Tag Archives: servant life

Life Below Stairs: English Servants Emigrating to Australia, Part II

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Previously, we looked at how some servants chose to emigrate to Australia rather than to remain in England. You may find that discussion HERE:  Life Below Stairs: English Servants Emigrating to Australia, Part I  An article entitled “Mistress and Maid” … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, servant life, Victorian era | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Life Below Stairs: English Servants Emigrating to Australia, Part I

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

In the mid to late 1840s, many girls in service decided to make the arduous journey from England to Australian ports. One must remember that the journey took three to four months to complete, depending upon the weather and the … Continue reading →

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Life Below Stairs: Non-Existent Legal Redress

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Was there legal redress for the servants of Victorian households?  Although there was genuine concern for the conditions in which many of the servants operated, most claimed it was impossible to make laws to protect domestic servants. Those that were … Continue reading →

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Life Below Stairs – The Footman

Posted on March 6, 2020 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

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

Posted on February 28, 2020 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: Rising with the Sun in Victorian England ~ Part I

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Servants needed to be up and about their business long before the Master and the Mistress. For example, lower servants were up at 5 A.M. and at work minutes later. Most did not waste time in their rooms for they … Continue reading →

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Life Below Stairs: Compensation Beyond Salary for Work Done

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Despite the sometimes less than desirable conditions under which many of those below stairs endured in service, there were other compensations. Servants learned their deference. They were “invisible,” while remaining upon display throughout most of their work days. As such, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, Georgian Era, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, servant life, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

Posted on February 7, 2020 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, Part 5 – The “Fallen” Female Servant

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

The life of a female servant in an English household of the 18th or 19th Century was a lonely one in terms of romantic entanglements, and we can only imagine how easily such a woman might be tempted to “taste” … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, commerce, Georgian England, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Regency era, romance, servant life, vocabulary | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Life Below Stairs: Benevolent Groups Come to the Aid of Domestic Servants

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

There were groups operating in London and throughout England to aid domestic servants. The most important of those were… Established in May 1846, The General Domestic Servants’ Benevolent Institution was located at 32 Sackville Street, Piccadilly. It was under the … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Living in the UK, servant life, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment