Servant life in 1850's England?

Fenn · Aug 23, 2009

Gods, I just know that you're all going to shout at me for asking stupid questions :flag:

Anyway, here goes nothing. I'm after background info for a MC who lived from 1841-1863. I need him to have worked in a serving capacity in an English country house, but can't for the life of me find anything specific to that period on the net. Clothing and politics I can find, servants I cannot :Shrug:

Either I'm being stupid and not looking in the right places (but believe me, I've spent the whole afternoon looking through obscure websites), or I need help!

If anyone can point me in the right direction or kick me and tell me what I'm doing wrong, I would be most grateful indeed

F x

mscelina · Aug 23, 2009

Google "domestic servant in victorian england"--these are just the first three sites that came up.

http://georgian-victorian-britain.suite101.com/article.cfm/domestic_servants_in_victorian_england

http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/servantwages.htm

http://ourwardfamily.com/victorian_servants.htm

alleycat · Aug 23, 2009

A couple of links:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0747803684/?tag=absolutewritedm-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0684155133/?tag=absolutewritedm-20

Fenn · Aug 23, 2009

Thanks so much - I really appreciate it. I told you I was probably just being stupid...I think I just got to the point where I couldn't see for looking.

Thanks again. x

Shakesbear · Aug 23, 2009

You could also check out any large houses in your area that are open to the public and that may have the below stairs areas open to the public. I know some National Trust properties have the below stairs areas open.

Fenn · Aug 23, 2009

Thanks, Shakesbear

Unfortunately there aren't any open houses near to me of the right era, but I'll keep looking.

I have now found a very good microsite run by Channel 4 in the UK, which might be of use to others - http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide19/part05.html

alleycat · Aug 23, 2009

Fenn said:
Thanks, Shakesbear Unfortunately there aren't any open houses near to me of the right era, but I'll keep looking.

I have now found a very good microsite run by Channel 4 in the UK, which might be of use to others - http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide19/part05.html

There was a show on Public TV here in the US about a group living in a house just as they would have in the Victorian or Edwardian era. One group were the wealthy "owners" and the other group were the servants. It might have been a joint PBS/BBC production. PBS has done several shows like that of various time period.

Linda Adams · Aug 23, 2009

There certainly would have been a lot of manual labor. This story is about 30 years later and in a different country, but may give you an idea of how much work. When my grandmother moved in to the "big house" (see the avatar), she was horrified to discover that there were eight tablecloths for the large dining table. Coming from the Great Depression, she found this an extremely extravagant waste of money. But the reason for eight tablecloths was pretty basic: It took so long to clean just one and then dry it out that eight was needed so they had a tablecloth available!

ideagirl · Aug 23, 2009

Fenn said:
Gods, I just know that you're all going to shout at me for asking stupid questions

Anyway, here goes nothing. I'm after background info for a MC who lived from 1841-1863. I need him to have worked in a serving capacity in an English country house, but can't for the life of me find anything specific to that period on the net. Clothing and politics I can find, servants I cannot

Either I'm being stupid and not looking in the right places (but believe me, I've spent the whole afternoon looking through obscure websites), or I need help!

If anyone can point me in the right direction or kick me and tell me what I'm doing wrong, I would be most grateful indeed

F x

Read Jane Eyre. Read any of a number of Victorian novels in which servants (like the governess in Jane Eyre) play a prominent role.

DavidZahir · Aug 23, 2009

A fictional source from someone who's already done a lot of research--Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.

pdr · Aug 23, 2009

Come down...

to Genre Specific, the Historical section, Fenn.

There's a sticky at the top of that board called Resources by Era. It has a huge number of books and original document sources about Victorian servants. Look carefully. Resources by Era is enormous and takes time to read.

Several of us are writing novels set in the Victorian era and might be able to help you again.

Shakesbear · Aug 24, 2009

Fenn said:
Thanks, Shakesbear Unfortunately there aren't any open houses near to me of the right era, but I'll keep looking.

You are welcome.

Although the house may not be of the right era the servants hall was often the same layout for generations. Visiting any servants hall could give you an insight into what it was like to work below stairs. It might also give a stark comparison between upstairs and downstairs. I did one of my thesis on servants so I get carried away by the subject!

Tsu Dho Nimh · Aug 30, 2009

Fenn said:
Gods, I just know that you're all going to shout at me for asking stupid questions

Anyway, here goes nothing. I'm after background info for a MC who lived from 1841-1863. I need him to have worked in a serving capacity in an English country house, but can't for the life of me find anything specific to that period on the net. Clothing and politics I can find, servants I cannot

Good book: What the butler saw: two hundred and fifty years of the servant problem By Ernest Sackville Turner

He goes into great detail about the life of the servants.

Evaine · Sep 1, 2009

What the Butler Saw is excellent.
It might also be worth looking up Erddig Hall, just outside Wrexham in North Wales. The family there were unusual in that they had portraits painted of their servants, and the National Trust has really concentrated on servant life when opening up the hall to the public.
(I used to live locally).

Servant life in 1850's England?

Fenn

mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

alleycat

Still around

Fenn

Shakesbear

knows a hawk from a handsaw

Fenn

alleycat

Still around

Linda Adams

Soldier, Storyteller

ideagirl

DavidZahir

Malkavian Primogen

pdr

Shakesbear

knows a hawk from a handsaw

Tsu Dho Nimh

Evaine