rather, I am grateful to Althea John of this list who who wrote, "Fawl is praise, is
it a cake that they used to make for special occasions that the family called a praise
cake... [or]...there is a cake they call the "faith" cake they put all the
ingredients in together and it comes out with everything in the right place.” Later in an
American context this is referred to as “Impossible Pie”, meaning you had to have faith
for it work.
Thanks again to the list for I think neatly solving a problem.
Gareth Jones