Meal preparation, childcare and the lighting of lamps, could not be done once a week, nor could the fires be lit only sporatically, and it was up to the housewife to ensure that they never died out.
Don't let the young lady in the Acorn Stove ad above fool you. It was hard work.
All joking aside, it was imperative that the fire never went out, and as such it was watched constantly. If it did go out, the kitchen became cold and the bread dough that was always set to rise overnight, would be lost. With the scarcity of flour, the difficulties of getting to a miller and the shortage of food, this could be a tragedy; so it was customary for one of the children to sleep in a settle bed near the fire to see it didn't die, or to alarm the others if it suddenly flared up.
Before everyone went to bed, a damper in the form of a huge log was often rolled into the fireplace, and while the iron cookstove may have seemed like it would have been a modern convenience, it actually involved more work to keep it maintained. It was no longer a matter of just collecting the ashes and adding fresh wood. The stove had to be completely cleaned, inside and out, and a final polishing with home-made blacking, before breakfast could even be cooked.
The 1883 Boston Cookbook, gave the following instructions, which were the general method given in most cookbooks and domestic magazines of the day: "remove the covers and brush the soot free from the top of the oven into the fire-box then clean out the grate; and if the stove have conveniences for so doing sift the ashes, save all the old coal and cinders. Put in shavings or loose rolls of paper, then fine kindlings, arranged crosswise, and a layer of hard wood leaving plenty of air space between the pieces. Be sure the wood comes out to catch the end of the fire-box. Put on the covers; and if the stove needs cleaning, moisten soft pulverized stove polish with: water, and rub the stove with a paintbrush dipped in the polish.
"When all blackened, rub with a dry polishing brush until nearly dry. Open the direct draught and oven damper, and light the paper, as a slight heat facilitates the process of polishing. When the wood is thoroughly kindled, fill the fire-box with coal even with the top of the oven. Brush up the hearth and floor, empty the tea kettle and fill with fresh water. Watch the fire and push the coal down as the wood burns away, and add enough more coal to keep it even with the top of the fire-bricks". And after all that, you were now expected to cook a meat and potato breakfast.
"A shallow fire place saves wood and gives out more heat than a deeper one. A false back of brick, may be put upon a deep fireplace. Hooks, for holding up the shovel and tongs, a hearth-brush and bellows, and brass knobs to hang them on, should be furnished to every fireplace. Steel furniture is more genteel and more easily kept in order than that made of brass". The bellows were often put in a holder made of woollen cloth and covered with old silk, that was often suitably embroidered.
From time to time the 'newfangled' cooking and heating stoves cracked and repair became necessary, and was also 'woman's work'. But not to worry: a cement of ashes, salt and water plastered on the cold stove would do the trick, since heating turned this mixture almost as hard as iron. Rust was prevented by rubbing the stoves with fat or oil and then polishing. to a high shine. (We always had to do this to our cast iron frying pan at home).
If the fire did go out, lighting it was often difficult, and if the fire did not catch, everything had to be raked out and the chore started all over again. To prevent this the ingenious medical man, Dr Chase, designed fire kindlers that could be made at home:
To Make Very Nice Fire Kindlers "Take resin any quantity, melt it, putting in for each pound being used, from two to three ozs. of tallow, and when all is hot stir in pine saw-dust to make it very thick and, while yet hot, spread it out about 1 inch thick upon boards which have fine saw-dust sprinkled upon them to prevent it from sticking. When cold break into lumps about 1 inch square".
They also advised how to turn a profit, by cutting the squares neatly, and selling them to their less informed neighbours.
But if the darn thing still wouldn't light; the old standby was to sprinkle a little powdered nitre on the fire, fire the family gun into the coals, or throw on some burning fluid or lamp oil; and if there was ever a good time to say a few prayers, this was it. AMEN.
