Just re-read this thread, cos someone had up-dated it, and it seems the early question by Fortunato has been avoided (2nd post on thread) "an egger" is a mispronunciation of a term for what would now be described as a member of an indiginous African race.(much in the way that "an orange" was originally "a norange"
And in the original post, the granny cooking cakes on her 'girdle' is quite acceptable. A girdle is the Scots form of 'Griddle' or 'bakestone'