They worked long hours with very few breaks. It was normal for servants to be given only one day off a month! Only wealthy Victorians could afford to have servants. They often lived in large houses with many rooms and huge gardens.
Were there servants in the Victorian era?
In the Victorian era it was not just the aristocracy who employed servants, new wealth had trickled into the cities and led to a burgeoning middle class. Employing a servant was a sign of respectability, but for the lower middle class, where money was tighter, they could only afford one servant – the maid of all work.
Did Victorian middle class have servants?
Middle-class homes in Victorian Britain would not have survived without servants to do the work. Some homes only had a single, over-worked maidservant, while others employed a whole army, from housekeeper and butler to lowest-paid kitchen maid.
What did rich Victorians have?
Rich Victorians lived in large houses that were well heated and clean. Children got a good education either by going away to school or having a governess who taught them at home (this is usually how girls were educated). Wealthy people could also afford to buy beautiful clothes.
What did Victorians call their servants?
They included: Footmen; Under-Butlers; Housemaids; Nursery-Maids; Still-room Maids; Kitchen Maids; Scullery Maids; Laundry-Maids; Dairymaids; Kitchen Men; Baker and Helpers.
Did rich Victorian children have servants?
For the upper classes, money was not a problem and these families could live however they wished. They lived in large homes with many servants. Children in these families were more often raised by nannies or nurses.
When did big houses stop having servants?
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.
How much did a Victorian maid earn?
Lady’s Maid and Valet
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 (£1000-£1800) per year.
What were upper class Victorians called?
In the Victorian era, the upper class was made up of the Royal family, Lords and Ladies, Earls, Barons, Dukes, Duchesses and other titled people. These people inherited their titles, their homes and their money from other members of their family.
Where did scullery maids sleep?
attic floor
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.
Did rich Victorians have toilets?
In fact, entire bathroom suites—tubs, lavatories, water closets, foot baths, and sitz baths (for soaking nether regions)—were elaborately encased in carved and stained woodwork that was closer to the parlor than the privy. High-tank toilets ruled the bathroom during the Victorian era.
What did upper class Victorians do?
The social classes of this era included the Upper class, Middle class, and lower class. Those who were fortunate enough to be in the Upper class did not usually perform manual labor. Instead, they were landowners and hired lower class workers to work for them, or made investments to create a profit.
How did wealthy Victorians live?
Most rich people had servants and they would live in the same house, frequently sleeping on the top floor or the attic. The rich had water pumps in their kitchens or sculleries and their waste was taken away down into underground sewers. Gradually, improvements for the poor were made.
Can servants marry?
In Victorian times, romance and marriage between servants in the same house was rare – it was considered disruptive to work – but it became more common in the Edwardian era when servants were harder to keep and therefore more indulged.
Did servants get paid in the 1800s?
The life of domestic servants in the 1800s was often quite grueling. They were expected to work extraordinarily hard for very little in the way of wages, plus they had many rules to follow. And, if they were found wanting they could have their wages decreased, be hit, or worse yet: be dismissed.
How were Victorian servants treated?
The mistreatment of servants was commonplace, and young maids were especially vulnerable to being sexually exploited. Once hired, they found themselves in households in which a strict and unbreachable hierarchy below stairs ensured that they stayed on the lowest rung of that society.
What was life like as a wealthy Victorian child?
Life for Victorian children was very different from our lives today. Children in rich households had toys to play with and did not have to work, but children in poor households often had to work long hours in difficult, dangerous jobs. They didn’t have toys to play with but sometimes made their own.
What did rich Victorians do in their spare time?
Victorian life could be busy but Victorians liked to make good use of their leisure time by playing games and sports and going on day trips and holidays. The ways in which people could entertain themselves varied depending on whether they were rich or poor, male or female.
What did rich Victorian ladies do?
Their allotted goal in life was to marry, have children and raise them in an appropriate and respectful manner. This in itself was seen to be sufficient fulfillment for an upper class woman and the role of devoted wife and mother was highly idealized in Victorian Britain.
Did servants have balls?
The servants’ ball has had a long tradition in the country house estates of Britain and only really died out with the onset of the Second World War. They were a cultural melting pot where popular music of the day would be performed alongside traditional country dance tunes.
How historically accurate is Downton Abbey?
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).