Primary Readings

The following chapter is an excerpt from a book called Sailing Tours which describes directions for sailing along the English coast written in 1895. This chapter showcases the sailing route along Cornwall and around the Godrevy Lighthouse. The author notes the fishing boats and the hazardous rocks which made the trip around Godrevy so perilous for sailors. The entire book is available through the Hathi Trust Digital Library.

Presented here is the introduction to a manual for employers of domestic servants written in 1880 called The Management of Servants: A Practical Guide to the Routine of Domestic Service written by "a member of the aristocracy." The entire manual is available through the Hathi Trust Digital Library

Included within the manual are chapters such as "Engaging and Dismissing Servants," "Opening the Door, and Announcing Visitors," and "The Manner of Preparing Afternoon Tea."

The following preface is excerpted from an 1883 edition of The Housekeeper's Guide to the Fish Market for Each Month of the Year by J.C. Bellamy. The guide was designed to "guide the purchase of a food variable in quality from excellence to noxiousness, in nearly all species, according to 'season.'" This would have been a valuable resource for domestic servants and provides a detailed overview of seasonal fishing practices across the British Isles. The entire book is available through the Hathi Trust Digital Library.

This 1872 text, The Cornish Pilchard Fishery, provides detailed descriptions of the methods used to catch and cure pilchards along the Cornish coast of England. As you can see from the text, entire communities would take part in bringing in the catch and getting it ready for market. The full text is provided, but it can also be accessed through the Hathi Trust Digital Library.