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Downstairs in Downton: a guide to the life of an Edwardian servant
Everyday life for a domestic servant in Edwardian townhouses was often far removed from the splendour of their surroundings…
The Edwardian period in Britain was a time when society still closely resembled that of the Victorian age with clear class divides, but it was also a transformative time. In 1911, there were more than 1.3 million people (mainly women) employed as domestic servants in Britain – compared to 1.2 million working in agriculture and around 971,000 coal miners. The upstairs/downstairs world of Downton Abbey: how true to life is it? How much do the relationships on screen reflect the real sensibilities of the Edwardian period and the interwar years – and how do they serve as a reflection of our own perceptions of early 20th century history? The upper classes could afford to have housemaids, cooks and butler to ensure their homes ran efficiently, with minimal effort from the family. A typical Edwardian townhouse would include accommodation for servants who would live alongside the family they served. Find out more with our infographic guide to life ‘downstairs’ in a typical Edwardian house… Click to enlarge Read more about the history behind Downton Abbey here This infographic first appeared in BBC History Revealed magazine
The secrets of Downton Abbey’s Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle, the real-life Downton Abbey, has witnessed to a number of notable historical moments that rival anything involving the Crawleys. Here are seven things you might not know...
As the sight of Highclere Castle emerges from the mist, you’d be forgiven for imagining the piano notes that form the theme of hit TV drama (and now film) Downton Abbey. Highclere was used as the home of the fictional Earl of Grantham and his family. The real house, however, has a past every bit as dramatic as any scandal that could descend on the Crawley. Here's a little more information about the house, followed by seven surprising facts… Where is Highclere Castle? Highclere Castle is an imposing country house on the North Wessex Downs in southern England that stands as the setting for Downton Abbey. Can you visit Highclere Castle? Highclere castle is open for around 65 days each year in Easter and during the summer, as well as for special events. Find out more at highclerecastle.co.uk How old is Highclere Castle? Though there have been many buildings on the site of the current house, the castle as it is known today was finished in 1842, in the Jacobean style. Read more about the castle's rich history below… Even Mr Carson wouldn’t know all of Highclere’s secrets Highclere Castle is the country seat of the Earls of Carnarvon. Set in 6,000 acres of land, it has so many rooms that even the current Lady Carnarvon isn’t sure of the number – it’s believed to be about 300, but some are unusable. At a glance it bears some resemblance to the Houses of Parliament, which can be attributed to the fact that both were designed by architect Charles Barry. Could you survive an Edwardian dinner party? Britain’s 7 most amazing stately homes Highclere has Anglo-Saxon roots There have been many buildings on the site of the current house: one of the Anglo-Saxon charters mentions a structure in AD 749; there was a medieval palace belonging to the Bishops of Winchester; and a much-admired, red-brick Tudor house. The current house was finished in 1842 in the Jacobethan style, the Victorians being fans of reviving 16th- and 17th-century architecture. Architect Charles Barry, who was an admirer of the Italian Renaissance, added Italianate motifs throughout. The first Earl moved an entire village In 1793, Henry Herbert, a British Whig politician, was made the 1st Earl of Carnarvon by King George III. He had previously inherited Highclere, then a square mansion, from his uncle. Herbert had the grounds redesigned by famous landscape gardener Capability Brown, resulting in the nearby village (also called Highclere) being moved to make way. Modern Canada was born at Highclere Castle The 4th Earl of Carnarvon, Henry Herbert, was Secretary of State for the Colonies. It’s believed that he drafted the British North America Act here. This act, granted royal assent in March 1867, united the British colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into the self-governing Dominion of Canada. Tut-mania was born here, too The 5th Earl, George Herbert, was involved in one of the most significant discoveries of the 20th century: Tutankhamun’s tomb. He was an amateur Egyptologist who often spent his holidays in Egypt, collecting antiques. And it was he, in 1914, who employed archaeologist Howard Carter to dig at the Valley of the Kings. World War I and limited discoveries led the Earl to decide, in late 1922, to stop funding the project. Then he received a telegram from Carter, which read: “At last have made wonderful discovery in Valley; a magnificent tomb with seals intact; recovered same for your arrival; congratulations.” Lord Carnarvon, along with his daughter Lady Evelyn, travelled to Egypt to witness the official tomb opening and, with Carter, became the first people in modern times to enter it. That was on 16 February 1923. In March that year, Carnarvon suffered from a mosquito bite that became infected. His death on 5 April fuelled the myth of the ‘Mummy’s Curse’. Tutankhamun: who’s afraid of the pharaoh’s curse? 10 things you (probably) didn't know about ancient Egypt Highclere was both a hospital and a children’s home In the second series of Downton Abbey, the house becomes a convalescent hospital for officers in World War I. It was a case of art imitating life. In 1914, Almina, Countess of Carnarvon opened the house to wounded soldiers and even assisted as a nurse. Highclere would provide shelter again during World War II, as a home for evacuated children. Highclere was once the setting for a very different period piece It’s best known for Downton, but Highclere has also been a location for a decidedly sillier period piece: it was Totleigh Towers in nineties TV sitcom Jeeves and Wooster, adapted from PG Wodehouse’s Jeeves stories. Emma Williams is BBC History Revealed's staff writer This content first appeared in the September 2018 issue of BBC History Revealed
Could you survive an Edwardian dinner party?
Which fork is which? When can't you talk to your spouse? And what are the rules about tiaras? With Downton Abbey coming to UK cinemas on Friday BBC History Revealed offers some indispensable tips to help you impress anyone at a 'high society' dinner – even Dowager Countess Grantham herself
The Edwardian period – officially spanning the reign of Edward VII between 1901 and 1910, but often encompassing the years running up to World War I – was a time of airs and graces. Many of the rules and manners seem alien compared to those of the 21st century, with several of them hangovers from the prim and proper Victorian era. Few areas were the rules more obviously in force than at an Edwardian dinner party. Such occasions were more than just an excuse for a get-together. They were showcases of wealth for the upper classes, allowing them to impress their guests with their best silverware and multiple courses of fine food and wine. Britain’s 7 most amazing stately homes Changing Times: there’s more to domestic service than Downton Abbey 10 things you might not know about Blenheim Palace – 'the real Downton Abbey' If you were suddenly transported back in time, how would you navigate this strange world of footmen, dinner gongs and decorum? Fear not! Our expert guide will guarantee you a return invitation. Dress to impress How should you dress to ensure you look your best for the occasion? Formal wear is a must and hats should be worn by gentlemen on their arrival. For all meals before 6pm, hats and gloves are a necessity for women and should be kept on for lunch. During dinner, gloves should sit on your lap beneath your napkin. Men generally wear tuxedos as a minimum – tailcoats for especially formal occasions – while the women will be attired in full length dresses with their hair in an elaborate up-do. Tiaras are only worn by married women, to set apart the single ladies in the room. The lady of the house will ensure her maid records what she wears to avoid any embarrassing repetition of outfits should she host you again. Be prepared Punctuality is extremely important, if you want to give a good first impression. Guests will congregate in the drawing room. If there is a large group of diners, men will be given a card containing the name of the woman they will be seated next to. After the butler has announced dinner, the master of the household will lead the procession into the dining room, with the lady of highest rank on his arm. They will then be followed by the rest of the family and guests in pairs. Gentlemen offer their arms to the ladies and husbands do not escort their wives. The last in should be the hostess and the most ‘socially important’ male guest. Dinner is served reasonably late, at around 8pm. Make sure you’re prepared for what lies ahead of you – dinner can be a long affair and leaving the table, to answer a call of nature for example, is not acceptable. Arrive hungry What can you expect to eat at this fine soirée and how should you go about eating it to avoid a potential dinner disaster? As with so many things about Edwardian life, there are rules. Dinner is the most formal meal of the day. You may assume, with all the number of servants present, that food will be dished up for you, but this is often not the case. Footmen – wearing white gloves to avoid smearing the silverware – will hold food platters to your left so that you can help yourself. This allows you to govern how much you eat. The lady on the host’s right will be attended to first and then the footmen will serve clockwise around the table. The idea of women being served first is a continental idea that has not been adopted yet. Rulers are used when the table is being set to ensure that the cutlery is aligned properly and that knives, forks and spoons are the correct distance away from each other. Dining styles are changing, so your food may be served ‘à la Russe’ (in the Russian style), where dishes are portioned on a sideboard and handed to each guest. This replaces the older French tradition, in which courses are placed on the dining table and guests help themselves. In either case, keep in mind that dinner will be a multi-course affair, so eat a little of each if you want to reach the final course comfortably, especially if you’re wearing a corset. Hedgehogs, cannabis bread and horse placenta: 13 weird and wonderful health foods in history Biscuit tins and pastry jiggers: the history of 6 baking tools Six courses is the most common number but on special occasions you may encounter as many as twelve. These generally consist of soup, a fish course, an entrée such as vol-auvents or sweetbreads, a sorbet, a roast course such as pheasant and then dessert which can include blancmange or fresh fruit from the estate’s hothouses. Jellied tongue, ox heart and a pig’s head are also popular delicacies to look out for. The menu will have been discussed between the lady of the house and cook in advance. As well as tasting good, all of the food served must look impressive. Garnishes are a popular feature so almost all dishes will be dressed with a sprig of greenery or a glaze. Keep the conversation light To avoid making an embarrassing faux pas, ensure you are aware of what is deemed an inappropriate topic of conversation. Gossip of an indelicate or sexual nature is strictly off limits – there will be ladies present after all. Controversial subjects like politics, religion or boasting about finances are also a no-no. As well as what you can talk about, who you talk to is also governed by the rules of etiquette. You can’t just launch into conversation with someone on the opposite side of the table when you feel like it. When the meal begins, you may converse with one of your neighbours – which side will usually be dictated by the lady of the house, so follow her lead. During the course of the meal, she will turn to her other neighbour and perhaps give a discreet cough or other signal to inform diners that they may now turn and speak to the person on their other side. This ensures that no one gets ignored and is known as the turning of the table. You may be expecting to sit with the person you arrived with but no, there will be carefully thought out seating plan to follow. On your arrival you will have been given a card informing you who you are sat next to. Guests sit male-female-male around the table, and married couples are normally separated. Engaged couples are often sat together so they can converse and get to know each other while chaperoned. What about the servants? Servants will eat downstairs in the servant’s hall, but this happens much earlier at around 6pm, to ensure they are ready to serve upstairs. The kitchen maid will normally oversee the staff meal, so the cook can undertake preparations for the grander fare served to the family and guests. The menu for staff may have been quite basic, but on the whole if you worked in a grand house or estate you probably ate considerably well compared to those not in service. Freshly baked bread, meat stews, rice pudding and home-grown vegetables were common meals at the servant’s table. Servants: A Downstairs View of Twentieth Century Britain What was life like as a 19th-century servant? While upstairs, wine was the usual tipple to accompany a meal, beer was the more appropriate choice downstairs. Small beer - roughly with 2.5 per cent or less alcohol content – was often provided throughout the day and some country houses would even brew their own. Occasionally – and only if they were lucky – servants may have been permitted to sample leftovers from the upstairs meals. Mind your manners The importance of manners cannot be underestimated and will help ensure you’re on the guest list the next time around. Remember to be polite and be on your best behaviour. If you do not know the person you will be sitting next to, it is up to the gentlemen to introduce themselves and offer the lady his arm on the way into the dining room. Sit correctly in your chair – one’s back must never touch it, so there can be no slouching. Bring your food towards you – never the other way around – and try not to end up wearing your soup. When standing, never put your hands in your pockets, as this is considered uncouth. Physical contact is also not the done thing: a hug as a greeting is not appropriate. Don't show your lack of breeding One of the greatest social faux pas you can make when invited to a formal dinner party is to give away your class status – if this is lower than that of your hosts. If the house you have been invited to is exceptionally grand, try to keep your amazement to yourself. Standing with your mouth wide open in awe at the finery and elegant decor will embarrass both you and them. This also means you should keep compliments to a minimum – otherwise you could give away the fact that this is not a situation, or surroundings, you are accustomed to. Do not give the impression that you’re overwhelmed with the grandeur of the house, the expensive silverware or the vast number of servants. With regards to the food, your hosts will not have toiled in the kitchen themselves – they have staff for that. Compliments on the standard of food, therefore, are meaningless. Follow your crowd After dinner has finished, the women will retire to the parlour or drawing room, while the men remain at the dining table to talk freely about politics and generally put the world to rights – topics seen as far too challenging for women to worry themselves about. For the men, liquor and smoking is often involved – the host will receive a decanter of wine which he’ll pour himself. The women, meanwhile, will sip coffee while indulging in some gossip about the latest royal scandal or potential romances within their social circle. This content first appeared in the November 2019 issue of BBC History Revealed
Poldark, Peaky Blinders and 6 other historical TV shows that have tourists flocking to Britain
As the backdrop to Ross Poldark's shirtless shenanigans in the hit period drama Poldark, Cornwall has seen a huge influx of tourists looking to visit the show's scenic filming locations. In 2018, tourism chiefs warned that the BBC television drama is putting the county's coastline at risk of "over-tourism". As the fifth and final series of the drama begins, we take a closer look at 'Poldark effect' and the other shows bringing tourists to Britain…
The chief executive of Cornish tourist board Visit Cornwall says the area is struggling to cope with an unprecedented surge in holidaymakers, it was reported in 2018. Visitors were encouraged to look beyond popular Poldark filming locations Porthcurno beach and Kynance Cove, which feature as Poldark’s beloved Nampara. Poldark is reported to have influenced around 14 per cent of all visitors to Cornwall, and businesses have long reported a boost in the number of tourists from overseas because of the so-called ‘Poldark effect’. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/05/13492300-low_res-poldark-s3_0-afbf2ae-91687ff.jpg" width="620" height="413" alt="Aidan Turner (as Poldark) and Eleanor Tomlinson (as Demelza) in the BBC period drama ‘Poldark’. (Photo by Mammoth Screen/BBC)" title="Aidan Turner (as Poldark) and Eleanor Tomlinson (as Demelza) in the BBC period drama ‘Poldark’. (Photo by Mammoth Screen/BBC)" /> Poldark is one of many drama series inspiring so-called ‘TV tourism’: in 2018, in its travel trends report, Trip Advisor found that 1 in 5 global travellers visited a location because they saw it on a TV show. Significantly, says Vogue magazine, “TV’s tourism influence is now rivalling that of film – perhaps even surpassing it”. A report from the University of North Texas found that “TV viewing behaviour is the strongest predictor of entertainment-motivated tourism… television series are often watched on regular basis thus, viewers are more likely to be exposed to the destination image for a longer period.” The real history behind Poldark's 18th-century London Poldark’s Cornwall: the history behind the hit series Top 10 historical Cornish words Set in 18th-century Cornwall, the hugely popular BBC One drama Poldark starring Aidan Turner (as Poldark) and Eleanor Tomlinson (as Demelza) draws inspiration from Winston Graham’s 12 novels, which were written between 1945 and 2002. Here, we look at seven other historical TV dramas that are attracting tourists from Britain and beyond... ***Please note this article contains spoilers *** Pride and Prejudice Lyme Park in Disley, Cheshire, which starred as Jane Austen’s Pemberley in the BBC’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, enjoyed a 176 per cent increase in visitor numbers after the series aired in 1995. Fans flocked to the lake where, in what has become an iconic scene in television history, Mr Darcy (played by Colin Firth) meets Elizabeth Bennet after emerging from the water in a soaked, clinging white shirt. The scene was in 2013 named the most memorable moment in British TV drama. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/08/HDBGW8-7184929.jpg" width="3000" height="2868" alt="Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’. (Photo by Everett Collection Inc/Alamy Stock Photo)" title="Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’. (Photo by Everett Collection Inc/Alamy Stock Photo)" /> Lyme Park – a stately home on the edge of the Peak District – is still reaping the benefits of Pride and Prejudice 20 years on, the Guardian reported in 2015. “It’s a win-win for us,” said Harvey Edgington, the National Trust’s head of filming and locations. “It’s a very good way of getting people interested in a property.” Peaky Blinders The gritty gangster series set in 1920s Birmingham is filmed predominately at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley. Open to the public, the museum’s canal arm features as the famous Charlie Strong's Yard, with huge factories added using CGI (computer-generated imagery). Tommy Shelby’s iconic walk past the firing furnaces was filmed at the museum’s Rolling Mill, and the dramatic murder of Father Hughes in the finale of season three was shot in the museum’s St James's School. Peaky Blinders: behind the scenes with creator Steven Knight 14 of the best historical TV shows on Netflix Ruby Sparks: the smash-and-grab gangster Peaky Blinders has also worked wonders for Birmingham’s local economy, with tours, themed restaurants and dedicated pub crawls taking place across the city. One pub in Dale End, in the centre of Birmingham, simply named ‘The Peaky Blinder’, serves a Peaky Blinder cocktail made with whisky and blackcurrant, and its staff dress in Shelby-style attire. Game of Thrones Not exactly a historical drama per se, but the wildly popular Game of Thrones is reported to be worth about £30 million (€34 million) a year to the local economy in Northern Ireland. Tourism NI estimates that around 120,000 Game of Thrones visitors came to Northern Ireland in 2016 to see the real-life Kingsroad or Winterfell, among other sites. Rosemarie McHugh, Tourism NI’s director of product development, told The Irish Times the show has been “transformative” for screen tourism in Northern Ireland. The fantasy drama series is also reported to have helped to turn around Iceland’s struggling economy in the aftermath of the 2008 banking crisis by bolstering its tourism sector. According to FocusEconomics: “Game of Thrones is, at the very least, partly responsible for the major uptick in tourism growth in recent years. Many of Iceland’s glaciers, lakes and national parks serve as the backdrop for the ‘lands beyond the wall’ and the popularity of the show has given rise to massive increases in tourism, as the show’s many diehard fans from around the world make pilgrimages, so to speak, to visit the show’s popular filming locations.” Game of Thrones fans have also been flocking to Dubrovnik, Croatia, which features as King’s Landing. But the mayor of the medieval city last year announced he is considering capping visitors to just 4,000 per day to prevent “ruinous overcrowding”. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/08/M23JDM-674a17b.jpg" width="5760" height="3840" alt="Fort Lovrijenac in Dubrovnik Old Town, Croatia, which features as King’s Landing in ‘Game of Thrones’. (Photo by John Dambik/Alamy Stock Photo)" title="Fort Lovrijenac in Dubrovnik Old Town, Croatia, which features as King’s Landing in ‘Game of Thrones’. (Photo by John Dambik/Alamy Stock Photo)" /> The Crown The wildly popular Netflix Original series The Crown, which follows the young Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s through to modern times, is rumoured to have cost a whopping $130 million to produce – making it the most expensive television show ever made. According to a survey conducted by Barclays bank in 2017, the appeal of the quintessentially British biopic abroad is whetting travellers’ appetites for a UK holiday. Dubbed ‘The Crown effect’, the popularity of the show – plus that of Poldark, Sherlock and Downton Abbey – is encouraging overseas tourists to holiday in places such as the Peak District, the Lake District and the Cotswolds. According to the survey of 10,000 respondents, some 44 per cent of Chinese tourists interested in visiting the UK said television programmes had driven their interest. More than a quarter of Americans planning a UK visit said the same. The first two series of The Crown star Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth and Matt Smith as Prince Philip. The third series, which will see Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over, is expected to air in 2019. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip: 8 milestones in their marriage Prince Philip: a life of duty and devotion In profile: Prince Philip Wolf Hall The six-part BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize-winning novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies was a huge hit both on and off-screen. Starring Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII, the 2015 drama sent fans flocking to filming locations including Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, the real-life Wolf Hall; Chastleton House in Oxfordshire, which portrayed scenes from Cromwell’s childhood in Putney; and Montacute House in Somerset, which was used as the setting for Greenwich Palace – Henry VIII’s main London seat and the site of Anne Boleyn’s arrest in Wolf Hall. Around 40 per cent of the shoots in Wolf Hall took place at sites owned by the National Trust, with the location fees providing much-needed income to help maintain the properties. The show’s producer, Mark Pybus, said: “The advantages of filming in a historic location are massive. It also helps the actors, if they’re stepping into the buildings that Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell walked around in it helps bring a realness to the project.” 11 facts about Anne Boleyn Does historical accuracy really matter in period dramas like Wolf Hall? Not such a prude after all: the secrets of Henry VIII’s love life Outlander The time-travel drama in which a Second World War army nurse is carried back to Scotland in 1743 has brought tourists flocking to the country’s castles and other spots where much of the three series were filmed. According to the ONS Travel Trends 2017 statistics, Doune Castle, which features in the series as the fictional Castle Leoch, has seen a 227 per cent increase in numbers since 2013 when Outlander first aired. The 15th-century Blackness Castle in West Lothian, which featured as the Fort William headquarters of ‘Black Jack’ Randall (Tobias Menzies), attracted a record 43,763 visitors in 2017, while Linlithgow Palace, which is used as Wentworth Prison where Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) is imprisoned, welcomed a record 87,254 – up 17 per cent on the previous year, the Daily Express reports. Downton Abbey Highclere Castle was dangerously unstable and parts of the building were deemed uninhabitable when Julian Fellowes began filming his period drama Downton Abbey there in 2010. The stately home, located five miles south of Newbury in Berkshire and owned by George ‘Geordie’ Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon, was facing a near £12m repair bill. “It was just after the banking crisis and it was gloom in all directions,” Lord Carnarvon told the Guardian. “Then Downton came along and it became a major tourist attraction.” Visitor numbers doubled, to 1,200 a day, and Highclere is today one of Britain’s most recognisable stately homes. The success of Downton has funded “a rolling programme of building repairs aimed at safeguarding Highclere for the next generation,” the family said. The Downton cast and crew will return to Highclere in September 2018 to film a feature-length movie. Have your holidays been inspired by a historical drama? Let us know by tweeting us @HistoryExtra or by posting on our Facebook page. You can also share your holiday photos with us on Instagram. Emma Mason is the Digital Editor at HistoryExtra.com
Britain's stately homes are as diverse as they are impressive. With their soaring ceilings, landscaped gardens and secret corridors, there is plenty to explore in these impressive buildings. Here, we round up seven of the best
Bodrhyddan Hall, North Wales The Bodrhyddan Hall that stands today was built in the 17th century, although some surviving parts suggest a building stood in its place in around the 15th century. Bodrhyddan Hall has been owned by the land-owning Conwy family for more than 500 years. The family decided in the 1600s to expand the building in order to transform it into an impressive country manor. 10 things you might not know about Blenheim Palace – 'the real Downton Abbey' 8 must-visit castles with Tudor connections 7 facts about Buckingham Palace Architect William Eden Nesfield redesigned the Welsh residence in 1874. The front of the house was renovated in the revived baroque style that was popular in the late 19th century, and a longer driveway was created. Nesfield also added an extra wing to the main house. Nesfield’s father, William Andrews Nesfield, who was a landscape architect, recreated the gardens, which span around eight acres in total. Bodrhyddan holds extensive private collections, which include paintings, armour, and even an Egyptian mummy dating back 3,000 years. A well sits by the driveway up to the house, which has an inscription accrediting to the 17th-century architect Inigo Jones. This inscription suggests that Inigo may have contributed to the design of the gardens in the early 1600s. To find out more about Bodrhyddan Hall, click here. Castle Howard, Yorkshire The 3rd Earl of Carlisle began the construction of Castle Howard in 1699, but the work was not completed until more than 100 years later. Over time, the design of the house changed as the house came into the possession of three consecutive earls. The 3rd Earl overlooked the construction of the east wing in the 17th-century elaborate Baroque style by Sir John Vanbrugh, while the 4th Earl commissioned the west wing to be built in the classical Palladian style, creating an imbalance in the house’s symmetry. In 1709, Venetian artist Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini was commissioned by the 3rd Earl to paint the house’s impressive hallway and saloon. Pellegrini also painted the inside of the dome of the house with a magnificent depiction of the Greek myth The Fall of Phaeton. Fast-forward to 1940 when, on 9 November, a fire began in the south front of the house. Strong winds caused the fire to spread quickly throughout all levels of the rest of the building, and even the great dome at the centre of the house collapsed and was destroyed. The fire service, along with schoolgirls from Queen Margaret’s School, who had been evacuated to the house following the outbreak of the Second World War, worked tirelessly to put out the fire and save some of Castle Howard from damage. Restoration work following the fire did not begin until the 1960s. While a great deal of the house has now been reconstructed, the east wing remains a shell. Castle Howard has been in the possession of the noble Howard family since its construction by the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, and the family continue to live there today. The house is open to the public to explore its corridors and extensive grounds. To find out more about Castle Howard, click here. Mellerstain House, Scottish Borders <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/01/mellerstain-house-27cdef5.jpg" width="1000" height="773" alt="Mellerstain House was designed as a classical-style home for George Baillie, a Scottish member of parliament in the 18th century, and his wife, Lady Grisell. (Image by Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)" title="Mellerstain House was designed as a classical-style home for George Baillie, a Scottish member of parliament in the 18th century. (Photo by Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)" /> Mellerstain House was designed as a classical-style home for George Baillie, a Scottish member of parliament, and his wife, Lady Grisell. Work began in 1725. Baillie employed architect William Adam to build the wings of the house first, meaning there was no connecting building between the wings for 40 years while they were under construction. While the house was being built, the couple lived in the east wing, while the servants used the west wing as their quarters. 10 things you (probably) didn’t know about Scottish history Scotland on the brink: the nation's final years of independence Following George Baillie’s death in 1738, his widow, Lady Grisell, continued to control the running of the household in a very strict fashion. She created a collection of volumes of records, known as Lady Grisell’s Household Accounts, which reveal a great deal of insight into the running of a Georgian country house in the 18th century. Listen | Professor Tom Devine explores the Scottish Clearances and explains how a number of misconceptions still exist around this traumatic moment in Scottish history In 1759, George Baille, the second son of nobleman Charles Hamilton, Lord Binning, inherited the Scottish estate. Since then, the house has remained in the possession of the earls of Haddington. George commissioned architect Robert Adam in 1770 to design the main building in order to connect the two wings in the castle style. The house is set in 80 hectares of parkland and gardens, which were created by Sir Reginald Blomfield in the early 20th century. The house also boasts an impressive collection of paintings by the likes of Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Ruysdael, and Ramsay. To find out more about Mellerstain House, click here. Burghley House, Lincolnshire Construction began during the 1550s on Burghley House, built for Sir William Cecil, who went on to become Elizabeth I’s secretary of state, lord high treasurer, and one of her closest confidants. The house was originally built in an ‘E’ shape, to reflect Cecil’s loyalty to the queen. However, in the 18th century, Brownlow Cecil, the 9th Earl of Exeter ordered that the north-west wing be demolished, and therefore the original shape of the house was lost. The 5th Earl of Exeter, John Cecil, (1648–1700) built up an extensive art collection for Burghley House after he toured Italy on four occasions in the late 17th century. It is today considered to be one of the finest collections of privately owned original 17th century paintings. Among the collection are The Pieta with St Mary Magdalene and St John the Evangelist by Giovanni Remigio [an interpretation of Christ’s dead body being supported by Mary Magdalene and John the Evangelist] and The Mocking of Christ by Francesco Trevisani [a depiction of Christ being mocked by Roman soldiers before his crucifixion]. The collection also includes portraits of Elizabeth I, Oliver Cromwell, and Henry VIII, which are on display in the Pagoda Room of the house. In 1754, the 9th Earl of Exeter employed renowned landscape gardener Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown to redesign the house’s gardens and parkland, along with some parts of the house including the stables and the orangery. While aspects of the house have been redesigned or built upon over the centuries, Burghley House continues to be recognised as one of the most impressive surviving examples of Elizabethan architecture. To find out more about Burghley House, click here. Chatsworth House, Derbyshire <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/04/sh2253-063-13645a2.jpg" width="5990" height="3999" alt="Chatsworth House, where Elizabeth I ordered for Mary, Queen of Scots to be imprisoned after she abdicated and fled from Scotland to England in 1567. (Photo by Chatsworth House Trust)" title="Chatsworth House, where Elizabeth I ordered for Mary, Queen of Scots to be imprisoned after she abdicated and fled from Scotland to England in 1567. (Photo by Chatsworth House Trust)" /> Bess of Hardwick was one of the most prominent women in Elizabethan society. After she married her second husband, Sir William Cavendish, in 1547 the couple bought Chatsworth manor in 1549. In 1552, the construction of Chatsworth House began. While Bess of Hardwick lived at Chatsworth, Elizabeth I ordered for Mary, Queen of Scots to be imprisoned at Chatsworth after she abdicated and fled from Scotland to England in 1567. At numerous times between 1569 and 1584, Bess’s fourth husband, George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, acted as Mary’s warden on behalf of the English queen. Chatsworth House also played a part in the Civil War: Bess of Hardwick’s great-grandson William Cavendish, the 3rd Earl of Devonshire, fled to the continent, but continued to finance the raising of troops for the king’s side throughout the war from abroad. During the conflict, both royalists and parliamentarians occupied Chatsworth at different times. The earl did not return to Chatsworth until after the monarchy was restored by Charles II in 1660. By this point, Chatsworth was beginning to crumble, and was too dangerous to occupy. It was the 4th Earl, William Cavendish, who began to rebuild the house in the late 17th century with the help of architects William Talman and Thomas Archer. In 1694, Cavendish was made the 1st Duke of Devonshire, and he died in 1707 just after Chatsworth’s magnificent building work had been completed. The 5th Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, who lived at Chatsworth during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, are arguably two of its most famous residents. The Duchess, Lady Georgina Spencer, was one of the most famous women of her day, and was renowned for her beauty and her dedicated campaigning on behalf of the Whig party. The couple had a tempestuous relationship, and the duke’s mistress, Lady Elizabeth Foster, also lived at Chatsworth. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire hosted lavish parties at Chatsworth throughout the autumn and winter months, which were attended by Edward VII and his wife, Queen Alexandra. To find out more about Chatsworth House, click here. Witley Court, Worcestershire Witley Court was developed into a mansion during James I and VI’s reign. In 1655, the Foley family, who made their fortune in the iron industry, purchased the estate. As the family’s wealth and social prominence developed, the 1st Baron Foley expanded the house greatly throughout the late 1600s and early 1700s. Over time, the Foley family lost great sums of their fortune. However, Thomas, 3rd Baron Foley, married Lady Cecilia Olivia Geraldine FitzGerald in 1806 in what was an advantageous match. After receiving his wife’s dowry, Foley was able to commission the prominent Regency architect John Nash to develop the Witley estate. Nash added two imposing porticos to the north and south fronts of Witley Court house in the early decades of the 19th century. After the estate was sold to the trustees of William Ward (later the 1st Earl of Dudley) in 1833, Witley reached the heights of its social prominence. The exterior of the house was recasted in Bath stone, while the Georgian interior was transformed into an ornate decorative style. Ward’s increasing wealth meant that he could entertain large parties of some of the most eminent members of society in the second half of the 19th century, including the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII). Like other houses featured in this article, Witley Court fell victim to fire. On 7 September 1937, a blaze broke out in the servants’ rooms of the house. Strong winds blew the fire to the main rooms of the house on the lower floors. By the next morning, the house, apart from the west side, had experienced such extensive damage that the owner, Sir Herbert Smith, decided to sell the estate. As a result, what was left of the interiors was stripped, and the house was left as a ruin. To find out more about Witley Court, click here. Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire After succeeding at the battle of Blenheim in 1704, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, was awarded a manor house called Woodstock Manor in Oxfordshire by Queen Anne to build a palace to thank him for his military success. Blenheim Palace was constructed over the course of nearly 20 years, following the designs of English architect Sir John Vanbrugh. Upon its completion in the 1720s, the Churchills – a prominent noble family – moved in, and a Column of Victory was erected in the palace’s parkland displaying the duke as a Roman general in recognition of his successful military career. Listen | Historian and author Andrew Roberts discusses his new biography of Winston Churchill, revealing insights arising from his research and tackling some of the biggest debates around Britain’s wartime prime minister The ownership of Blenheim was then passed down to the duke’s eldest daughter, Henrietta Godolphim, in 1722, and she became the 2nd Duchess of Marlborough. As Henrietta’s children predeceased her, the ownership of Blenheim then passed to the duke’s youngest daughter, Anne Spencer, in 1733. Anne’s second son, Charles Spencer, consequently became the 3rd Duke of Marlborough in 1733. His son and grandson then inherited the title of Dukes of Marlborough and Blenheim Palace in 1758 and 1817, respectively. The death of the 5th Duke of Marlborough in 1840 left the noble Churchill family in increasingly financial difficulty. As a result, the proceeding dukes were forced to sell the palace’s extensive art collections, including Van Dyck’s famous Equestrian Portrait of Charles I [c1637-38] and Raphael’s Ansidei Madonna [c1505] in order to maintain the financing of the palace. The dukedom was nearly bankrupt when Charles Spencer-Churchill inherited the title as the 9th Duke of Marlborough in 1892. However, his advantageous marriage to wealthy American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt in 1895 meant that Charles gained $2,500,000, which he used to save the palace from ruin. The marriage was not a happy one, and the couple separated in 1906, before divorcing in 1921. 9 things you (probably) didn’t know about Winston Churchill Churchill: The ‘cry-baby’ war hero In 1914 the palace became a convalescent hospital for soldiers who had been wounded while serving in the First World War. The 9th Duke became concerned about the low levels of foodstuffs available on the home front during the war, and decided to use Blenheim’s 2,000-acre estate to produce necessary crops and to raise livestock. After voicing his fears about the state of agriculture during the conflict, the duke became the president of the Women’s National Land Service Corps after its establishment in early 1916. Blenheim Palace opened to the public in April 1950, and continues to be the home of the dukes of Marlborough. To find out more about Blenheim Palace, click here. This article was first published by HistoryExtra in November 2015
What was life like as a 19th-century servant?
In recent years, TV dramas including Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey have stoked the nation’s fascination with the daily lives of servants. But what was life really like for people who served in the country houses and estates of the past?
Could you have handled the long days and arduous tasks of a servant in a grand Victorian house? Here, Pamela Sambrook reconstructs a typical day in the life of a 19th-century servant, sharing a household timetable with the tasks of the kitchen staff, a footman and a junior housemaid… The research and recreation of servants’ lives has been a popular topic in the media for many years. But how much is actually known about their daily lives? We know there seems to have been strong traditional elements in servants' routines; only men, for example, cleaned silver or polished the most valuable furniture. These traditions aimed to make it easier for new staff to fit in quickly and efficiently. 10 things you might not know about Blenheim Palace – the ‘real Downton Abbey’ 8 historical TV shows that have tourists flocking to Britain We also know that servant mealtimes were pivotal to the timing of the whole day, and changed only slowly through the 19th century. The first break was usually taken mid-morning and involved a drink. The main meal – ‘dinner’– was taken at around midday, while ‘tea’ was a very light meal served at around 4 o’clock. ‘Supper’ was usually taken at 9 o’clock, after most of the work had been finished. By the end of the 19th century, the time of servants’ dinner slipped later and later into the evening and a new lighter meal, ‘lunch’, took its place in the middle of the day, a division that worked well for the kitchen. For researchers, it is relatively easy to construct a timetable of servants’ daily work during the 19th century. Documents containing actual memories, such as diaries, are particularly useful as these give us a framework on which to build even if they are not always reliable in detail. It is, however, difficult to place specific individuals in specific households before 1837, when civil registration of births, marriages and deaths was introduced in the UK, and particularly before 1841, when the first comprehensive national census was held. Photographic images, of course, are nearly impossible to find. Information gathered by researchers is usually restricted to very rare diaries and the occasional instructional manual designed for use by servants or their employers, which presented invaluable guidelines as to how to run a household efficiently. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/10/GettyImages-629600695-091d339.jpg" width="5100" height="3394" alt="It's possible to reconstruct a timetable that might have been used, for instance, in a household such as Tatton Hall in Cheshire. (Photo by Loop Images/UIG via Getty Images)" title="It's possible to reconstruct a timetable that might have been used, for instance, in a household such as Tatton Hall in Cheshire. (Photo by Loop Images/UIG via Getty Images)" /> Using these instructional manuals, it is possible to reconstruct a timetable that might have been used, for instance, in a household such as Tatton Hall in Cheshire, which was the country seat of the Egerton family for nearly 400 years until it was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1958. Although every great house functioned slightly differently – and employers often had their own sometimes eccentric requirements – the below timetable shows a workable routine that may have been in place in the mid-19th century. It includes the schedules of a scullery man, a kitchen maid, a footman, a chef and a junior housemaid. 6–7am It’s an early start for all. At 6 o’clock in the morning,the scullery man opens up the kitchen, cleans and lights the fires, fills the coal buckets and prepares the spit and dripping pan. He cleans the kitchen, the chef’s private room, pantry and larders, and scours the dressers, tables and cutting boards. At least twice a week, he will also scrub the floor with sand. The kitchen maid also rises at the same time. She helps with the cleaning, lays out all ingredients and utensils needed for the day ahead, and then sets to work cooking the servants’ breakfasts. Changing Times: there’s more to domestic service than Downton Abbey Life in the Victorian workhouse (exclusive to The Library) At 6.30, the footman opens the shutters in the main rooms and takes coals to the house’s sitting rooms. He brushes and sponges his own and his master’s clothes as needed, and cleans boots and knives, as well as the butler’s pantry. He trims the household lamps, and cleans and fills them. After this, he changes into a clean apron and lays the family breakfast table and sideboard. Meanwhile, a junior housemaid reports to the housekeeper’s room and has her housemaid’s box checked for supplies. Setting to work, she draws back and shakes the curtains in the drawing room and cleans the fireplaces. This is an arduous task: she is expected to rake out the fireplaces and put ashes in her housemaid’s box, light the fire, wash the hearthstone and put the coal buckets out in the hall for the footmen to collect and fill. She also takes any small rugs or druggets [floor coverings] outside to shake. At least twice a week, she hand-brushes the carpet, then turns over the edges and sweeps the wooden floor. As well as collecting the dust, it was also important to check for valuable items like earrings that may have been dropped. She then shuts up the room for 15 minutes while the dust settles, and repeats this in the music or sitting rooms. After the dust has settled, she also is expected to return to both rooms and vigorously ‘rub’ the furniture, using two cloths, one in each hand. 8–9am At 8 o’clock, the chef enters the kitchen for a minor domestic ritual: checking the cleanliness of the hands, hair and uniforms of the kitchen and scullery staff. He also checks the fires and utensils. Meanwhile, the kitchen maid sends breakfasts to the servants’ hall and the steward’s room, where all the senior staff, including the chef, eat their meals. The remaining kitchen staff eat in the kitchen, after which the scullery man washes the breakfast dishes. After eating his own breakfast in the servants’ hall, the footman calls each single gentleman in the house and knocks and enters their room, opening the curtains and collecting any clothes from the night before. After her morning tasks are complete, the junior housemaid washes her hands and changes from a heavy grey working apron into a clean white one. She collects a ‘calling tray’ from the stillroom and ‘calls’ family members and visitors, excepting any single gentlemen. She then takes hot water to each bedroom wash stand before eating her own breakfast. Schools of hard knocks: Georgian and Victorian public schools (exclusive to The Library) Living in sin: unmarried relationships in Victorian Britain 9–11am The kitchen maid cooks and sends up the family breakfasts, while the scullery man washes up all the pans, dishes and china – but not the glasses and silver, which are washed solely by the footmen. Meanwhile, the chef checks produce from the estate garden and farm, talks to the gardener and butcher, and weighs and checks the day’s meat. He also consults with the housekeeper about provisions and plans the menus, usually a day ahead, working from the cook’s room. He writes up the current day’s menus on a slate for the staff. Later, the scullery man helps the kitchen maid to wash, trim and cut up vegetables, pluck game and poultry, and begin making stocks and soups. Upstairs, the footman carries dishes to the sideboard in the breakfast room. He waits as the family breakfasts and then removes the breakfast things, folding up the table cloth, sweeping up crumbs, making up the fire and sweeping the hearth. He returns the china to the kitchen and stillroom and takes the silver and glass to butler’s pantry. Later, he checks the fires in all downstairs rooms and tidies the gentlemen’s smoking room. He then cleans and polishes the silver, including the bedroom candlesticks, ready for the evening. While the family and any guests are at breakfast, the junior housemaid goes to each of the main bedrooms and opens the window, throwing bedclothes over the end of the bed to air, and emptying hot water bottles or any ‘slops’ out of the wash stand and chamber pot. She replaces towels and tidies the rooms, cleaning the fires as before. She also has to (after washing her hands, of course) make up the beds, beating the feather pillows. Her work is not yet done: in the main passages of the house, she sweeps the floors and rugs and dusts furniture and on one day – usually Saturday – she will change all bed linen and collect all the dirty linen for the laundry maids. 11am–1pm The chef takes the planned menus upstairs to consult with the lady of the house, while all kitchen staff have lunch at 11am, which consists of only a drink. The kitchen maid prepares and cooks the servants’ dinner and nursery meals, while the chef prepares the family lunch and makes any jellies, creams, pastries ready for the family’s dinner. The scullery man washes up. During this time, the footman would have two usual duties; either he would stand in the entrance hall and answer the front door, or he would attend the family lunch room. The junior housemaid, in addition to her daily cleaning, ‘turns out’ each main room according to a weekly or fortnightly rota. She moves furniture as necessary, brushes curtains, dusts picture frames (with cotton wool), ‘rubs’ fine furniture and wood floors. 1–3pm The chef sends up the family lunch, while the kitchen maid sends dinner to the servants’ hall and steward’s room. The scullery man washes up. During this time, the footman might run errands, either accompanying the family, or paying small bills or delivering visiting cards. If not required, the footman might have time to rest. The downstairs staff eat their dinner in this window, ahead of the busy afternoon. All the kitchen staff have a few minutes’ rest in the kitchen, then the chef starts preparing and cooking the family dinner, assisted by the kitchen maid especially in attending the spit, cooking vegetables and boiling meat. The scullery man washes up, including the dripping pan and spit, which he rubs with sand and water, rinses, towel-dries, then dries thoroughly in front of the fire to prevent rust. He also disposes of waste, boils up unused offal, and takes out any pig food. During the family lunch, the junior housemaid checks the fires in all the rooms and generally tidies, plumping cushions and removing dead petals from fresh flowers. She also helps the housekeeper to sort linen for repair, and sews and mends garments – including her own. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/10/GettyImages-54126481-39ebd13.jpg" width="3309" height="4187" alt="The domestic staff at Erdigg Hall, the home of the Yorke family in Wrexham, North Wales, 1852. They are head gardener James Phillips, coachman Edward Humphries, laundry maid Elizabeth Alford, dairy maid Mary Davies, head housemaid Ruth Jones, under gardener William Price, footman William Stephenson, head nurse Eliza Rogers, cook and housekeeper Mrs Webster, butler Thomas Murray, lady's maid Elizabeth Hale, under nurse Sarah Evans, carpenter Thomas Rogers and hall boy Edward Davies. From a daguerrotype. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" title="Servants At Erdigg" /> 4–5pm The footman continues on hall or room duty. Following the family tea, he collects the trays and returns the tea china to the stillroom. All staff have tea at 5pm, which is made and served by the stillroom maid – a female servant who works in the stillroom, where drinks and jams are made. After his tea, the footman lights lamps, closes shutters and draws curtains in the sitting rooms. He assists the butler in laying the family dinner table: in keeping with tradition, the first footman carries the silver, the second the china, while the butler places the silver and glasses. If guests are expected, one footman stands on hall duty. From politics to pleasure gardens: the real history behind Poldark’s 18th-century London 8 of Britain's best historical homes and gardens 7–9pm All the kitchen staff are needed to help send up the family dinner. The scullery man washes up (again), and then the kitchen maid and scullery man clean the kitchen and sort out the dirty linen. At 8 o’clock, the footman sounds a gong or bell for dinner 15 minutes before it is served, and once again as the food is sent up. He carries the dinner from the kitchen and waits at the dinner table. Afterwards, he returns plates to kitchen, removes the cloth, dusts the table and puts out the lights. He then prepares and assists in serving tea and coffee in the drawing room or dining room, before washing the silver and glass used at dinner. When the family dinner bell sounds, the junior housemaid waits a few minutes, then goes into ground floor rooms and tidies as before. During family dinner, she goes into the now empty upstairs and turns down the beds, checks the fires and wash stands and water, and empties ‘slops’. 9pm The kitchen maid prepares and serves the servants’ supper, after which the kitchen staff have their own supper. The footman attends in the hall while any guests leave the house. 10pm It’s the end of a long day. The footman serves the family supper, if required, and hands bedroom candlesticks to each member of the family as he or she wishes to retire. He assists the butler in shutting up the house and locking doors, while the kitchen maid checks the fires are safe and shuts up the kitchen. The junior housemaid takes up hot water bottles to the family and guest bedrooms and, finally, goes to bed. Pamela Sambrook is the author of The Servants' Story: Managing a Great Country House (Amberley Books, 2016) This article was first published by History Extra in October 2018.