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History Section -Teachers' Support Notes A SERVANT'S LIFE Life for a servant at Victorian Leighton was very different to life for the Gillow family. They were not even allowed to use the main staircase. Instead they had a separate staircase at the back of the house. As stately homes go, Leighton is not huge, but nevertheless several domestic staff were employed in Victorian times. Head of the domestic staff was the Butler, with the Housekeeper exercising detailed control over all the female staff. The Butler was responsible for locking up the house at night and opening it up in the morning, and would be person who cleaned the silver - sometimes with help. He would also decant the wine and do most of the domestic buying, and be the only member of staff ever allowed into the wine cellar. His power over all domestic matters was absolute. The staff would refer to the family as 'The Master' and 'The Mistress', addressing them as 'Sir' and 'Ma'am'. The children would be referred to as 'Master John' or 'Miss Jane'. The working hours were very long indeed with most staff being expected to work just when required. For example, servants would be 'on duty' for breakfast, having first lit the fires, and would still be working in the evening, serving dinner at 7.00 p.m. by which time they would have been at work twelve hours. Their day ended after serving tea in the Drawing Room at 9.30 p.m. In addition to long working hours, it was usual to work a six and a half-day week with no holidays, as we know them today. The only days off were public holidays and feast or fair days. At the bottom of the servant's staircase at Leighton is a row of bells with names above. This was how members of the family and their guests summoned help. Look out for the brass handles they pulled to call a servant! Mr Gillow's notes on the Butler's hours and duties give some indication of the hours of work. Being the most senior member of staff, the butler was probably able to take an hour or so off on the afternoon from time to time, but he still worked very long hours. These extracts have been copied as written by Mr Richard Gillow in 1893.
Butler to Lock Up: Two outside passage doors down stairs, Servants hall, Shoe place and Pantries. Lock door and window of Centre Room, Dining Room, Front Hall and morning Room if occupied by the family who keep the keys at night. Victorian Homes were not complete without a copy of Mrs Beeton's book on Household Management which was essential to a new bride, as it contained hundreds of pages of information closely packed information on items such as: Labour Saving in the Home, The Importance of the Housewife's Duties, Management of Servants and Recipes.
1983 June 17: At present three servants do not take beer.
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