Elizabeth Raffald was an English businesswoman and writer, author of the "extremely successful" The Experienced English Housekeeper. Her book went through 13 authorised editions and at least 23 pirated ones. In 1773, she sold the copyright to her publisher for £1400, equivalent to more than £200,000 as of 2008.

Raffald was born in Doncaster

Doncaster

Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...

 in 1733. Between 1748 and 1763 she was employed as a housekeeper by several families, including the Warburtons

Warburton Baronets

The Warburton Baronetcy, of Arley in the County of Chester, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 27 June 1660 by Charles II for George Warburton, of Arley Hall, Cheshire, whose great-uncle had been Sergeant at Law and a Justice of Common Pleas in the time of Charles I. The...

 of Arley Hall

Arley Hall

Arley Hall is a country house in the village of Arley, Cheshire, England, about south of Lymm and north of Northwich. It is home to the owner, Viscount Ashbrook and his family. The house is a Grade II* listed building, as is its adjacent chapel. Formal gardens to the southwest of the hall...

 in Cheshire

Cheshire

Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...

, where she met her future husband, John Rafford, Arley Hall's head gardener. In 1763 the couple moved to Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, where Elizabeth opened a confectionery shop and John sold flowers and seeds at a market stall. They had 16 children, all daughters.

Raffald opened what was probably Manchester's first registry office

Register office

A register office is a British term for a civil registry, a government office and depository where births, deaths and marriages are officially recorded and where you can get officially married, without a religious ceremony...

 in which servants could marry. She also wrote a book on midwifery

Midwifery

Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....

, under the guidance of Charles White

Charles White (physician)

Charles White FRS was an English physician and a co-founder of the Manchester Royal Infirmary, along with local industrialist Joseph Bancroft...

, one of the founders of the Manchester Royal Infirmary

Manchester Royal Infirmary

The Manchester Royal Infirmary is a hospital in Manchester, England which was founded by Charles White in 1752 as a cottage hospital capable of caring for twelve patients. Manchester Royal Infirmary is part of a larger NHS Trust incorporating several hospitals called Central Manchester University...

, but she died before its publication. Raffald is buried at Stockport Parish Church

St Mary's Church, Stockport

St Mary's Church, Stockport is the oldest parish church in the town of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It stands in Churchgate overlooking the market place . The church is a Grade I listed building...

. Only three of her daughters survived her.