Mrs. Beeton and her works

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".

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.

Isabella 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.

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."

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.

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 usually 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.

(Published 30th Sep 2013)