Isabella Beeton 1836 – 1865

Isabella Beeton

Mrs Beeton has never really been allowed to die.  Instead she has entered the British consciousness as a standard of culinary – and moral – efficiency.

Isabella Mary Beeton (née Mayson) was one of the first and best cookery writers.

            She was born in London in 1836 and educated in Germany.  In 1856 she married a wealthy publisher, Samuel Beeton, and began to write articles on cookery and household management for his publication.  Including her half-sisters, Isabella had twenty-one siblings and as the eldest, she soon acquired a knack for household management, which she would later incorporate into her famous book.

            ‘Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management’ was first published in 1861.  The original book was a guide to managing a Victorian household.  It gave advice on child care, animal husbandry and the proper use of poisons (not for murder).  Mrs Beeton was also the first to highlight the use of seasonal and local produce, long before it became mainstream.  It also contained over 900 recipes, which is why it is also known as Mrs Beeton’s Cookbook.  The book was also the first to contain colour illustrations for recipes.

            Although she takes the majority of the credit for the book, Mrs Beeton was in fact the compiler and editor, many of the featured recipes belonging to other writers.  It was put together by Isabella as a source of information for inspiring middle-class homemakers. There was also advice on things like etiquette, entertaining and the employment of servants. The book was a huge success, selling over 60,000 copies in its first year and nearly 2 million by 1868.

            Isabella Beeton died of an infection in 1865, just a few days after the birth of her fourth child.  She was just twenty-eight years old.  

Margot Turner 1910 – 1993

Margot Turner

Dame Evelyn Marguerite (Margot) Turner, was a British Military Nurse and a Prisoner of War (POW) during World War II.

            Margot Turner became a military nurse during the 1930’s and her first overseas posting was over in the Far East.  In 1941 she was serving in a hospital in Malay, when the Japanese invaded she was evacuated with many of the other hospital staff to Singapore, until that was also raided in 1942.

            In February 1942, Margot was among many refugees from Singapore who sailed upon the small cargo boat, the Tanjong Penang, on route to Java.  The ship was sunk by the Japanese and Margot, who had been up on deck at the time managed to survive.  She made it to a raft, on which she managed to rescue sixteen people including six children.  Without food or water they soon died, or fell off the raft through exhaustion, leaving Margot as the sole survivor of her ship.  She was later picked up by a Japanese vessel and made a Prisoner of War.

            She was initially nursed back to health by some nuns and helped out in the operating theatre, until she was unexpectedly arrested by the Kempeitai (Japanese Secret Police).  This was followed by six months in a filthy cell, with the daily fear of joining those that were being tortured and executed, until she was finally returned to a prison camp.

            The next three and a half years were spent under the most appalling conditions.  With her medical training, Margot was able to tend to the sick and injured in the camp, although this was no easy task, seeing as they had no medical supplies or medicines.  The women were subjected to long hours standing in the hot sun during roll-calls (tenko’s), and the meagre rations of food they were given were extremely lacking in nutrition.  Many of the prisoners succumbed to diseases such as dysentery and malaria and were buried in shallow graves within the camp, by the women themselves.

            Despite the many hardships that they faced, morale within the camp was surprisingly high.  The women managed to brave their circumstances and refused to be defeated by their captors.  One of the more uplifting stories from camp life is that of ‘The Captive’s Hymn’, which the women used to sing to keep their spirits up.  The hymn would later be sung by Margot Turner and some of her fellow internees when they were re-united for an episode of the television series ‘This is Your Life’, when Margot appeared on it to celebrate her life’s achievements.

The Captive’s Hymn.

Father in captivity

We would lift our prayers to Thee,

Keep us ever in thy love.

Grant that daily we may prove

Those who place their trust in Thee

More than conquerors may be

Give us patience to endure

Keep our hearts serene and pure,

Grant us courage, charity,

Greater faith, humility,

Readiness to own Thy will,

Be we free or captive still

For our country we would pray

In this hour be Thou her stay.

Pride and selfishness forgive,

Teach her, by Thy laws, to live,

By Thy Grace may all men see,

That true greatness comes from Thee.

For our loved ones we would pray

Be their guardians, night and day,

From all dangers, keep them free,

Banish all anxiety.

Grant that nations loving Thee

O’er the world may brothers be,

Cleansed by suffering, know rebirth,

See Thy Kingdom come on earth.

After the war ended, Margot Turner continued with her work in the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps and rose to the rank of Colonel Commander, before her retirement in 1974.  She was awarded an MBE in 1946 and later a DBE in 1965.  She died in East Sussex, England in 1993.