Life of a Victorian servant
The life of a servant in times gone by has always been a hard life. Long hours, little time-off and bad wages. During Victorian times things began to improve slowly for those who chose a life of service, though it was still considered to be a hard life.
If you were luckily enough to live close to the people you worked for you would travel to and from home every day, but it’s most likely that most servants would live in a house, due to long hours.
It was very common for you to work in the same household as other members of your family as large parts of the local villages were employed by the manor house.
On the whole, women outnumbered men in service 20 to 1. As the 19th Century progressed indoor male servants decreased in numbers, as male servants became very expensive.
British Census
In 1891 the British census found that 1.3 million women and young girls worked in the Domestic service industry in Victorian England. Starting at an early age after having little schooling and going into the workplace at around 10 years old.
It was hoped that the young girls would have basic numeracy and literacy skills. In the early part of the Victorian times this was less likely but in the later part of the century it became law to send children to school and was more commonplace that the employed young ladies would have more basic education.
Kitchen Maid\ Scullery Maid
A kitchen maid during the Victorian times was considered the lowest of the low; they had the worst job and worse pay. Girls starting usually working around the age of nice or ten, waking up early and going to bed late. Often the scullery Maids bedroom would be near the kitchen.
The main tasks for the scullery maid were to assist the cook in her duties and to keep the kitchen and scullery area sparkling clean and clearing away any vegetable or meat scraps and mopping the floors. A big part of their job would be to provide hot water for the kitchen as well as general household tasks. The scullery maid would often go onto the role of cook.
It was usual for certain jobs in service would be associated with names, in case of the Kitchen Maid they were normally Named Mary, if this was your name or not!
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Lady’s Maid
The job of a lady’s maid was normally undertaken by a young unmarried woman of working-class origins. It was a good job to obtain. Room and board would be included.
Being a Lady’s Maid had its perks. If the Family travelled then the lady’s maid was taken along as well to ensure the lady was always looking her best. Also, this position had great standing in the servant’s halls and would be sat near the head of the table during meal times.
Duties of a Lady’s Maid would be helping her mistress with dressing, hair and makeup. The lady’s maid was there to help with new fashions of the day.the job also included bringing their Mistress breakfast in bed, and help with bathing. It was also the responsibility of the lady’s maid to mend and sew any clothing that may need fixing.
However, it was not their responsibility to clean and dust the lady’s room.
House Maids
The head house maid normally was a woman of around 30 years old who had worked her way up and could one day be Housekeeper.
By the time they had got to the position of head house maid they probably been working there for a while, maybe as long as 20 years.
She would be known by her last name and referred to as Mrs even if not married.
As head house maid she would be cleaning the best rooms.
If this was a smaller household with no lady’s maid the house Maid would be responsible for all the same duties as the lady’s maid for the Mistress of the house.
Whereas the younger house maids would do the rest of the house normally starting early so not to be seen by the ladies and gentlemen of the house. This resulted in long hours, beginning early and retiring to bed long after the other servants.
Their first job of the day would be to go around and open the curtains and shutters and tend to the fires. One of the nastiest jobs was left to the house maids to do, which was emptying of the chamber pot.
It was largely the responsibility of the junior House maids to empty the slops at mealtimes and to change and make beds.
The Under Butler \ Butler
It was usually only in big, larger stately homes that had male servants. These would include Butlers.
If in a smaller house then the Butler would undertake other male servants’ posts, and would be skilled as a valet, page boy and foot man.
A head Butler was the boss in the servants’ quarters and was given the respect accordingly.
Duties for a butler were more than just opening doors to guests, looking after the families silver and polishing the shoes. Delivering post and taking care of his master’s clothes and not forgetting winding all the clocks in the grand house.
Valet
A Valet is the closest job to a lady’s maid, so their job is very similar. The valet would take care of his Masters’ every need with grooming and clothes, and when out traveling the valet would be on-hand to help his master as if he were at home.
Life was undoubtedly as hard as a Victorian servant, but in general terms at the time they had many things that people who lived in the cities didn’t; a roof over their heads, at least two meals a day and even though it wasn’t much, an income.