Isabella Beeton

Born in Cheapside, London, to Benjamin and Elizabeth Mayson, Isabella Beeton was educated at Heidelberg and became an accomplished pianist. She married her husband, Samuel Orchard Beeton, a wealthy publisher in 1856. Her career as a cookery star of her time was surprisingly short-lived as she died of puerperal fever at the age of 28.

Her life was marred by tragedy. Her first child died in September 1859, but she recovered and her second son, also named after her husband, was born. Shortly afterwards, the first instalment of her famous cookery book entitled The Book of Household Management was published. A History of the Origin, Properties, and Uses of all things connected with Home Life and Comfort was another of her titles. It's contents included nearly 100 recipes for soup, 200 for sauces and 128 for fish as well as advice regarding etiquette, household management, dinner parties, and the employment of servants. The book was illustrated with coloured engravings on nearly every page and was the first to format recipes in the layout still used today. She also opened a soup kitchen at her house for the many poor children of Hatch End and Pinner during the harsh winter of 1858.