The Earl

John Montague (1718--1792), The Fourth Earl of Sandwich, was First Lord of the Admiralty under both Henry Pelham and Lord North (1748--51, 1771--82). He was also known as "Jemmy Twitcher",nickname given by alleged association with pirates. He was a notorious gambling man who would often go from pub to pub in London on gambling marathons. To satisfy his hunger, while continuing to gamble, he would order slices of meat between two pieces of bread.

In 1762, this combination became known as "the sandwich".In 1827, the sandwich was introduced to America in a cookbook by Elizabeth Leslie. A recipe for ham sandwiches was suggested as a main dish. The sandwich became very popular in the American diet when soft white bread was introduced in the early 1900's. The sandwich of today provides us with a simplistic, filling meal that is within a sensible price range.