THE COOK AND HOUSEKEEPER'S
COMPLETE AND UNIVERSAL DICTIONARY; INCLUDING A SYSTEM OF MODERN COOKERY, IN ALL ITS VARIOUS BRANCHES, ADAPTED TO THE USE OF PRIVATE FAMILIES: ALSO A VARIETY OF ORIGINAL AND VALUABLE INFORMATION, RELATIVE TO BAKING, BREWING, CARVING,COLLARING, CURING, ECONOMY OF BEES, ----- (ECONOMY) OF A DAIRY, ECONOMY OF POULTRY, FAMILY MEDICINE, GARDENING, HOME-MADE WINES, PICKLING, POTTING, PRESERVING, RULES OF HEALTH, AND EVERY OTHER SUBJECT CONNECTED WITH DOMESTIC COOKERY. BY Mrs. MARY EATON. EMBELLISHED WITH ENGRAVINGS. BUNGAY: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. AND R. CHILDS. 1823.
FIRST EDITION 1923. 8VO. 2fep. Half Title. [2] Frontispiece of Mrs Eaton. First engraved title page with 1/2" torn of the top of page (without loss of text) [1] Second Title page. [1] (1)vi-xxxii Introduction. 1-495. [1] 2feps. Full modern dark brown calf with raised bands and gilt box and gilt writing in one compartment. With slight age browning to Frontis. Overall a very nice copy.
- Mrs Eaton appears to be a very confident woman. She states in her introduction; --- "A great number of outlandish articles are intentionally omitted, as well as a farrago of French trifles and French nonsense, in order to render the work truly worthy of the patronage of the genuine English housekeeper. It may also fairly be presumed, that the superior advantages of the present work will immediately be recognized, not only as comprehending at once the whole theory of Domestic Management, but in a form never before attempted, and which of all others is best adapted to facilitate the acquisition of useful knowledge". --- The unique, beautifully engraved title page gives a date of 1822, but clearly the publication was delayed until the next year as the normal printed second title page bears the date 1823. Cagle surmises that the work may have been published in parts which would explain the discrepancy in dates based on the labeling of the signatures, but this is not proven. Oxford is the only bibliographer to mention another edition of 1849, and the compiler is also aware of an 1833 edition. Simon BG 542; Bitting p.139; Oxford, p.152; Cagle 661.
click on image to enlarge
Antiquarian category
ref number:
11073