Chapter 4: Domestic Life
The home was the center of daily life in 18th century England. This chapter explores the various aspects of domestic life, including household management, cooking, cleaning, and home furnishings.
Household Management
Managing a household was a complex task, often falling to the lady of the house. This involved overseeing servants, managing finances, and ensuring the smooth running of daily activities. Elizabeth Purefoy’s letters provide insight into this role:
I want a footman to work in the garden, lay the cloath, wait at table, & to go to cart with Thomas when he is ordered, or to do any business he is ordered to do, and not too large sized a man that he may not be too great a load for an horse when he rides. He must have a good character.
Cooking and Food
Food preparation was a significant part of domestic life. Cooking was done over open fires or in brick ovens, and preserving food was crucial. James Woodforde’s diary often mentions meals, providing a glimpse into 18th century dining:
Boiled Tench, Peas Soup, a couple of boiled chickens and Pig’s face, hashed calf head, Beans and roasted rump of Beef with new potatoes etc. 2nd course roasted duck with green peas, a very fine leveret roasted, strawberry cream, jelly puddings etc. Desert: Strawberries, cherries and last years non-pareils.
Cleaning and Laundry
Keeping a house clean was a constant task. Laundry, in particular, was a laborious process. James Lackington describes the washing practices he observed in Scotland:
Having both read and heard much related of the manner of their washing their linen, which I must confess I could not credit without having ocular demonstration; during my continuance at Glasgow, curiosity lead me to the mead by the riverside. For the poor women here instead of the water coming to them as in London, are obliged to travel loaded with their linen to the water where you may daily see great numbers washing in their way.
Furnishings and Decor
The furnishing of a home reflected the status and taste of its inhabitants. Mary Delany describes her efforts to decorate:
Rarely did we return without finding marks of the tender way our Mother employed herself during our absence. At one time a little room allotted to us, and where we deposited our choices things, was fitted up afresh; pretty boxes Etc. of her own making to ornament, fresh prints to adorn it; and at another our chamber was fresh papered and made gay and chearful.
Heating and Lighting
Keeping warm and providing light were ongoing concerns. C.P. Moritz, a German visitor, comments on the use of coal fires:
I must own that the heat or warmth given by sea coal, burnt in the chimney, appears to me softer, and milder, than that given by our stoves. The sight of the fire has also a chearful and pleasing effect.
Daily Routines
The rhythm of daily life varied depending on social class, but certain patterns were common. Nancy Woodforde’s diary gives us a glimpse of a typical day:
I have spent the latter end of this month in walking, reading “The History of England” and making shirts for Uncle.
In conclusion, domestic life in 18th century England was characterized by a complex set of responsibilities and routines. From managing servants to overseeing food preparation, from maintaining cleanliness to creating a comfortable living space, the home was a hub of constant activity. The nature of these activities varied greatly depending on social class and wealth, but for all, the domestic sphere was central to daily life.