Samuel Orchart Beeton (2 March 1831 – 6 June 1877) was an English publisher, best known as the husband of Mrs Beeton (Isabella Mary Mayson) and publisher of ''

Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management ''Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management'', also published as ''Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book'', is an extensive guide to running a household in Victorian Britain, edited by Isabella Beeton and first published as a book in 1861. Previously ...

''. He also founded and published '' Boy's Own Magazine'' (1855–90), the first and most influential boys' magazine.

Publishing career

Beeton made money as the first British publisher of ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...

'' in 1852, securing the rights from the then-unknown

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and wrote the popular novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (185 ...

. He was clever enough to realise that it would sell and the underlying message of the story underwrote his politics. In the year it was published he launched '' The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine'', a pioneering serial for middle-class women, the same year. His '' Boy's Own Magazine'', published in the UK from 1855 to 1890, was the first and most influential boys' magazine. Beeton married Isabella Mary Mayson in 1856. She began writing for ''The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine'', and contributed to the growing success of the business. He founded '' Beeton's Christmas Annual''

paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, also known as wrappers, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, ...

magazine in 1860 and in the following year he launched a weekly magazine titled "The Queen" about fashion and culture for upper-class women of society. The title was merged to "The Queen: The Ladies Newspaper and Court Chronicle" in 1864, although Beeton had sold his interest in 1862 to Serjeant Cox. In 1887 Beeton's Christmas Annual featured ''

A Study In Scarlet ''A Study in Scarlet'' is an 1887 Detective fiction, detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would go on to become one of the most well-known detective ...

'', a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle which was also the first work of literature to feature

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

. ''

'' was published in 1861. Beeton followed it with a series of other self-help textbooks, including ''Beeton's Book of Needlework'', ''Beeton's Dictionary of Geography'', ''Beeton's Book of Birds'', ''Beeton's Book of Poultry and Domestic Animals'', ''Beeton's Book of Home Pets'', ''Beeton's Book of Anecdote, Wit and Humour'', ''Beeton's Dictionary of Natural History'', and others. He also produced an edition of the works of

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I. Bacon argued for the importance of nat ...

Later life

After his wife Isabella died in 1865, Beeton's fortunes failed and he was obliged to sell the rights to the "Beeton" name to rival publishers and work for them for a salary. His last years were clouded by the

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

from which he ultimately died, in 1877 aged 46. He was buried in his wife's grave in

West Norwood Cemetery West Norwood Cemetery is a rural cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery. One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the " Magnificent Seven" cemeteries of ...

Fiction

The 2006 TV drama '' The Secret Life of Mrs Beeton'', based in part on Kathryn Hughes' biography ''The Short Life & Long Times of Mrs Beeton'', implied that Isabella Beeton suffered from

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms depend on the stage it presents: primary, secondary, latent syphilis, latent or tertiary. The prim ...

contracted from Samuel, and that this could have led to her early death and those of her first two children, and an alleged number of early miscarriages, although there is no evidence for this speculation.

References

External links

* * * (some as 'Beeton, S. O.', previous page of browse report) {{DEFAULTSORT:Beeton, Samuel Orchart English book publishers (people) British magazine publishers (people) 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis 1830 births 1877 deaths Burials at West Norwood Cemetery Tuberculosis deaths in England 19th-century English businesspeople