Yet service allows him to better himself and someday work his way up to the position of butler. Staff was generational too: the more senior but still relatively young maids and footmen and underbutlers etc. In reality, service in great houses was preferred over other jobs that were available during the 18th and 19th centuries, such as tedious and often dangerous labor in factories or backbreaking work on farms. The Butler: Jim Carter, who you may remember as Captain Brown from Cranford, portrays Mr. Carson, the butler, with grave dignity. Did servants get paid? But was this always the case? Some servants suffered terrible abuse including beatings and rape. Now I will feel so much more in tune with whats going on in it. Servants were not allowed to marry of have children of their own. The home was run by the housekeeper, always called Mrs whether married or not, while the cook ruled the kitchen with an iron fist. Keep reading for all you need to know about the cast of Downton Abbey's incredible wealth WATCH:Are you looking forward to the second Downton Abbey film? All rights reserved. The Only Running Footman; Sources . For all these great houses, you have to invest in them. Privacy Policy. In Sundays episode, when Lord G comes downstairs to tell everyone the war is over and how theyre going to assemble on the 11th at 11:00, he says I expect all of you, including the kitchen staff and hall boys, everyone, to be there. This implied to me that there are other servants, but since they dont have plot lines, we simply dont see them. Baker / LIFE Books. The idea was that they were mostimpressive if, like book ends, they matched. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. Sadly, falling in love with your employer's daughter isn't a great resume builder. Neame said: They approached me because of the reach. What It's Like to Work at the Real 'Downton Abbey' House Now in 2019 Such a close daily association often develops intimacy over time. Downton. Our image of this. Downton Abbey servants: New BBC series Servants: The True Story of Life The book lists some typical YEARLY salaries for household staff in the late 19th century: Butler 70 pounds (Mr. Carson), Masters Valet 60 pounds (Mr. Bates), Housekeeper 40 to 60 pounds (Mrs. Hughes), Ladys Maid 50 pounds (devious Miss OBrien), Footman 20-30 pounds (saintly William , dastardly Thomas), Scullery Maid 5-10 pounds (Daisy). New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. England is another country. Have you seen the television series with Laurie and Fry? The ITV series gave the actress her big breakout role - as well as three Emmy nominations and one Golden Globes nod - and between filming for the franchise, she has also taken up roles in Netflix's Godless, Apple+ TV original Defending Jacob and Guy Ritchie movie The Gentlemen. 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. How much did the 'Downton Abbey'-era upper class rely on servants? Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. Lady's maid Anna Bates is played by actress Joanne Froggatt, whose acting credits include Liar, Coronation Street and upcoming ITV drama Angela Black. 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. Afternoon tea, priced at around $60 per person, is still quite an occasion. At all other times they were expected to remain invisible as they worked around the house, using the servants stairs and working in a room when the family was not expected to use it. Due to SPAM, we will no longer accept comments on posts after 30 days of publication. In 2017, Variety estimated hour-long dramas (like Downton Abbey) cost $5 to $7 million dollars per episode to make. Not only that, but she remains a great, yet tough, mentor to those assigned under her. Alternative sources of employment for women opened up in offices, shops, factories and later the National Health Service. Hugh Bonneville plays the head of the Crawley family, Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham. But doing one's duty is more than just cleaning and cooking. :). ($860-$1,700) per year depending on age, height, appearance and abilities. Do public servants get paid well? Always keep outer doors fastened. Click on image. At the end of their stay with their hosts, guests paid servants a tip for their services. At the turn of the 20th century when the population of Britain was only 36million there were 1.5million servants. There may be a difference between housemaid and parlourmaid uniforms, and perhaps differences in rank too. One wonders if William will ever achieve that ambition, for times are changing and the aristocracy will be hard pressed to hang onto their lands and houses after the second world war. Labour-saving devices such as the appearance of the first motorised vacuum cleaners made housework easier. The Regency Court Gown: Regency Fashion, Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of 4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband, A Portrait of a 19th C. Artist by an UnknownArtist. At this same time, there were about 700 families in England who could support large country homes. Dan Stevens, who played Mary's husband, Matthew Crawley, was one of the first members of the cast for whom Hollywood came knocking. Disclaimer: Our team makes no profit from this blog. Servants should never offer any opinion to their employers, nor even to say good night. Every single day, dont take anything for granted, said Lady Carnarvon. Valets often received lavish gifts, including the masters hand-me-down clothing which they could either wear or sell. But, after a lot of development, he soon becomes one of the most sympathetic. Downton Abbey wouldn't survive without all the downstairs staff who work tirelessly day in and day out. Photograph: Nick Briggs/ITV. Following the end of the series, she landed starring roles in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Disney's live-action Cinderella and Yesterday. I cant wait to see Downton Abbey. 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. Mrs. Hughes was the head Housekeeper in Downton, overseeing all of the maids and female staff in the household. His net worth is believed to total $4 million. Hello, my name is Vic and I live in Maryland, USA. Refuse and she would soon be packing her bags for an uncertain future without references. Only the very rich could afford footmen, and thus they were a form of status symbol. In addition to the main house, servants worked in the service buildings, such as the stables, garage, dairy, bakehouse, laundry, gun room, and pantry. Vic Sanborn, founder of this blog, is supported by a team of talented and knowledgeable writers about Jane Austen and the Regency era. Downton Abbey irritates me immensely because its central theme is the interplay between the family and the servants. In desperation employers dangled the carrot of prettier outfits but it made no difference. I was shouted at by the harridan of a cook and treated like some sort of sub-human by my employers who found fault with everything I did.". The Housekeeper: Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Hughes is Mr. Carsons counterpart. 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. NCIS star Mark Harmon has a very famous niece, NCIS: LA teases long-awaited return of fan favorite character in upcoming episode ahead of finale, The Rookie's Titus Makin Jr. the real reason why he left the show. Even when compared with demographically similar workers, domestic workers on average are paid just 74 cents for every dollar that their peers make. 'Supper' was usually taken at 9 o'clock, after most of the work had been finished. Jim Carter plays butler to the Crawley family, Carson. January 11, 2016 7: . Im hugely grateful. For Mr. Bates, the flights of steep stairs can be daunting, and he is incapable of carrying large trays or helping with dinner service when more hands are needed. Since he first started out as a footman, Carson was dedicated to the old ways that made a grand house work. In 1837, James Brown opened Browns Hotel with his savings. In real life, during World War I, the 5th . If a pretty maid attracted her roving master's eye she had little choice but to accept her fate. Some of the so-called traditional wear for servants is based on oridnary wear during the Regency. Servants were expected to "know their place". Do Servants Still Exist In England? - FAQS Clear Vic, [] Comments Downstairs in Downton Abbey: TheServants []. Alfred wasnephew to the villainous Mrs. O'Brien. The following is a list of the staff of Downton Abbey, past and present. I think it was the limits on social and sexual life which made many females turn from domestic service to that in offices and shops. I don't think an inflation calculator can accurately communicate what those numbers really signified. Downton Abbey as History | Foreign Affairs Answers must be in-depth and comprehensive, or they will be removed. Quite a few went on to work in inns or hotels. Forget cosy notions of Hudson the butler and Mrs Bridges the cook - this servitude was thankless, sweaty, backbreaking work. While Mrs. Hughes was dedicated fully to her work, no one was as dedicated to the house as Mr. Carson. RELATED:Downton Abbey: 10 Upstairs Memes That Will Have You Cry-Laughing. Bizarrely in another stripping away of identity they were sometimes given generic names. Now, without doubt, it is loved by millions of other people.. This was a deliberate ploy to demonstrate that they were a class apart. I love P.G. In two years of real time, DA has progressed eight years. Lord Carnarvon said then: It was just after the banking crisis and it was gloom in all directions. II, By CHARLES G. HARPER. In Downton Abbey, the veteran actress plays Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham and mother of Lord Crawley. Watching Downton Abbey: Q's about slaves vs. servants. If all you could afford was a girl a couple days a week, you got one. June 27, 2021. I assume you would not as many full time staff. Quietly, so as not to wake their masters, the servants maids and footmen would empty chamber pots, remove cold ashes in the fireplace, carry up coal and stoke a new fire, and tidy any messes away from the previous day. ", Dr Cox, whose aim was to strip away some of the nostalgia surrounding this British class, adds: "The work was boring, repetitive and could also be very lonely. And I also know they led relatively simple lives in terms of travel, leisure, etc. Also Downton is ill-equiped for a large dinner or house party, hospitality that would normally occur several times a year. We'll own up to our mistakes and will make the corrections with a polite smile on our faces.) Alas and alack! Archived post. Although servants began their careers at the bottom, working menial jobs and catering to the upper servants as well as their masters, they could move up in the servant hierarchy. Downton has no laundry maids, adding to the burden on the undersized staff. Eventually, when he felt called to pursue bigger dreams, he did so without a ton of fanfare or fuss. An ambitious man, who cares only for his own advancement, he will use anyone to achieve his goals, even if it means destroying anothers reputation. Every British tourist attraction sells little guidebooks published by the Pitkin company. Archived post. Surprisingly, Downton Abbey was positively frugal in comparison to that estimate, though the series was largely filmed before the cost of filming TV shows began to skyrocket thanks to the rise of streaming giants (per Variety). In class-obsessed Britain there was even a strict hierarchy among servants that kept them apart from one another. Would that be analogous to, say, a mid-range hotel manager today, in status and income? Carriages are being replaced by automobiles, but the infrastructure for maintaining cars is not yet in place. Yet Gwen represents the future, in which political and socio-economic changes for women will end their dependency on the men of their family and force many to start fending for themselves. At the top stood the butler and housekeeper. Ive wondered who does Isobels hair, and who does the laundry and ironing. While she brought a history of criminality to the house, her honesty was actually respected by Cora, earning her a higher spot on this list. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Some years ago, I had tea there. Typical salaries were 20-30 pounds ($2,100-3,200) per year. It's believed that she is worth $4million. Like this story? Events include special Downton-themed receptions at British embassies. One Scullery maid/tweenie. But have you ever wondered how much money they've made since the show began? One of the most interesting aspects of the show. The viewer will be struck by the sheer volume and variety of dishes that she creates and oversees daily. The golden age was over and the huge servant class all but disappeared. Always "give room" if you meet one of your employers or betters on the stairs and avert your gaze. While she was constantly working hard in her position, her past became an ultimate roadblock. 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. Laundry MaidsA house the size of Downton generates huge amounts of laundry. MORE:Downton Abbey star Maggie Smith looks incredible at start of career - see the gorgeous snaps. By the end of the 19th century, the time of servants . based on what I've seen of Downton Abbey (which I assume to be relatively accurate). STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE: A PICTURESQUE HISTORY Middle class families . Copyright Statement: Jane Austen's World blog, 2009-2022. I know it's not an easy comparison to today, because they had room and board included in their wages. 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! The Real Reason Why Downton Abbey Was Canceled - TheList.com Also, could not some of the servants live in town? Young, fresh-faced, and just starting out, William misses his loving family. Historical archives reveal that countless footmen were called William, Henry or James, which were considered "acceptable" names. The huge global success of Downton, according to Lady Fiona Carnarvon, has funded a rolling programme of building repairs aimed at safeguarding Highclere for the next generation. Downton shows relatively well how they spent their time and how they spent their money, but I'm still struggling to figure out what their economic status would be analogous to today. Maggie Smith will be playing a 120 year old by the time this show wraps production. [] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Vic . 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. Young, able servants were in a constant state of flux (they worked on average for 2-3 years before moving on), always looking for a better position, which they could acquire as long as their masters gave them good references. Gardeners have been referred to, as have gamekeepers and general outdoor staff. Weve seen at least one groom, too. Again, OBrien is way overworked if she is doing this for four ladies. THE CASTLE REALLY DID OPERATE AS A HOSPITAL DURING WORLD WAR I. (especially how it brings in the Honorary Colonel posting at the end to tie everything together! Oddjob mandoes heavy lifting in the house, replaces oil in lamps, carries logs for the parlormaids to make fires in the main floor fireplaces, carries logs for the chambermaids to look after the fireplaces in the family and visitor bedrooms, can help maids carry up hot water for baths (piped hot water was so rare as to practically never happen). This was the youngest (12-16) and weakest and least well paid of the servants. The OC, Downton and Suits were never the same again King Charles III will be crowned sovereign on 6 May in Westminster Abbey, Lenny Bruce is the only real-life person portrayed in Marvelous Mrs Maisel, The actor starred as rookie officer, Jackson West, Downton Abbey star Maggie Smith looks incredible at start of career - see the gorgeous snaps, The real reason Lily James didn't appear in the Downton Abbey film revealed, Dan Stevens reveals the real reason he left Downton Abbey, 11most devastating Downton Abbey moments, ranked, Hugh Bonneville then vs now: a look back at the star's impressive career, Meet The Gold star Hugh Bonneville's wife and children, 7 stars who asked to be written out of their show: from Downton Abbey to Suits. She would stoke the kitchen fire for the cook and boil water. Despite the awful wages and conditions competition for places was fierce. (Yes, we are fallible. Male servants were paid more than female servants (because some were expected to support a wife and children) and footmen were something of a luxury and therefore a status symbol even among the servant-employing classes. There are also hallboys and other maids whose names we dont know. The Downton tourists are part of a growing phenomenon. The once derelict London Lodge, a grand Roman-style archway from 1793, is now a bijou holiday let alongside other spruced-up cottages. Servants in 1912. The Valet: (Brendan Coyle) In small households, such as Matthew Crawleys, the position of butler and valet was combined. In addition, we thank the many experts and authors who frequently contribute their posts and opinions, and who continue to do so freely or at our request.
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