This household account book was kept by Margaret Allgood in the 1720s. There were a number of Margaret’s in the Allgood family at the time, but it appears to be Isaac Allgood’s sister. She was the aunt of cookbook author Hannah Glasse, with whom she corresponded in the 1740s. 

Margaret was born in 1693 and married Henry Widdrington in 1726. At this time the family had houses at both Brandon Whitehouse near Powburn in North Northumberland and also near Hexham in south west Northumberland. These accounts help us build up a picture of what food was eaten by wealthy families at the time, how much it cost and other expenses associated with running a household. 

In the past wealthy families employed many servants to run their households including cooks, maids, butlers and general servants. The “lady of the house” was required to manage the household and account for the expenditure. This would include paying the servants, buying food and other services, including cleaning the chimneys. 

In the first entry, dated December 1723, Margaret notes expenditure on various foodstuffs including fish, lemons, pork, veal, potatoes, suet and buying goods at the market. She wrote that 15s 4 ½ d was spent at the market on Christmas Eve (equivalent to £89.50 in 2017, and equivalent to 8 days wages of a skilled craftsman in 1723). The food bought near Christmas included suet, fruit, seasoning and apples. This could have been used to make mince pies. As well as food, Margaret notes buying a pack of playing cards; candles; soap and starch for washing; coal and paying 1 shilling for scouring the pewter. In total household expenditure that month was £8 14s 4d (equivalent to £1012-07 in 2017). 

In the second entry, dated April 1724, Margaret notes expenditure on various food stuffs – tea, meat, bread, fish, salt and sugar, goods purchased at the market; other supplies including soap, candles and coals; services supplied by others – chimney sweeping, the coachman and boy and Sir Edward’s groom. In total, Margaret recorded that £8 1s 11d was spent in that month. In 2017 that was equivalent to £939.99 and in 1724 would have been the wages paid to a skilled tradesman for 89 days.