housewivery

English

Noun

housewivery (uncountable)

1. Obsolete form of housewifery.
   • 1625, [Samuel] Purchas, “A description and historicall declaration of the golden Kingdome of Guinea, otherwise called the golden Coast of Myna, lying in a part of Africa, shewing their beliefe, opinions, traffiquing, bartering, and manner of speech; […]”, in Purchas His Pilgrimes. […], 2nd part, London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, 7th book, § III (Of their Apparell, Customes within doores, Manner of diet, Merchandising, the vse of Dache; Wares carried thither), page 934, lines 59–62:

     The women teach their daughters from their youths vpwards, to bake bread, and to grind Millia, with other Houſewiuery; whereby it commeth to paſſe, that they haue good skill in houſe-keeping, becauſe they are brought vp therein from their youths.

   • 1642, D[aniel] R[ogers], Matrimoniall Honour: or, The Mutuall Crowne and Comfort of Godly, Loyall, and Chaste Marriage. […], London: […] Th: Harper for Philip Nevil, […], pages 33 and 298–299:

     So long as they can marry morally, ſuch as are free from groſſe crimes, uncleanneſſe, riot, alehouſe-haunting, and the like: ſuch as are of a ſweet carriage, faſhionable, and compleat, brought up well to a pleaſing and outwardly gracefull behaviour; eſpecially, if there be any meanes to live competently in the world, good husbandry and houſewivery; oh, they thinke their choice is excellent; yea, when children themſelves ſtagger for conſcience ſake, at ſuch offers, yet their parents are earneſt for the match, and vexe themſelves to ſee their children ſo preciſe. […] Fifthly to his family ſhee is an abſolute helper by neceſſity, and cannot be ſpared: not onely in point of houſewivery, but alſo in the diſpencing the Affayres of it within.

   • 1658, Rich[ard] Fleckno, Enigmaticall Characters, All Taken to the Life, from Severall Persons, Humours, & Dispositions, page 17:

     By her complexion, ſhe ſeems rather made of chalk or marle, than that red earth Adam was made of; though ſhe be ſo meager a ſoile, ſhe grows never the fatter by it; yet one knows not what a good Husbandman may do, for they ſay, a good Husband would remedy all; but he muſt take her on credit then, both for Beauty and good houſewivery; few elſe would venture on her complexion, and ſuch a quality, as if ſhe hold on as ſhe begins, ſhe ſoon would eat her husband out of houſe and home: […]

   • 1670, J[ohn] R[ay], A Collection of English Proverbs Digested into a Convenient Method for the Speedy Finding Any One upon Occasion; with Short Annotations. […], Cambridge, Cambs: […] John Hayes, […], for W[illiam] Morden, pages 59 and 240:

     8. Bare walls make giddy houſe-wives. 8. i. e, Idle houſe-wives, they having nothing whereabout to buſie themſelves and ſhew their good houſewivery. […] One utterly ignorant of countrey affairs, of husbandry and houſewivery as there practiſed.