er ▁family . ▁ ▁At ▁age ▁ten , ▁May ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Paris ▁by ▁Lady ▁D orm er — where ▁he ▁trained ▁for ▁five ▁years ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁chef . ▁Following ▁his ▁training , ▁he ▁served ▁his ▁app rent ices hip ▁in ▁London , ▁working ▁for ▁Arthur ▁H oll ins worth ▁( cook ▁to ▁the ▁Gro cer ' s ▁Hall ▁and ▁Star ▁Chamber ). ▁After ▁his ▁app rent ices hip , ▁May ▁returned ▁to ▁Wing ▁and ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁cook s ▁reporting ▁to ▁his ▁father ▁at ▁As c ott ▁Park . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 6 3 0 s ▁Sir ▁Anthony ▁Brow ne ▁employed ▁May ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁chef ▁at ▁his ▁country ▁estate ▁( C ow d ray ▁House ) ▁in ▁west ▁Sus sex . ▁ ▁May ▁was ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁faith , ▁and ▁worked ▁for ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁th ir teen ▁households ▁of ▁minor ▁English ▁nob ility ▁( including ▁many ▁arist ocr atic ▁Catholic ▁families ) ▁until ▁the ▁English ▁Civil ▁War ▁( 1 6 4 2 – 1 6 5 1 ). ▁ ▁The ▁Ac com pl is ht ▁Cook ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁civil ▁war , ▁May ▁wrote ▁and ▁published ▁The ▁Ac com pl is ht ▁Cook ▁which ▁he ▁subt itled ▁Or ▁the ▁Art ▁and ▁Myst ery ▁of ▁Cook ing . ▁The ▁work ▁was ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 0 , ▁and ▁the ▁last ▁revision ▁made ▁during ▁the ▁author ' s ▁lifetime ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 5 . ▁The ▁ 1 6 8