Always keep outer doors fastened. I know it's not an easy comparison to today, because they had room and board included in their wages. Matthew and Isobel did seem to live in Crawley House with a staff of only two, however, and Isobel seemed for a time to have only Mrs. Bird, and then Ethyl. Away from his role on the show, he is also known for period dramas Shakespeare in Love, My Week with Marilyn and the BBC series Cranford. Read the full article in The Sunday Times. The cast of female characters includes a housekeeper, a lady's maid, housemaids, a cook, and a kitchen maid. In addition to his managerial duties, he is shown in several scenes either polishing the silver or pouring over the books and counting the bottles of wine. Downton has none. Highly informative, while at the same time completely avoiding the fetish known as hat worship. In the background, a servant scoops coal.Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE Domestic service, novelist and broadcaster JB Priestly declared in 1927, was "as obsolete as the horse" in an era of motor cars. Downton has none, a house that size should have two or more. Pensioned off, but you worked until you were really old, and dying was a lot easier then anyway. Gentle readers: Please feel free to post your comments and continue the conversation! Archived post. I've been watching the final season of Downton Abbey. 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. No one at the time could have predicted that a fussy mini-series airing on PBS in this country would become a viral hit, but "Downton" soon became that rarest of things: A universal reference point. Like this story? Michelle Dockery stars as eldest daughter Lady Mary and is also said to be worth $4million. A 'Tweeny' servant who worked seven days a week, from 5am until 10pm, and was paid 13 a year. Yet while their employers dined on nine-course meals costing up to six times a maid's annual wage employees were treated to the leftovers in the kitchen. The same was true here. Margaret Powell, a former servant who died in 1984, recalled in her memoirs: "I was confined to the basement, the backstairs and the miserable attic room that I shared with another maid and which was so cold in winter that the ice froze in the jugs of water we used for washing. How did people treat slaves vs. servants and how did prospects differ for both groups once/if freed? Did slaves and servants get along, or did servants feel superior? DA is about to have the opposite problem of most TV shows, where the actors age faster than the plots move (Im looking at you, kid from Lost! http://files.stv.tv/img/galleries/downton-abbey-series-one/590331/DOWNTON_ABBEY_EP1_43.jpg. He ranks second as the highest-paid star from the show, with $8million to his name. I was fascinated to read in a recent memoir, I think Tony Judt, that he considered his family to be lower middle class but they had a maid in 1950. Nick BriggsCarnival Film & Television Ltd. By J.I. Has anybody read P.G. 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. Downton Abbey as History | Foreign Affairs Love this post, Vic. It became an extravagance for all but the biggest houses to have servants. Passing her mistress on the stairs a servant was expected to "give room", which meant face the wall. Do you suppose theyll make a making of movie like theyve done with some other BBC productions? For example, when Lady Sybil comes down to the kitchen to be taught to cook during series 2, there are several other kitchen maids, in addition to Daisy, around. At the top was the butler, who was paid 10 times more. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to C. S. Carley and castlesandcoffeehouses.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Just wondering assuming you could afford a house like Downton today, what would your staffing needs be now as compared to 1920? Id certainly but a copy!I get so much out of your posts! A maid in England prepares afternoon tea in 1927. The Downton tourists are part of a growing phenomenon. Their commitment to their employers and the home they serve shows in the meals they provide, and the cleanliness of the estate. Alfred played the role of one of the home's footman after Thomas became Valet. Elizabeth McGovern has $4million to her name. Would that be analogous to, say, a mid-range hotel manager today, in status and income? If this is explored later in the series for those who have watched, how accurate is the portrayal? The Portal for Public History. Another opportunity to keep Highclere in the public mind is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot Capability Brown, who designed the grounds. That is more than worked on the land or in factories. Thomas is now Under Butler, and there are two footmen. Never call from one room to another and always answer when you have received an order. Marvelous Mrs Maisel: will Lenny Bruces death be depicted in season 5? The Real Downton Abbey: How True To History Is The Drama? | HistoryExtra So much of it is about the personal relationships built with your coworkers and employer, as well as the commitment to go above and beyond. The fact that Bates the valet was expected to fill in at even a small dinner is not something that would normally be case. The servants of Downton Abbey worked hard, but as shown in the series, they knew their place and were proud of their positions. Afternoon tea, priced at around $60 per person, is still quite an occasion. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. In class-obsessed Britain there was even a strict hierarchy among servants that kept them apart from one another. 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. In Downton Abbey, the number of servants was deliberately reduced to simplify the narrative, and jobs that would have been filled by several people were condensed. NEXT:Downton Abbey: 10 Actors You Forgot Were On The Show. The story ONLY Focused on 8-9 staff but you Constantly saw Another 6 to 10 members of staff doing things around the house or sitting down at each meal time. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I recently rewatched the second season of Upstairs, Downstairs, and I have some general questions/want to check if I understand things right. Gradually, however, this world began to disappear and the Downton Abbey period marked the swansong for domestic service. Mrs. Hughes ran a tight ship with her staff, creating a culture of strong work ethic as well as personal respect. Though this information is not known when this article was first posted, I seem to remember it didnt come out until season3. The Table cloths in the servants hall , the butlers room and the housekeepers parlor would not be washed as frequently but would add to the workload. Servants' lives below stairs - British Heritage made them look like twins. One stately home looks much the same as another. In 1891, the number of indoor domestic servants is 1.38 million, which is a pretty high number," says Dr Pamela Cox, senior lecturer in sociology at the University of Essex. At the turn of the 20th century when the population of Britain was only 36million there were 1.5million servants. How many servants would a house like Downton Abbey have? Thank you for visiting this blog. Downton Abbey servants: New BBC series Servants: The True Story of Life Who owns the house in Downton Abbey? The more important servants, known as "the Pugs", were waited on at dinner by their inferiors and ate from fine china. Downton Abbey stars 'signed up to big money three-year contracts' Lord Carnarvon said then: It was just after the banking crisis and it was gloom in all directions. This chauffeur can also read and has been given permission by the earl to check books out of his library. Baker / LIFE Books. based on what I've seen of Downton Abbey (which I assume to be relatively accurate). We'll own up to our mistakes and will make the corrections with a polite smile on our faces.) Servants were expected to "know their place". Happy 1st Day of May (and its traditions), Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers, Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century, Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey, The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey, Awkward! When Downton Abbey opens, the camera follows the servants as they rise and ready the house for the day. Invisibility and segregation were part of their job. Thomas is constantly rising in status in his role, eventually even taking on the duties of Butler come the end of the series. Each table cloth would be washed, starched and ironed after each use. . Although these were generous, wages could vary greatly depending on a servant's gender or the position they occupied within the house. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. While his personality needed some ironing out, his work ethic never faltered. 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. Mrs. Hughes was the head Housekeeper in Downton, overseeing all of the maids and female staff in the household. Really it is a fantasy world, based in a particular time in history. The staff of Downton Abbey work for the Crawley family. The show portrays a butler, two footmen, a valet, and a chauffeur. Today, her overall net worth is estimated to be around $8million. Refuse and she would soon be packing her bags for an uncertain future without references. Each napkin likewise. 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. Sometimes experience trumps anything else. Subject to the cooks every whim (and to the housekeepers and anyone else who happens nearby) she goes about her duties cheerfully. Era. But perhaps most antique of all is the idea of life in a house full of servants, with two symbiotic. Archived post. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE, With or without guests, the daily routine for a family at its country house was unalterable, due in part to the servants, whose meal-times were rigid, and in part to Edwadian era tradition. We often see servants in the background, coming and going, whose names and positions we dont know. Only the very rich could afford footmen, and thus they were a form of status symbol. It became fashionable for the up-and-coming middle classes to mimic the aristocracy and hire cooks, maids and housekeepers and tens of thousands of young people flocked from the countryside to work in town houses. Ireland, http://anibundel.com/2012/02/08/poor-crawleys-a-study-of-downton-abbeys-staffing-woes/, Skating Highlights of the Week: Most of Russian Junior Nationals, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "The day would consist of doing breakfast maybe around 7 a.m., followed by elevenses, an 11 a.m. cocktail and biscuit, a 12:30 p.m. pre-lunch drink, lunch at 1 p.m. followed by coffee, then. Footman - Wikipedia 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. Ive already stated that I am going to cry at the Dowagers funeralsomething else I assume will will see in season three, I told you over at TNCs place, and Ill say it againMaggie Smith will never die, so you just stop that nonsense.
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