Mrs Beeton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mrs Beeton
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Photographic portrait of Mrs Beeton, c.1860-5.
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| Born | Isabella Mary Mayson March 12, 1836 Cheapside, London |
| Died | February 6, 1865 (aged 28) |
| Occupation | Cook, writer |
| Nationality | English |
| Notable work | Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management |
Mrs Beeton (born Isabella Mary Mayson, 12 March 1836 – 6 February 1865) was a famous English writer. She is best known for her book, Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. This book taught people how to run a home and is one of the most famous cookbooks ever written.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Isabella Mayson was born in Cheapside, London, England. Her father, Benjamin Mayson, died when she was young. Her mother, Elizabeth Jerram, later married Henry Dorling. Henry was a widower with four children of his own.
The family lived in Epsom, Surrey. Henry Dorling worked as the Clerk of Epsom Racecourse. Isabella went to school in Heidelberg, Germany. There, she became a very good pianist. After finishing school, she returned to Epsom.
Marriage and Writing Career
Isabella met Samuel Orchart Beeton, who was a publisher. They married on 10 July 1856 in Epsom. Soon after, they moved into their first home in Hatch End.
Their first child, Samuel Orchart, was born in May 1857. Sadly, he died a few months later from croup. In September 1859, they had another son, also named Samuel Orchart.
While living in Hatch End, Isabella started writing. She wrote articles about cooking and managing a home. These articles appeared every month in her husband's magazine, The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine.
In October 1861, all her writings were put together into one book. This book was called The Book of Household Management.
The Beetons left Hatch End in late 1861. In December, their son became sick with scarlet fever while they were on holiday. He died on New Year's Eve. Mrs. Beeton later had two more sons, Orchart (born in 1863) and Mayson Moss (born in 1865).
Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management
The book became very famous as Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. It was a guide for running a home during the Victorian era. It gave advice on many topics, including fashion, child care, and how to manage servants.
The book had 1,112 pages. More than 900 of these pages were recipes. Because of all the recipes, it became known as Mrs Beeton's Cookbook. Many recipes had colored pictures, which was new for books at that time. It was one of the first books to show recipes in a way that is still used today.
Many of the recipes were taken from earlier writers. However, the Beetons never said the book's content was all new. Mrs Beeton is seen more as the book's compiler and editor. She gathered and organized the information to create a reliable guide for middle-class families.
Early Death
In January 1865, Isabella gave birth to her fourth child. The day after, she became very sick with puerperal fever. She died a week later, at only 28 years old.
Her husband, Samuel, lived for another twelve years. He died from tuberculosis in June 1877, at age 46.
Mrs. Beeton and her husband are buried together. Their grave is in West Norwood Cemetery in Lambeth.
Images for kids
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Isabella Beeton, née Mayson, photographed in about 1854
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Cheapside, London, where Isabella and her family moved in 1836
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The new race stand at Epsom Racecourse in 1829
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Samuel Orchart Beeton in 1860
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Gravestone of Samuel and Isabella, West Norwood Cemetery
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Isabella in 1860
See also
In Spanish: Isabella Beeton para niños
