Category Archives: Great Britain

Life Below Stairs ~ Housing the Servants

Posted on September 27, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

It was not uncommon for an English aristocrat or a wealthy man of the gentry to own several properties: country estates and a London house in a fashionable area of London. In doing so, the owner employed a variety of … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, Georgian, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era, William IV | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Life Below Stairs: Rising with the Sun in Victorian England, Part II

Posted on September 25, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

Recently, we had a look at breakfast chores for servants in a Victorian household. See it HERE. Today, we carry on with other duties.  About a half hour after the household staff consumed their meager meal, the family was summoned … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, servant life, Seven Years' War, Uncategorized, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Life Below Stairs – Snobbery and Rules of Engagement

Posted on September 20, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

Previously, we looked at what a servant in an upper house, or even in a second-class household, of the late Regency Period or early Victorian times, might encounter. We spoke of wages, delineation of duties, and additional compensation. Today, we … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, food and drink, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Life Below Stairs ~ The Role of the Male Servant

Posted on September 18, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

  The English aristocrat often lived beyond his means. Maintaining country houses (often several of them) and a large Georgian town house in Mayfair took its toll on his purse strings. In addition to owning the property, Society forced him … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Life Below Stairs – The Valet

Posted on September 13, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

Footmen as we learned the last time often thought to join the upper servants in the role of valet or butler. (We saw the character of Thomas Barrow work in all three positions in Downton Abbey.) Today we have a … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Regency era, servant life, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Life Below Stairs – The Expense of Keeping Servants

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

The landed aristocrats were VERY slow to give up the expenses of an extensive household staff. We saw that “plot” being used in the final season of Downton Abbey. It is said that the sixth Duke of Portland employed some … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Napoleonic Wars, Regency era, servant life, Uncategorized, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Life Below Stairs: Life as a Maid-of-all Work in Victorian England

Posted on August 21, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

Maids-of-all-Work were the “general,” rather than the exception in Victorian England. Women employed in these positions were expected to be a combination of housemaid, nurse, parlourmaid, and even cook if something happened to incapacitate the cook. They were expected to … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Britain, servant life, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Life Below Stairs – The Footman

Posted on August 19, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

There are tales of footmen who experienced criticism and mild taunts when they went about their master’s business. Even so, the footman became a sort of symbol of the division in society. Reports abound of street urchins throwing mud on … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, estates, fashion, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, servant life, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

205th Anniversary of The Peterloo Massacre + an excerpt from my novel, “His Irish Eve,” which is set in the middle of the struggle

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

Previously, I introduce you to my novel, His Irish Eve. The events of that particular novel lead up to the hero and heroine being caught in the melee of the Peterloo Massacre. The year is 1819, and Adam Lawrence, Viscount … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, Peterloo Massacre, Regency era | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Life Below Stairs – Part I – Compensations and Obligations

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

With the popularity of Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey, the populace has become more aware of the British servant class. So what do we know of those who lived “below stairs”? First, rank and precedence ruled those of the servant … Continue reading →

Posted in customs and tradiitons, film, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Jane Austen, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, research, servants, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments