how much did servants get paid downton abbey how much did servants get paid downton abbey

However, it seems clear from the series that there are a number of other servants in the household who effectively serve as extras in the series. However, we do accept and keep books and CDs to review. Do public servants get paid well? At the turn of the 20th century when the population of Britain was only 36million there were 1.5million servants. He often has pitfalls, most recently so speaking out of turn in the presence of the King and Queen. While she was constantly working hard in her position, her past became an ultimate roadblock. The Table cloths in the servants hall , the butlers room and the housekeepers parlor would not be washed as frequently but would add to the workload. Thank you, Karen! Ha! would be promoted into the households of the adult children, and grow old with them. How much did domestic servants get paid? Click here to enter the page. The main meal - 'dinner'- was taken at around midday, while 'tea' was a very light meal served at around 4 o'clock. Fired, thrown out. Ladys maiding included: overseeing laundry of those things that could be laundered, sponging and brushing clean the rest, repairs, and sewing different ribbons and accessories onto the ladies clothing to make them appear different. The show portrays a butler, two footmen, a valet, and a chauffeur. The following transcript has been edited. Maggie Smith will be playing a 120 year old by the time this show wraps production. Gentle readers: Please feel free to post your comments and continue the conversation! When the Downton Abbey producers first approached Highclere in 2009, the family faced a near 12m repair bill, with urgent work priced at 1.8m. Rob James-Collier as Thomas, First Footman.Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. Hello, my name is Vic and I live in Maryland, USA. This chauffeur can also read and has been given permission by the earl to check books out of his library. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. One male servant, footman/valet:To serve in the dining room, valet Matthew, and accompany Mrs Crawley as the lady of the house on her calls. Archived post. Its addictive! 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. A first footman will serve as valet to the male guests if they arrive without a male servant. Back of the house. Not only that, but she remains a great, yet tough, mentor to those assigned under her. What is the owner of a stable called? Really it is a fantasy world, based in a particular time in history. I don't think an inflation calculator can accurately communicate what those numbers really signified. A stoic and capable man who served the earl as batman during the war, he must perform his duties of dressing the earl and seeing to his wardrobe regardless of the war injury that requires him to use a cane. The lower staff, and discussion on where all these servants are in Downton Abbey, after the jump. He ranks second as the highest-paid star from the show, with $8million to his name. Another opportunity to keep Highclere in the public mind is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot Capability Brown, who designed the grounds. 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. From my point of view, Ive tried to persuade people it is fun, and have specific events they can engage with, not just a wander around a dusty house. Labour-saving devices such as the appearance of the first motorised vacuum cleaners made housework easier. The Kitchen Maid: (Sophie McShera) Poor Daisy is at the bottom of the status ladder. Servants' thoughts have rarely been recorded, slaves' even less so. Unlike their poorly paid counterparts, servants were housed and fed by their masters. At the time, no one could have expected just how big of a phenomenon it would become. Elizabeth McGovern has $4million to her name. The True Evolution of High-End Household Staffing Since the. My fellow-Canadian and a resident of that historic hotbed of Socialism and socialized medicine called Saskatchewan has turned on me! 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. The only kind of television show that was economically able to have such a large cast of regular actors (those with speaking parts, let alone character arcs) were the soap operas of the 1960s-1980s. Servants who married often left, though the employer could find a position for the spouse within the establishment if they wanted to keep the servant. The last hurrah of great houses and servants. While she had a rough exterior, it was never enough to overcome her talents and ethics. Following the end of the series, she landed starring roles in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Disney's live-action Cinderella and Yesterday. (Do they mean the same thing? My husband and I love it, and the people here. What kind of purchasing power did they have? A chronicle of the lives of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century. I recently rewatched the second season of Upstairs, Downstairs, and I have some general questions/want to check if I understand things right. As for the maids, there do seem to be six of them altogether: Only the very rich could afford footmen, and thus they were a form of status symbol. A rule of thumb was that an income of at least 1,000 pounds per year was required, or the income from at least 1,000 acres of land. Click on image. We have to compete with attractions like the London Dungeon., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Dan Stevens left the show to pursue other roles, MORE:Dan Stevens reveals the real reason he left Downton Abbey. Footmen on 'Downton Abbey'. 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. Downton Abbey's kitchen maid Daisy Robinson, played by Sophie McShera. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. Its been an amazing magic carpet ride for all of us, she said. Despite the awful wages and conditions competition for places was fierce. A modern view? Some servants suffered terrible abuse including beatings and rape. Michelle Dockery stars as eldest daughter Lady Mary and is also said to be worth $4million. 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). Seriously, we dont need to see Ethel in every episode. That is more than worked on the land or in factories. Although only her kitchen maid, Daisy, is seen as her regular assistant, there would have been others in a house this size. Almost half of potential visitors to Britain now say they want to indulge in set jetting, visiting places featured in films or on TV. Downton Abbey irritates me immensely because its central theme is the interplay between the family and the servants. Alas and alack! In the worst homes life was little better than a form of silver-service slavery. The neighbours are selling up their own stately home, while Lord Grantham seeks to cut back on servants after declaring that under-butlers are no longer affordable. Undercook or 1stkitchenmaid check, but the first kitchen maid is responsible for cooking the servants meals, not the cook, and there should be more than one kitchen maid. Sigh. At this point in history, upper class people changed their clothes several times a day (4 or more) resulting in huge amounts of laundry. Marvelous Mrs Maisel: will Lenny Bruces death be depicted in season 5? Would that be analogous to, say, a mid-range hotel manager today, in status and income? There are also hallboys and other maids whose names we dont know. For a start, how many servants are there in DA? Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owners is strictly prohibited. By the end of the 19th century, the time of servants . That is more than worked on the land or in factories. The price includes piano entertainment and an unlimited supply of little sandwiches, scones and cakes which are served graciously for as long as the customer wants to sit there basking in luxury. Siobhan Finneran as OBrien, the countesss ladies maid, Rose Leslie as Gwen, housemaid, and Joanne Froggatt as Anna, head maid. Passing her mistress on the stairs a servant was expected to "give room", which meant face the wall. I know it's not an easy comparison to today, because they had room and board included in their wages. In addition to the main house, servants worked in the service buildings, such as the stables, garage, dairy, bakehouse, laundry, gun room, and pantry. But perhaps most antique of all is the idea of life in a house full of servants, with two symbiotic. The masters valet was especially important; his job was to make the master look impressive at all times. . Who owns the house in Downton Abbey? Downton has about six housemaids who do all duties of parlour and chamber, theres about 3-5 kitchen maids besides Daisy, who, poor darling, is the scullery maid I think, in additon to being a VERY young undercook, she couldnt have been much older than 14 at the start, probably younger, the footmen, you are quite correct on that mark. Another apparent myth is the one of the loyal servant. We'll own up to our mistakes and will make the corrections with a polite smile on our faces.) Matt Berger is a writer, comedian, actor, Paddington enthusiast, and Corgi dad. 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. :). Servants found new work in registry offices, where they would enter their name in the registry book, or through word of mouth. (especially how it brings in the Honorary Colonel posting at the end to tie everything together! 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. Privacy Policy. In the pipeline is a Tutankhamun centenary event in 2022, 100 years after the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, with Howard Carter, discovered the tomb that revolutionised our understanding of Egyptology. Never let your voice be heard by the ladies and gentlemen of the house. It is now broadcast in 250 countries. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Thanks for these posts. MORE:Where are the cast of Downton Abbey now? Domestic service, novelist and broadcaster JB Priestly declared in 1927, was "as obsolete as the horse" in an era of motor cars. In 1837, James Brown opened Browns Hotel with his savings. Always stand still when being spoken to by a lady and look at the person speaking to you. The hierarchy among the servants was strictly defined. The accounts of Highclere Enterprises for 2014-15 show current assets have almost trebled to around 1m since 2012. RELATED: Downton Abbey: 10 Upstairs Memes That Will Have You Cry-Laughing But doing one's duty is more than just cleaning and cooking. 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. Downton Abbey will be shown Sunday night on your local PBS station starting at 9 p.m. Click here to view the video clips.