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Isabella Beeton was born on March 14th 1836. She was
the eldest of 4 children born to Elizabeth Mayson during
her first marriage. After the death of her father Benjamin,
her mother married Henry Dorling, a Clerk of Epsom Racecourse,
who also had 4 children from his first marriage. By the
time Isabella met her perspective husband, there were
17 children in the family!
Isabella married Samuel Orchart Beeton, a successful publisher
on 10th July 1856. There were eight bridesmaids in pale
green, pale mauve or white. The couple lived in Hatch
End until 1861. Her husband Sam began his publishing career
in 1852 with a best-selling "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
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Isabella wrote cookery and household management articles
for her husband's publications, and also commenced work
on a cookery book. Sadly their first son died aged 3 months
in 1857. The first instalment of her famous Book of Household
Management was published in 1859 when her second son was
born, and it was later published as a complete volume in
1861.
Tragedy again struck, and their second son died on New year's
Eve of 1861 having been struck down with Scarlet Fever.
A third son was born in 1863. Isabella also helped plan
a girl's magazine"The Young Englishwoman", and
while correcting proofs for the "Dictionary of Cookery"gave
birth to their fourth son. Isabella died a week after the
birth in 1866, aged only 28. She is buried in Norbury, North
London, Cemetery. |
| Isabella achieved much during her short life.
Besides having 4 children, and working at her husband's London
offices, she produced famous books which are still in demand
today. It would be a grave injustice to describe her works
as "cookery books" - they are indeed a complete
source of information for the successful running of a home
and family in middle-class Victorian Britain. |
Her famous work Mrs
Beeton's Household Management contains over 4,000 recipes,
32 colour plates and nearly 700 illustrations. It covers topics
as diverse as: labour-saving, renovations, laundry work, hostess
and guest, daily duties, menus and menu-making, mistress and
servant, marketing and accounts, trussing and carving, table
decorations & napkins, care of children, sick nursing,
the home doctor & the home lawyer.
The modern reader would be surprised to find not just "home
cooking" but foods of the world, and also domestic advice
with discussions of science, religion, class, industrialism
and gender roles. For newly-wed housewives this book was invaluable.
It was not the first such publication (the first guides being
composed in the Middle Ages) but one of the most successful,
if not the most. |
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Isabelle spent 3 hard years of
research at Pinner, and tested a new recipe each day. The
advertisements in the books are a precious reminder of times-past,
illustrating cookery products and the latest "state of
the art" kitchen ranges and equipment.
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| Other works by Mrs Beeton include:
Mrs Beeton's Family Cookery Book: being "a complete
treatise on household cookery and a comprehensive
and practical guide to domestic management. Nearly
3000 recipes, 896 pages, 300 illustrations and20 colour
plates".
Mrs Beeton's Everyday Cookery: "Containing about
2,500 recipes, 768 pages, including instructions on
every kind of cookery, and a guide to Household Management
in all its branches. 16 colour plates and 300 illustrations." |
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Mrs Beetons All-about Cookery Book: "Containing
over 1,200 specially selected recipes and comprehensive
instructions on the various branches of domestic economy.
640 pages with 12 colour plates and over200 illustrations."
Mrs Beetons Cookery Book: "Contains more than
1,200 specially selected recipes and comprehensive
instructions on home management. Nearly 200 fine illustrations
and 8 colour plates. 384 pages.
Mrs Beetons Cookery: " Contains about 650 recipes
for everyday dishes and general instructions in the
Art of Cookery. Illustrated with a Frontispiece in
Colour and nearly 100 illustrations. 256 pages.
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| Mrs Beetons Cookery:
"Consisting about 350 practical and economic
recipes for everyday dishes and detailed instructions
in the art of cookery. A most useful little guide
for small households. 128 pages."
Stella Books has several titles in stock by Mrs Beeton,
together with several recent titles that are based
on the original works. We also have a large stock
of cookery books on most subjects, from diet &
healthy eating to chocolate and cheese.
Contributed by Margaret Saunders. |
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