Cottage Economy, to Which is Added The Poor Man's Friend

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About this book

For William Cobbett, household economy means managing a family's resources, rather than simply spending less. Writing to labouring families, he connects sufficient food, clothing and shelter with independence and fair wages. His handbook moves from these arguments to the work of making bread, brewing beer and keeping farm animals, treating domestic skill as part of the condition of a nation.

Cobbett's numbered paragraphs give the practical material an orderly shape, while his personal memories interrupt the instructions with lived examples. In the passages on rabbits and goats, he stresses adequate feeding, the habit of careful attention and the possibilities of keeping animals where space is limited. The volume also includes The Poor Man's Friend, a defence of working people's rights. Readers interested in household history can see how recipes, animal care and political opinions share the same pages.