Before Mrs Beeton
Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential Housekeeper
The great Elizabeth Raffald used to be a household name. After becoming housekeeper at Arley Hall in Cheshire at age 25, she married and moved to Manchester, transforming the food scene and business community, by writing the first A to Z directory and creating the first domestic servants registry office — the first temping agency if you will. She set up a cookery school and ran a high class tavern. She reputedly gave birth to sixteen daughters, wrote book on midwifery, and was an effective exorciser of evil spirits.
Her biggest achievement was her cookery book The Experienced English Housekeeper. Published in 1769, it ran to over twenty editions and brought her fame and fortune. And then disaster; her fortune lost, spent by her alcoholic husband. She spent her final years in a pokey coffeehouse in a seedy part of town. Her book, however, remained influentia, often imitated (but never bettered), a must-have volume for any British kitchen.
To tell Elizabeth’s tumultuous rise and fall story, historian Neil Buttery doesn’t just delve into the history of food in the 18th century. In this compelling biography, he looks at trade and empire, domestic service, the paranormal, the agricultural revolution, women’s rights, publishing and copyright law, gentlemen’s clubs and societies, the horse races, and the defeminization of midwifery, all while capturing the life of this little-known figure.
Current Price :
-
Featured$28.40
-
Lowest$22.76
Current Price (CAD):
-
FeaturedC$58.50
-
LowestC$44.99
Current Price :
-
Featured£16.97
-
Lowest£16.71
Current Price (AUD):
-
FeaturedA$61.23
-
LowestA$42.55
Where to Purchase:
Support A Mighty Girl & Help Grow Mighty Girls!
Save & Share:
Related Products
Product Details
| Recommended Age | Adults |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Buttery |
| ISBN | 139908447X |
| Publication Date | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Publisher | Pen and Sword History |
| Language | English |