Copryright (c) Jane Austen’s World. This post is in honor of Thanksgiving and all the cooks, feminine or masculine, who toil hard in the kitchen to feed their families on this special holiday.
I am sure that the ladies there had nothing to do with the mysteries of the stew-pot or the preserving-pan” – James Edward Austen-Leigh, writing about his aunts, Jane and Cassandra Austen, and grandmother, Mrs Austen, when they lived at Steventon Rectory.
In 1747, Mrs.Hannah Glasse wrote her historic The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, an easy-to-understand cookbook for the lower class chefs who cooked for the rich. Her recipes were simple and came with detailed instructions, a revolutionary thought at the time.
The Art of Cookery’s first distinction was simplicity – simple instructions, accessible ingredients, an accent on thrift, easy recipes and practical help with weights and timing. Out went the bewildering text of former cookery books (“pass it off brown” became “fry it brown in some good butter”; “draw him with parsley” became “throw some parsley over him”). Out went French nonsense: no complicated patisserie that an ordinary cook could not hope to cook successfully. Glasse took into account the limitations of the average middle-class kitchen: the small number of staff, the basic cooking equipment, limited funds. – Hannah Glasse, The Original Domestic Goddess forum
Until Mrs. Glasse wrote her popular cookery book (17 editions appeared in the 18th century), these instructional books had been largely written by male chefs who offered complicated French recipes without detailed or practical directions. (To see what I mean, check Antonin Careme’s recipe for Les Petits Vol-Au-Vents a la Nesle at this link.) Like Jane Austen, Hannah signed her books “By a Lady”.
Mrs. Glasse had always intended to sell her cookery book to mistresses of gentry families or the rising middle class, who would then instruct their cooks to prepare foods from her simplified recipes, which she collected. “My Intention is to instruct the lower Sort [so that] every servant who can read will be capable of making a tolerable good Cook,” she wrote in her preface.

Frontispiece from William Augustus Henderson, The Housekeeper’s Instructor, 6th edition, c.1800. This same picture appeared in the very first edition of c.1791and it shows the mistress presenting the cookery book to her servant, while a young man is instructed in the art of carving with the aid of another book.*
Hanna’s revolutionary approach, which included the first known printed recipe for curry and instructions for making a hamburger, made sense. In the morning, it was the custom of the mistress of the household to speak to the cook or housekeeper about the day’s meals and give directions for the day. The servants in turn would interpret her instructions. (Often their mistress had to read the recipes to them, for many lower class people still could not read.)
In theory, the recipes from Hannah’s cookbook would help the lady of the house stay out of the kitchen and enjoy a few moments of free time. But the servant turnover rate was high and often the mistress had to roll up her sleeves and actively participate in the kitchen. Many households with just two or three servants could not afford a mistress of leisure, and they, like Mrs. Austen in the kitchens of Steventon Rectory and Chawton Cottage, would toil alongside their cook staff.
At the start of the 18th century the French courtly way of cooking still prevailed in genteel households. As the century progressed, more and more women like Hannah Glasse began to write cookery books that offered not only simpler versions of French recipes, but instructions for making traditional English pies, tarts, and cakes as well. Compared to the expensive cookbooks written by male chefs, cookery books written by women were quite affordable, for they were priced between 2 s. and 6 d.
Publishers took advantage of the brisk trade, for with the changes in agricultural practices, food was becoming more abundant for the rising middle classes. Large editions of cheap English cookery books by a variety of female cooks were distributed to a wide new audience of less wealthy and largely female readers who had money to spend on food. Before Hannah Glasse and her cohort, cooks and housewives had been accustomed to sharing recipes in private journals (such as Marthat Lloyd’s) or handing them down by word-of-mouth.
Female authors tended to share their native English recipes in their cookery books. As the century progressed, the content of these cookery books began to change. Aside from printing recipes, these books began to include medical instructions for poultices and the like; bills of fare for certain seasons or special gatherings; household and marketing tips; etc.
By the end of the 18th century, cookery books also included heavy doses of servant etiquette and moral advice. At this time plain English fare had replaced French cuisine, although wealthy households continued to employ French chefs as expensive status symbols. In the mid-19th century cookery books that targeted the working classes, such as Mrs. Beeton’s famous book on Household Management, began to be serialized in magazines, as well as published in book form.
Before ending this post, I would like to refer you back to James Edward Austen-Leigh’s quote at top. In contrast to what he wrote (for he did not know his aunts or grandmother well), Jane Austen scholar Maggie Lane reminds us that housewives who consulted with their cook and housekeeper about the day’s meals still felt comfortable working in the kitchen. She writes in Jane Austen and Food:
“though they may not have stirred the pot or the pan themselves, Mrs. Austen and her daughters perfectly understood what was going on within them…The fact that their friend and one-time house-mate Martha Lloyd made a collection of recipes to which Mrs. Austen contributed is proof that the processes of cookery were understood by women of their class.”
More on the topic:
- Hannah Glasse, The Original Domestic Goddess forum
- The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, Hannah Glasse, 1747, Google book
- The Oxford Companion to Food, p. 278
- *British Housewife, PDF document, sample pages of the book
- Prospect Books, Order the British Housewife
- Hannah Glasse, Historical Foods
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So Hannah Glasse was to the 18th century what Julia Child was to the 20th century. Very interesting!
Vic, thanks so much for another great post. I love reading about food and fashion and all things Regency!
Jean and Martha, Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Thanksgiving!
What a topical post! Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Brilliant post! I’ve been researching the 18th century kitchen lately and this has been lovely to read.
Thank you Indiana and Karen,
Have a lovely Thanksgiving too.
I’ve read Mrs. Glasse’s recipes from Google Book and her fried oyster was a keeper.
My Darcy Mutates
Yum, Enid. I love fried oysters! Alas, I am no cook.
Happy thanksgiving! It was interesting to read about cooks and cooking and very appropriate for the day.
you mentioned they had curry back then? Did they spices then, for surely they had to be imported from the east?
Great post though, I love the ones about food in the 18th century, moutwatering. They had it all fresh didn’t they? No instant stuff plus cooks in your house! Ahh, now I’m envious. I suppose Darcy had a french cook, I don’t quite remember if it was mentioned in the book.
Liana,
The curry mentioned by Hannah Glasse was different than the curry we know today. Yes, the goods brought back by the East India Company included spices, tea, coffee, etc.
Eating fresh foods was easy during the growing season, but in winter people resorted to eating dried, salted, smoked, pickled, jellied,or brined food.
I have the Raleigh Tavern Cookbook from Colonial Williamsburg and on the pages facing the modern recipe, they have the original recipe from The Art of Cookery and other cookbooks of that period. It’s quite interesting to read the original recipes and see how food was prepared in the 18th century.
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Could you tell me where the last image, of the family meal came from please?
please could you suggest some places to get old (i.e. 18th,19th and early 20th C) cookbooks? as I am v. interested in trying out ‘traditional’ recipes!! Thanks a Lot!