Cottage Economy by William Cobbett

[Triple_sod]

Herd John Seymour called 'the farther of British self-sufficiency' suppose that makes Cobbett the great-great-grandad.

Cottage Economy first came out in 1833 as a series of pamphlets, designed to help peasant farmers get the most from their lot. Like Seymour he writes in an animated, often humorous style on themes as relevant today as they were 179 years ago.

Tea fans be warned though....he really had it in for the humble brew.

'I view the tea drinking as a destroyer of health, an enfeebler of the frame, and engenderer of effeminacy and laziness, a debaucher of youth, and a maker of misery for old age.'

'The tea drinking fills the public-houses, makes the frequenting of it habitual, corrupts boys as soon they are able to move from home, and does little less for the girls, to whom the gossip of the tea-table is no bad preparatory school for the brothel.'

Mind you he also apparently said,

"A wife, a steak, and a walnut tree The more you beat 'em, better they be."

[bulldogeagle]

had a copy of this a few years ago but found the old english style of writing very hard to understand.

[Triple_sod]

Ah I dunno I quite like it.

[diamond lil]

I hope the old sod's wife made his life hell

[junmist]

I hope the old sod's wife made his life hell

[triffid]

I've read it. Like a couple of posters have said the olde worlde English can be hard to understand. But well worth reading for a historical perspective.

The phamphlet style of writing is a bit like reading a one-sided-internet-forum. An opinion is stated then evidence produced to back it up! But (most of the) ideas are actually sound even today.


His hatred of tea drinking is well known. It was a political rather than taste issue. The Government of the time imposed taxes on home brewing materials which discouraged home brew in favour of tea (as the main drink consumed).
The historical context of this is that in the east (India/China) tea was the preferred method of sterilizing water (boiling) wheras here in the west water was sterilized by alchohol production (beer/wine/cider etc). The beer was very weak (small beer often just 1% alchohol) so people didn't get drunk on it.

[Rosesandtea]

Boy he really had it in for potatoes too, didn't he!

[jansman]

Generally though , Cobbett promoted the independent lifestyle. If he could see the state of the nation now he would have a dicky- fit! He was very disparaging of the man who relied on anyone but himself. Top bloke I reckon.