Beeton, Mrs (1836–65). Isabella Mary Beeton, née Mayson, was born in 1836 in London. Although her father died when she was 4, she received a rounded education, attending finishing school in Heidelburg and becoming an accomplished pianist. However, it is for her cookery and household management books that she is remembered. In 1856 she married Samuel Orchard Beeton, a publisher. Mrs Beeton became a regular contributor to his monthly household publication, writing both a cookery column and a fashion feature. Despite her own poor health, she gave sound advice on diet and domestic science. Her practical style coupled with attractive illustrations ensured popular and enduring success for her book, Household Management, published originally in instalments between 1859 and 1860. Mrs Beeton died following the birth of her fourth son.

Sue Minna Cannon

Beeton, Mrs (1836–65), English author on cookery, famous for her best-selling Book of Cookery and Household Management (1861), first published serially in a women's magazine, which contained over 3,000 recipes and articles, as well as sections giving advice on legal and medical matters.