William Ellis

Overview

Discover the life of an 18th-century agricultural innovator. This biography unveils William Ellis: farmer, journalist, and entrepreneur in rural Hertfordshire. Explore his writings, farming methods, and impact on English agriculture.

Malcolm Thick pieces together Ellis's story, revealing his early life, complex marriages, and contributions to agricultural journalism. Delve into 18th-century rural life, crop rotation, and market influences. This insightful account is perfect for historians and anyone fascinated by English farming's evolution.

Reviews

“This is a grand book and [UH Press] is to be congratulated on putting it out and for not charging the usual academic arm and a leg.”—Tom Jaine, author

“Malcolm Thick’s summaries are a very useful starting point for anyone wishing to delve into Ellis’s writings.”—Susanna Wade-Martins, Historia Agraria

“This excellent, informative study of William Ellis and his publications will be of interest to historians of eighteenth-century farming and cookery, and, of course, Hertfordshire.” —Heather Falvey, The Local Historian​
 

Author Biography

Malcolm Thick is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a winner of the Sophie Coe prize for food history writing. He has published books and papers on early modern gardening, food, and agriculture, including a critically acclaimed biography of the early scientist Sir Hugh Plat and a history of market gardening around London. He also wrote the introduction to a new edition of Ellis’s Country Housewife’s Family Companion.