Seriously, we dont need to see Ethel in every episode. In the big country houses or the great London mansions servants were crammed into shared bedrooms and beds with no bathroom or lavatory facilities. How much was Cora's dowry? Photograph: Nick Briggs/ITV. Topics include Regency fashion, historic foods, Jane Austen societies, British sites, related topics. Alongside his partner Mrs. Hughes, Carson becomes an even sweeter and softer version of his obstinate self. Era. ", Dr Cox, whose aim was to strip away some of the nostalgia surrounding this British class, adds: "The work was boring, repetitive and could also be very lonely. The following is a list of the staff of Downton Abbey, past and present. A major part of the season concerns the end of the "large household" and how many of the staff are seeking alternate employment. I assume you would not as many full time staff. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. However the contrast between the sumptuous family areas and the dull, often squalid servants' quarters was stark. The House Maid: (Rose Leslie) Young Gwen is a housemaid with a goal that of becoming a typist. At the bottom of the ladder were the young girls who could enter service when they were 13, earning a few pounds a year. They wore white gloves to serve at table to conceal their grubby hands. Never talk to another servant in the presence of your mistress. Just like Lark Rise to Candleford, which I must admit, is a much better show. Id certainly but a copy!I get so much out of your posts! Ladys MaidsThere is one for Lady Grantham, but as all the daughters are out in society they should have maids too, at least one for Lady Mary, and one to be shared between the other two at the least. 9. So true, I believe they had well over 20 servants, you tend to see them in the background carrying sheets and other household items, and they did have a land agent prior to Mathew, he resigned over a disagreement with Lord G, and him following Mathews advice, the land agent actually took over for his father and grew up on the estate. Servants were not allowed to marry of have children of their own. At all other times they were expected to remain invisible as they worked around the house, using the servants stairs and working in a room when the family was not expected to use it. While Mr. Carson is fair, he does not hesitate to reprimand a servant or even fire one if he thinks it is for the benefit of the house. Mrs. Hughes (even if they are single, which Mrs. Hughes was, housekeepers were given the distinction of being a Mrs.) was also responsible for the linen and china. In fact the doors of stately homes and townhouses revolved with departing servants seeking a better life elsewhere. with any luck. Some of the so-called traditional wear for servants is based on oridnary wear during the Regency. Afternoon tea, priced at around $60 per person, is still quite an occasion. An ambitious man, who cares only for his own advancement, he will use anyone to achieve his goals, even if it means destroying anothers reputation. Scan this QR code to download the app now, The Victorian Domestic Servant Hierarchy and Wage Scale. Its a small number compared to the west, but a much smaller nation. Only the very rich could afford footmen, and thus they were a form of status symbol. Labour-saving devices such as the appearance of the first motorised vacuum cleaners made housework easier. Although these were generous, wages could vary greatly depending on a servant's gender or the position they occupied within the house. Before the series began, Dame Maggie Smith was already a huge name among TV and film viewers, perhaps best known for her portrayal of Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise. On a different note, Vic, have you ever thought of taking all of the cool research youve done and publish it in paper form? At this same time, there were about 700 families in England who could support large country homes. Towards this end, she has been secretly taking typing courses. Click on this link. They are more highly paid than parlor maids). But at the real Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle a stately pile owned by George Geordie Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon the financial outlook has rarely been brighter. A dozen? The Crawleys Manchester house was well furnished (what we saw of it) and fashionably furnished, so they redecorated within the last 5/10 years, they still had all their tea sets and china and silver. While employers would prefer servants to be married than to engage in out of wedlock sex, most employers wouldnt have a pregnant woman or children around. The only kind of television show that was economically able to have such a large cast of regular actors (those with speaking parts, let alone character arcs) were the soap operas of the 1960s-1980s. Service at table, except in the lowest houses employing servants was never performed by female servants. One difference between the Edwardian and Regency great house is that the Regency servants except for footmen were unlikely to wear uniforms. We have to compete with attractions like the London Dungeon., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Servants who married often left, though the employer could find a position for the spouse within the establishment if they wanted to keep the servant. In some instances, links will be removed from comments as well. In the lower common area, servants were summoned by the family via a system of bells connected to each room. These days, his net worth is said to be around $4million. Refuse and she would soon be packing her bags for an uncertain future without references. Downton has no laundry maids, adding to the burden on the undersized staff. The Portal for Public History. He ranks second as the highest-paid star from the show, with $8million to his name. Young, fresh-faced, and just starting out, William misses his loving family. The Ladys Maid: Siobhan Finneran plays OBrien as a cold, ruthless woman, who trusts no one. Occaisionally a servant who became pregnant by a member of The Family would be paid off (but also fired), depending. Apparently nothing was considered too menial and records show that servants' duties included ironing shoelaces and cutting their masters' toenails. Always stand still when being spoken to by a lady and look at the person speaking to you. I love P.G. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Thomas is now Under Butler, and there are two footmen. Highly informative, while at the same time completely avoiding the fetish known as hat worship. Joanne Froggatt as Anna, Head Housemaid. RELATED:Downton Abbey: 10 Most Hated Supporting Characters Of All Time. Male servants were paid more than female servants (because some were expected to support a wife and children) and footmen were something of a luxury and therefore a status symbol even among the servant-employing classes. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. would be promoted into the households of the adult children, and grow old with them. 1903. Back of the house. It is now broadcast in 250 countries. Valet check, but see below under4thfootman. A first footman will serve as valet to the male guests if they arrive without a male servant. The Kitchen Maid: (Sophie McShera) Poor Daisy is at the bottom of the status ladder. Elizabeth McGovern began her career almost forty years ago in 1979, landing her first part in a television show when she was still a teenager. Although Downton Abbey follows only 11 of the upper servants closely, one can see other servants (housemaids, a scullery maid, young boys, coal men, and the like) in the background going about their business. The Downton tourists are part of a growing phenomenon. Carson leads the whole staff into battle every day at Downton and is constantly putting out fires. Lily has landed some amazing roles since she appeared on the show, MORE:The real reason Lily James didn't appear in the Downton Abbey film revealed. Thanks and courage, my friend. Oh Woe! Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. A rule of thumb was that an income of at least 1,000 pounds per year was required, or the income from at least 1,000 acres of land. Alfred was rarely at the forefront of proceedings, which makes him one of the best employees at Downtown. Although servants began their careers at the bottom, working menial jobs and catering to the upper servants as well as their masters, they could move up in the servant hierarchy. One stately home looks much the same as another. At the top stood the butler and housekeeper. While she was constantly working hard in her position, her past became an ultimate roadblock. When Downton Abbey opens, the camera follows the servants as they rise and ready the house for the day. If you would like to share a new site, or point out an error, please email us. Click here to enter the page. Downton has none. Please read the rules before participating, as we remove all comments which break the rules. Downton. I suppose they are buying them as needed from the shops rather than having them made to match, or even expecting the maids to sew their own to a matching pattern. The neighbours are selling up their own stately home, while Lord Grantham seeks to cut back on servants after declaring that under-butlers are no longer affordable. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. Carriages are being replaced by automobiles, but the infrastructure for maintaining cars is not yet in place. 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The book lists some typical YEARLY salaries for household staff in the late 19th century: Butler 70 pounds (Mr. Carson), Masters Valet 60 pounds (Mr. Bates), Housekeeper 40 to 60 pounds (Mrs. Hughes), Ladys Maid 50 pounds (devious Miss OBrien), Footman 20-30 pounds (saintly William , dastardly Thomas), Scullery Maid 5-10 pounds (Daisy). The fact that Bates the valet was expected to fill in at even a small dinner is not something that would normally be case. . Published February 20, 2012. At the turn of the 20th century when the population of Britain was only 36million there were 1.5million servants. But was this always the case? Downton Abbey wouldn't survive without all the downstairs staff who work tirelessly day in and day out. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me and my team. We'll own up to our mistakes and will make the corrections with a polite smile on our faces.) This meant that the food often arrived at the dining table cold or, at best, lukewarm. Are there still butlers? Ive wondered who does Isobels hair, and who does the laundry and ironing. In the big country houses or the great London mansions servants were crammed into shared bedrooms and beds with no bathroom or lavatory facilities. If all you could afford was a girl a couple days a week, you got one. The Cook: Lesley Nicol as Mrs. Patmore, the cook, is hiding a secret, one that threatens her very livelihood. This was the youngest (12-16) and weakest and least well paid of the servants. Now, without doubt, it is loved by millions of other people.. (Do they mean the same thing?). Never call from one room to another and always answer when you have received an order. King Charles III's coronation: How to watch and what time is it on? Although only her kitchen maid, Daisy, is seen as her regular assistant, there would have been others in a house this size. Time and time again she overcomes whatever current tragedy has befallen her and her loved ones, and delivers some of the best work in the house. . Her husband and his past have brought a lot of heartache to her arcs in the series. Always "give room" if you meet one of your employers or betters on the stairs and avert your gaze. How much did domestic servants get paid? His dedication to Downton was arguably stronger than even the family who lived in it. Young, able servants were in a constant state of flux (they worked on average for 2-3 years before moving on), always looking for a better position, which they could acquire as long as their masters gave them good references. Mrs. Hughes ran a tight ship with her staff, creating a culture of strong work ethic as well as personal respect. Do public servants get paid well? However, we do accept and keep books and CDs to review. Downton only has 2-3 housemaids/maids of all work, thus is both understaffed and staffed at a lower level. How wrong I was. RELATED:Downton Abbey: 10 Hidden Details About Edith Crawley's Costume You Didn't Notice. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Died off Prome, the 7th October 1852, while in command of the Naval Expedition on the river Irrawady against the Burmese Forces, aged 73 years.. The price includes piano entertainment and an unlimited supply of little sandwiches, scones and cakes which are served graciously for as long as the customer wants to sit there basking in luxury. Now I will feel so much more in tune with whats going on in it. Michelle Dockery is said to be worth $4million, MORE:11most devastating Downton Abbey moments, ranked. Keep reading for all you need to know about the cast of Downton Abbey's incredible wealth WATCH:Are you looking forward to the second Downton Abbey film? Downton Abbey: 10 Upstairs Memes That Will Have You Cry-Laughing, Downton Abbey: 10 Couples That Would Have Made A Lot Of Sense (But Never Got Together), Downton Abbey: 10 Most Hated Supporting Characters Of All Time, Downton Abbey: 10 Hidden Details About Edith Crawley's Costume You Didn't Notice, Downton Abbey: 10 Actors You Forgot Were On The Show. Downton only has 2-3 housemaids/maids of all work, thus is both understaffed and staffed at a lower level. In the background, a servant scoops coal.Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. While his personality needed some ironing out, his work ethic never faltered. The formerly somewhat basic ticketing policy has become a computerised advance booking system, helping to guarantee foreign visitors admission. Love thomas, hes hot, hope I can find one that looks like him, Great BLOG I LIKE AND I COPY IN MY BLOG, [] also found lots of good articles on the downstairs staff and on Downton Abbey over at Jane Austens World blog [], [] a full explanation of who does what below the stairs, Id recommend reading this post on the blog, Jane Austens []. The year is 1925 and there are already the first rumblings of the economic storms that will blight the end of the decade. The Portal for Public History. Daisy, the kitchen maid, lays a fire in the library. Cora eventually learned that Baxter had been convicted for a crime she didn't commit. A maid in England prepares afternoon tea in 1927. The golden age was over and the huge servant class all but disappeared. The typical (median) domestic worker is paid $12.01 per hour, much less than other workers (who are paid $19.97 per hour). How much did British servants make? Ok, look, a house that size would have had a staff of hundreds of servants. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. However, 69 Emmy nominations and 15 wins later, it's never been more apparent just how much of an impact the show made. Surprisingly, Downton Abbey was positively frugal in comparison to that estimate, though the series was largely filmed before the cost of filming TV shows began to skyrocket thanks to the rise of streaming giants (per Variety). The servants of Downton Abbey worked hard, but as shown in the series, they knew their place and were proud of their positions. Mrs. Patmore was the lead cook at Downtown throughout the entire series, serving as a teacher to Daisy and feeding all the family and servants. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. The Butler: Jim Carter, who you may remember as Captain Brown from Cranford, portrays Mr. Carson, the butler, with grave dignity. Unlike their poorly paid counterparts, servants were housed and fed by their masters. Gradually, however, this world began to disappear and the Downton Abbey period marked the swansong for domestic service. The True Evolution of High-End Household Staffing Since the. The programme reveals that one London employer went through 34 maids in 32 years. [] Downstairs in Downton Abbey: TheServants [], [] Downstairs in Downton Abbey: The Servants []. The show portrays a butler, two footmen, a valet, and a chauffeur. I buy one for every attraction I visit. They were better-paid jobs, less demeaning and didn't require the wearing of the hated servant's uniform of starched cap and apron. Good eye! So, how much did slavery impact England? ), I love this post. He is dedicated to working to the best of his ability (as long as he is awarded in return). Second Footman Check but fail, in high class household is supposed to be as alike physically to first footman as to be twins. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the show was reviewed extremely positively, and, even as it was still airing, creator Julian . How much did the 'Downton Abbey'-era upper class rely on servants?
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