Dill, Anethum graveolens
Dill is a member of the celery family. Fresh and dried leaves known as "dill weed" were widely used as a flavoring for stews pickles, and gin.  Dill oil was extracted from the leaves, stems and seeds of the plant. The oil from the seeds was distilled and used in the manufacturing of soaps.  A soothing herb, it was used to treat hiccups. In England, dill was used in many traditional medicines for the treatment of  jaundice, headache, boils, lack of appetite, stomach problems, nausea, as well as liver problems. Dill seeds can also be used to prepare herbal tea. The seed is harvested by cutting the flower heads off the stalks when the seed is beginning to ripen. The seed heads are placed upside down in a paper bag and left in a warm, dry place for a week. The seeds then separate from the stems easily for storage in an airtight container.

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Lavender Lavadula officinalis
Lavender came to England with the Romans. It was used by the Greeks and Romans for its sweet scent in washing water and  soaps. It was a strewing herb in medieval times. It  was  believed that Lavender could cure over 40 ailments.. A perfume made of the oil was described in the first century as being good for "griefs of ye thorax". Very popular in Victorian days as it was supposed to be an anti-aphrodisiac. It is the one scent which will overcome the smell of mildew if the oil is sprinkled in musty trunks. It was used for making honey yet was also used as an insect repellent.

Rosemary Rosemary officinalis
An oil made from the flowers of Rosemary was applied to restore eyesight and remove spots and scars on the skin. Compresses of the leaves and oils were used for the head and heart to relieve painful joints and muscles, or sinews.” A tender perennial, rosemary was often potted up and kept inside for the winter

Sanguisorba minor Salad burnet
Salad Burnett was brought to the New World with the first English colonists.  It is used as an ingredient in both salads and dressings, having a flavor described as "light cucumber. It was put in wine to which it “yeeldeth a certaine grace in drinking.” Typically, the youngest leaves are used, as they tend to become bitter as they age. Salad burnet has the same medicinal qualities as Sanguisorba officinalis  and was used as a tea to relieve diarrhea and was used to cool the blood, stop bleeding, clear heat, and heal wounds. The root was used to stop bloody dysentery, nosebleeds, and is applied topically to treat burns and insect bites.

Sage Salvia vulgaris
Famous today for flavoring our Thanksgiving turkey, sage had many uses in colonial America. It was not only a culinary favorite (soon gaining popularity with Native Americans) used as a flavoring for pork, sausage and poultry but also an important medicinal herb for a plethora of illnesses.  Colonists fasted on sage with butter and parsley.  It was made into a spring tonic to cleanse the body, it was brewed into ale,  sweetened with honey for tea, and used as a gargle  for sore throats or infected gums. Sage supposedly reduces perspiration and was used for fevers and was given to women to aid in delivery. 

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Thyme Thymus vulgaris
Used as a flavoring for soups, stews, meat, cheese and egg dishes, seafood, and vegetables. It was brought from Europe by the earliest settlers.  Sprigs of thyme were placed on lard and butter to keep them from becoming rancid.  Medicinally, it was used to treat toothaches, gout, headaches, nightmares melancholy, spleenic conditions, and flatulence. It was used as an antiseptic. The species of thyme grown by the colonists was an upright, wild variety that survived the cold winters. 

Basil, Ocimum basilicumBasil

Also called St. Josephwort, was grown for commercial use before the American Revolution. Used as a flavoring, particularly in salads and soups, the clove fragrance of basil improved the taste of foods. It was also used as a strewing herb. The leaves were dried for use in snuff to relieve headaches and colds. It was also a custom to place a pot of basil on the windowsill to keep unscreened windows free of flies. “A root of basil held in the hand with a swallow feather was thought to " relieve the pains of a woman in childbirth".

The Herb Society of America “A Dooryard Garden, Using Herbs from the Colonial Period"

by Rhonda Haavisto and Jane O’Sullivan Chadds Ford Historical Society.