Did servants live upstairs or downstairs?

The servants followed a hierarchy downstairs as strict as upstairs, and the upper servants, the butler, housekeeper, cook, valet and ladies maid would be served meals and tea by the lower servants. The highest ranking servant was the stewart, then came the butler and housekeeper.

Where did the servants live?

Servants' quarters are those parts of a building, traditionally in a private house, which contain the domestic offices and staff accommodation. From the late 17th century until the early 20th century, they were a common feature in many large houses.

Where did kitchen maids sleep?

Housemaids, scullery maids and kitchen maids slept on the attic floor of the house. Two to a room, in some houses they even shared beds.

What were the rules for servants in English manor houses in 1910?

Servants should never offer any opinion to their employers, nor even to say good night or good morning except in reply to salutation. Never talk to another servant, or a person of your own rank, or to a child in the presence of your mistress, unless for necessity then do it as shortly as possible, and in a low voice.

What was life like for servants?

They had the most gruelling job of all, as they had to do all the chores for the house, often working from 6 in the morning until 10 at night, with very little time off. In households like Shibden, there were normally a few servants working together. Despite this, the work was still demanding.

Servants The True Story of Life Below Stairs 1

Did servants live in the house?

Maids were traditionally housed in the attic, with the housekeeper's own quarters at the end of their passage, while male staff were lodged in the basement. The butler's quarters were close by, usually next to the strong room where the silver was kept.

Did servants have families?

As a servant, you had an attic or shared an attic with another servant. It wouldn't look like much to us, but to them, it was a great thing. If you had a good employer, you could have at least a limited sense of membership in the family. Some families were very good to their servants.

Where did the servants live in Downton Abbey?

The interior and exterior shots of Downton Abbey were filmed in Highclere Castle,but because the servant kitchens and bedrooms below-stairs no longer existed as they once were, the servant quarters for the mini-series were reconstructed in Ealing Studios in London.

How much was a Lady's maid paid?

She notes that a housekeeper for a zillionaire may earn up to $60,000 a year (the industry median salary is less than $20,000), but a “lady's maid” can take in $75,000. Full-time butlers can earn $70,000 a year, and some who travel around with a family on yachts or private jets could earn as much as $200,000 a year.

What are servant stairs?

Servant staircases were typically located off the kitchen or back part of the house. Old Victorian mansions required a large household staff to keep them running, but servants were expected to stay out of sight when they were coming and going.

Where do servants sleep?

Servants' bedrooms and dormitories were pushed to the margins of the house: in garrets and occasionally basements. In newly built or extended houses, wings were created on the main house that offered separate accommodation for indoor and outdoor servants, grooms for example often sleeping above the stables.

Did servants live in cupboards?

In the early 1800s, servants slept in the kitchen or in cupboards under the stairs. Later in the century, they were given the attics as bedrooms, which were cold, damp and dimly lit. Often, however, men continued to sleep downstairs to guard the plate.

What time did servants eat?

The basement is buzzing again: the servants eat supper at 6 pm - a smaller meal than at midday. A five-course dinner is to be served upstairs at 8 pm, so everyone is hard at work.

Where did the servants live in a castle?

Most domestic servants would have slept in shared chambers in either the cellars or attics of the castle buildings. There might also be simple buildings outside the castle for herdsmen, mill workers, wood-cutters, and craftspeople such as rope-makers, candle-makers, potters, basket-weavers, and spinners.

Where were servants quarters located?

Servants' quarters are those parts of a building, traditionally in a private house, which contain the domestic offices and staff accommodation. From the late 17th century until the early 20th century, they were a common feature in many large houses.

Could butlers get married?

The butler's life is a solitary one

Employers generally prefer their butlers to be single. It is felt that butlers with wives can be torn between their loyalties towards their families and their master.

Do the rich still have servants?

They do for themselves.

They have dog walkers, maids, assistants, butlers, and drivers to take care of the monotonous chores of everyday life. Contrary to this image, billionaires often do just fine fending for themselves.

How historically accurate is Downton?

How truthful is Downton Abbey? In most respects, very. The one element that does not ring true is the easy interaction and conversation between the upstairs world of the family and their peers and the downstairs world of the hired help. That just didn't happen (or at least not on such a scale).

When did butlers go out of style?

The modern butler

As few as one hundred were estimated to remain by the mid-1980s.

What is the hierarchy of servants?

The butler, or the house steward, supervised the male servants such as the footmen and valets, while the housekeeper supervised the maids. Under her, the cook was in charge of a brigade of kitchen maids, scullery maids, and stillroom maids.

Why doesn't Lady Edith have a maid?

Maybe Edith's lady's maid is new and she doesn't quite trust her to do her best when she's going to be seeing the King and Queen. So Edith gave her lady's maid time off for the duration of Edith's trip to Downton.

Did they have bathrooms in Downton Abbey?

Anna Bates carrying a potty

Image courtesy of PBS. The chamber pot was far more convenient and comfortable than the lavatory. Emptying the upper classes' potties brought servants into an extraordinarily intimate relationship with their employers.

How much time off did servants get?

Servants worked 17-hour days with time off limited to church on Sunday morning and one afternoon a week.

How much did Downton Abbey pay servants?

They were hired by the Lady and Master of the house rather than by the butler, housekeeper or house steward. Typical salaries were 20-30 pounds ($2,100-3,200) per year.

How many servants would a Duke have?

Maintaining a grand home and an equally grand lifestyle might require a small army. The Duke of Westminster employed 50 servants at Eaton Hall. In large households, the master and mistress of the house did not directly supervise the help.