THE DOMESTIC REVOLUTION

British social historian Goodman, whose previous books brought Tudor and Victorian societies to life, now turns to the advent of coal use.

Beginning in the 1500s, the increasing use of coal transformed heating, cooking, architecture, road-building, and, not least, London’s air. Although coal was adopted early by lime burners (who produced mortar for building) and blacksmiths, the greatest use was in homes. “The early rise of coal,” writes the author, “is not a story about industry; it is a tale of domestic needs and comforts, of individual, private choices.” After a brisk overview of other forms of fuel—wood, peat, dung—Goodman offers a detailed, abundantly illustrated picture of the ways coal changed daily life for all classes throughout Great Britain, drawing from a prodigious number of sources, including property inventories, house expenditures, town records, housekeeping manuals, and recipe books. In addition, she recounts her own experiences in facsimile houses, cooking and heating with different kinds of fuel and confronting the “nonstop cleaning” of the filth resulting from burning coal. “Coal meant more smoke within the living area,” she notes, “and it meant smoke that stung the eyes and affected breathing.” Nevertheless, coal became increasingly popular because it burned with a “small and uniform” flame and was plentiful, leaving more land for agriculture. Within a few decades, houses had chimneys, kitchens had grates, and cooks had new recipes. The “cuisine of coal” included “boiled or steamed puddings both sweet and savoury, roast meats which are in fact baked meats served with ‘roast’ potatoes and all the trimmings, Victoria sponge cakes and hot buttered toast with jam.” For several centuries, coal served as the predominant fuel for homes and industry. While in continental Europe and the U.S., “domestic coal-burning barely lasted a century,” Londoners “cooked on coal for over 350 years.”

An engaging history of social transformation.