Born in Nottingham in 1568, Gervase Markham was a prolific writer and poet. Like many other young men of his time, Markham took to a military career but after service in The Netherlands and Ireland, he turned to writing as a profession. In 1615, Markham published a handbook for housewives, which remains an important source of early 17th Century domestic life and contains instructions for the 'complete woman' in preparing meals to brewing beer, preventing plague and bad breath. Markham died in 1637 and is buried at St Giles's, Cripplegate, London.

• 1: The inward virtues of every housewife 2: The outward and active knowledge of the housewife including her skill in cookery with flesh, fish, sauces, pastry, banqueting and great feasts 3: The distillations of waters and their virtues 4: The ordering, preserving and helping of all sorts of wine 5: Of the excellency of oats 6: Of the brew-house and the bake-house 7: Glossary