Beeton, Mrs. (1836-1865), compiled Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management (1861). This work, more familiarly known as Mrs. Beeton’s Cookery Book, included more than 4,000 recipes and became the best-known reference book in English on cookery and housekeeping. It was first published in The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine in 24 monthly parts, from 1859 to 1861. It appeared in book form in 1861. Since then, numerous editions have guided several generations of cooks and housewives. The book included chapters on household routine, cleaning, and table service, as well as recipes. The original book provides a vivid picture of the duties of a middle-class wife in England during the mid-1800’s.
Mrs. Beeton was born on March 14, 1836, in London. Her family name was Isabella Mary Mayson. She married Samuel Orchart Beeton, a British publisher, in 1856. Mrs. Beeton was educated in Heidelberg, Germany. She died on Feb. 6, 1865, at the age of 28, from complications following childbirth.
