Servants in the Victorian Age

Tweet

The servants had certain rules they lived by. There were rituals and their lives were governed by unwritten codes. Servants had ranks. At the top was the butler. He was the commander of the silverware, and the keeper of the keys. The housekeeper ran the female staff like a general. Then came the tall and decorative footmen. Valets and lady's maids were servants of the upper crust. They kept secrets and silent judgement. Kitchen maids, scullery maids and hall boys were the invisible work force. They lived to serve and were never heard from or seen in polite company. They were expected to move nimbly and quietly through rooms, no talking or eye contact. There different types of cooks. Plain cooks who prepared the daily meals and maintaining the kitchen or "professed cooks" who could create elaborate dishes and manage a larger kitchen staff. The maid had to answer the front door within 7 seconds, opening it just enough to see out. They were not to smile but greet the visitor with just the right amount of warmth that the employer would approve of. Up at the crack of dawn and working until late into the night (6 AM to 10 PM), with some even working later, especially ladies' maids and valets. This could make for a 14-16 hour workday with minimal breaks.