Beeton, Isabella Mary (1836-1865)

Isabella Mary Beeton was born on 12 (or 14) March 1836 at Milk Street, Cheapside in the City of London, the first child of four born to Benjamin Mayson, linen factor, and his wife Elizabeth nee Jerram. Benjamin died four years later and his widow married a bookseller and publisher of race cards, Henry Dorling of Epsom who also had 4 children from a previous marriage. So Henry and Elizabeth started married life with eight children and went on to have thirteen more!

In 1845 Henry Dorling, who was also clerk of the race course at Epsom Downs, negotiated a lease on the grandstand building, so on non-race days the family lived in the vast building (it could accommodate 5000 spectators). On race days the family went for days out to the seaside. The big household was run by 'Granny Jerram' and being the eldest grandchild Isabella was pressed into helping out. Henry installed a printing press in the basement of the grandstand that supplied his combined stationery shop and lending library at the East Street end of the High Street. Henry was active in his duties as clerk to the course and managed several changes to the layout of the course and buildings.

Epsom Grandstand as shown in
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement & Instruction dated 30 May 1829
Image Courtesy of Project Gutenberg (opens in a new window)

Isabella went to school briefly in Islington and then went to Heidelberg to study music. She was a talented pianist, and whilst there she learnt foreign languages and how to make pastries. She returned to Epsom in 1854 and taught piano and, a little to the family's displeasure as they considered it to be beneath their status, worked in Barnards, a local confectioner's, making pastries.

Isabella fell in love with Samuel Orchart Beeton (1831-1877) whom she met in London. Sam was the son of an innkeeper of Milk Street,the same street where she had been born.. He had been apprenticed to a paper merchant in the city and quickly realised that cheap books and periodicals were selling well, thanks to growing literacy. In 1852 he published "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in a low cost, British edition which was a huge success. In the same year he also started the "Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine", 2d published monthly, which was the first magazine to target middle class women and their concerns on domestic management issues. This also proved very successful with a circulation in 1856 of 37000. In 1855 Sam started the first magazine aimed at boys the "Boy's Own Journal" which later became the "Boys Own Magazine".

A copy of the cover of the Englishwoman's Domestic
Magazine is on the British Library Website (opens in a new window).

They married on 10 July 1856 and settled down to live in a villa in Pinner. But married life did not stop Isabella starting to contribute to the "Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine" - running the cookery and household hints sections followed shortly by the child care section,even though their first child was not born till 1857!. In effect, she became the editor of the magazine and at the same time Isabella started work on her famous Book of Household Management. During the bad winter of 1858 she opened a soup kitchen at her house for local poor children. Later she claimed that her cook book took about 'four years' incessant labour', but in reality it started out in 1859, as monthly supplements to the "Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine". A single volume, illustrated edition was published in 1861 entitled "The Book of Household Management Comprising information for the Mistress, Housekeeper, Cook, Kitchen-Maid, Butler, Footman, Coachman, Valet, Upper and Under House-Maids, Lady's-Maid, Maid-of-all-Work, Laundry-Maid, Nurse and Nurse-Maid, Monthly Wet and Sick Nurses, etc. etc. - also Sanitary, Medical, & Legal Memoranda: with a History of the Origin, Properties, and Uses of all Things Connected with Home Life and Comfort".

Isabella's famous book was well laid out and gave clear instructions. The alphabetically arranged recipes included ingredients, prices, weights, cooking times and were illustrated. Whilst it is clear that many of the recipes were taken from other works, Isabella never claimed that the book was all her own work, she did test (or rather taste them) and was the book's compiler and editor. The popular image of extravagant recipes is mistaken as she tried to teach her readers that good living could be achieved with economy. In addition to the 900+ recipes, the book's 1112 pages had advice on other topics including fashion, child-care, animal husbandry and the management of servants. The book is now out of copyright and may be viewed at http://www.exclassics.com (opens in a new window)

Isabella visited Paris in 1860 and this resulted in the magazine including a section on the latest Parisian fashion complete with colour images and a pattern service. In 1861 Sam with Isabella's help started publishing "the Queen" an up-market magazine.

Isabella's first child died in infancy in 1857 and her second died in 1864 aged three. Isabella herself died at home, Swanscombe in Kent, on 6 February 1865 aged 28 of peritonitis and puerperal fever following the birth of her fourth child, a son, eight days earlier.