The Diary of a Suffolk Farmer’s Wife, 1854–69: A Woman of her Time

Brought up amid the lively coaching business, Elizabeth Cotton became the wife of a Suffolk tenant farmer twenty years her senior. The diaries she kept between 1854-1869 give accounts of her everyday activities, a busy social life, which included holiday travel around the country and to France, as well as a wide range of current fashions and events. Sheila Hardy has taken this information to expand our knowledge of life for a mid-Victorian middle class woman.

Literature & Fiction

Hardy, Sheila

History & Criticism

PALGRAVE~MACMILLAN

A nostalgic look at what it was like to be a housewife in the 1950s Being a housewife in the 1950s was quite different than today. Women were expected to create a spotless home, delicious meals, and an inviting bedroom. From the perils of "courting" to the inevitable list of wedding gifts to the household tips that any self-respecting new wife should know, this book collects heartwarming personal anecdotes from women who embarked on married life during this fascinating post-war period, providing a trip down memory lane for any wife or child of the 1950s.

A 1950s Housewife: Marriage and Homemaking in the 1950s

History

World

The History Press

Embarking on motherhood was a very different affair in the 1950s to what it is today. From how to dress baby (matinee coats and bonnets) to how to administer feeds (strictly four-hourly if following the Truby King method), the childrearing methods of the 1950s are a fascinating insight into the lives of women in that decade. 
In A 1950s Mother, author, mother and grandmother Sheila Hardy collects heart-warming, personal anecdotes from those women who became mothers during this fascinating post-war period. From the benefits of "crying it out" and being put out in the garden to gripe water and Listen with Mother, the wisdom of mothers from the 1950s reverberates down the decades to young mothers of any generation and is a hilarious and, at times, poignant trip down memory lane for any mother or child of the 1950s.

A 1950s Mother: Bringing up Baby in the 1950s

Self-Help

Relationships

During renovation work on a hunting lodge near Aldeburgh, Suffolk, in 1996 a carpenter uncovered a plank of wood revealing a chilling pencilled message: 'A fearful murder was committed the first day of this month (October 1887) at Cretingham. A curate cut the vicar's throat at 12 o'clock at night.' The discovery brought to light a long lost piece of Suffolk history and with it an intriguing murder mystery. From this strange beginning Sheila Hardy set out to discover the truth of this claim. Using contemporary newspaper reports and court documents, she uncovers the events that led up to the fateful night of 1 October 1887, the following press intrusion in sleepy Cretingham -- which became the focus of the country's media for ten days, and the subsequent trial. It is a tale of religion and influence, politics and social power, mystery and intrigue, and is sure to appeal to all those interested in the shady side of Suffolk's history.

The Cretingham Murder

Europe

A biography of one of the few Victorian ladies whose legacy has lasted well into the 21st century, and whose recipes are still used in thousands of kitchens today Eliza Acton is the forgotten hero of the culinary past, and a debt of gratitude to her is what Delia Smith, Elizabeth David, and Mrs. Beeton have in common. She was the original and best: the first cook to write recipes in a clear, modern format. This absorbing first biography of her creates a richly painted narrative of how a young woman produced the first general use cookbook and changed history. It provides a rich background to Eliza's success, not only as the little-known mother of modern cooking, but as a poet and a campaigner for healthy eating. She introduced readers to curry, chorizo, and gluten-free diets 150 years before they became fashionable. She knew Charles Dickens, and her family life was possibly an inspiration for several of his plots. She had a fascinating career, and this well-researched biography is a must for anyone interested in cooking, or simply as an insight into the life of a modern lady who was years ahead of her time.

The Real Mrs Beeton: The Story of Eliza Acton

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

A nostalgic, funny look at what it was really like to be a 1950s housewife through the stories of those who were
Being a housewife in the 1950s was quite a different experience from today. After the independence of the wartime years, women now had to leave their jobs when they married and support their husband by creating a spotless home, delicious meals, and an inviting bedroom. From ingenious cleaning tips and ration-book recipes to home decor inspiration, the homemaking methods of the 1950s that are collected here give an entertaining and poignant insight into the lives of 1950s women. This book also offers heartwarming personal anecdotes from women who embarked on married life during this fascinating postwar period, providing a trip down memory lane for any wife or child of the 1950s.

Parenting & Relationships

Fascinating insight into how babies were raised in the 1950s
From how to dress baby (matinee coats and bonnets) to how to administer feeds (strictly four-hourly if following the Truby King method), the child-rearing methods of the 1950s are a fascinating insight into the lives of women in that decade. Here author, mother, and grandmother Sheila Hardy collects heartwarming personal anecdotes from those women, many now in their eighties, who became mothers during this fascinating postwar period. From the benefits of "crying it out" and being put out in the garden to gripe water and Listen with Mother, the wisdom of mothers from the 1950s reverberates down the decades to young mothers of any generation and is a hilarious and, at times, poignant trip down memory lane for any mother or child of the 1950s.

Historical Study & Educational Resources

The Health Improvement Profile: A Manual to Promote Physical Wellbeing in People with Severe Mental Illness

M&K Publishing, an imprint of M&K Update Ltd

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hardy, Sheila. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Hardy, Sheila

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hardy, Sheila. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Diary of a Suffolk Farmer’s Wife, 1854–69: A Woman of her Time

A 1950s Housewife: Marriage and Homemaking in the 1950s

A 1950s Mother: Bringing up Baby in the 1950s

The Cretingham Murder

The Real Mrs Beeton: The Story of Eliza Acton

A 1950s Housewife: Marriage and Homemaking in the 1950s

A 1950s Mother: Bringing up Baby in the 1950s

The Health Improvement Profile: A Manual to Promote Physical Wellbeing in People with Severe Mental Illness