The hierarchy among the servants was strictly defined. 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. ), Thank you, JHarper2! Unless pregnant by a member of the household in which case they might also get paid off. These rose-tinted depictions would also have us believe that mutual respect existed across social boundaries. Perhaps in the past an estate and house defined and supported the family and their lifestyle, but today it is quite the reverse: the challenge is how Geordie and I seek to support and look after Highclere. "The day would consist of doing breakfast maybe around 7 a.m., followed by elevenses, an 11 a.m. cocktail and biscuit, a 12:30 p.m. pre-lunch drink, lunch at 1 p.m. followed by coffee, then. Thomas was one of the most villainous characters in the series. Is there a cafe at Highclere Castle? We do not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. The servant class boomed in the late 19th century as the expanding empire and industrial revolution created new wealth. Sigh. A modern view? (Yes, we are fallible. Events include special Downton-themed receptions at British embassies. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. King Charles III's coronation: How to watch and what time is it on? DA has a huge cast by todays television standards (it is the closest thing we have to the old-time soap opera tradition, in both scale and plot devicesamnesia! These days, his net worth is said to be around $4million. The hotel is still one of the most elegant places to stay in London. [] workers, actually earn more than the median U.S. worker. In some instances, links will be removed from comments as well. Also Downton is ill-equiped for a large dinner or house party, hospitality that would normally occur several times a year. There may be a difference between housemaid and parlourmaid uniforms, and perhaps differences in rank too. If you were in the business of doing events and hosting lots of parties, that maid staff would probably expand to two or three. Inquiring readers, from now until the U.S. airing of Downton Abbey, this blog will explore the facets of living in an English country house during the Edwardian era, and drawing upon the similarity and differences between the Edwardian and Regency eras. The last hurrah of great houses and servants. (modern), The Downton Abbey cast gather in front of Highclere Castle as they prepare for the final series. "I got up at 5.30am to clean the fireplaces and front steps, polish the shoes and boots of everyone in the household. Service at table, except in the lowest houses employing servants was never performed by female servants. Maybe well find out more about the family finances in season III, when Coras mother appears. Now, without doubt, it is loved by millions of other people.. His net worth is believed to total $4 million. The Chauffeur: Allen Leech asTom Branson, the chaffeur, demonstrates how very different Edwardian England is from Regency England. Dan Stevens, who played Mary's husband, Matthew Crawley, was one of the first members of the cast for whom Hollywood came knocking. From the biggest emerging tourist markets, 51% of Brazilians, 42% of Russians and Chinese, and 35% of Indian visitors are likely to include a visit to a site of interest in their trips. So I guess what I mean when I say "what were the wages" I really mean "what did that actually mean?" That is more than worked on the land or in factories. The once derelict London Lodge, a grand Roman-style archway from 1793, is now a bijou holiday let alongside other spruced-up cottages. Tending to the vehicles, he was a skilled mechanic as well. The kitchen maid would perform these offices if there were no tweeny or scullery maid. At the end of their stay with their hosts, guests paid servants a tip for their services. Afternoon tea, priced at around $60 per person, is still quite an occasion. Unlike their poorly paid counterparts, servants were housed and fed by their masters. Its given us a wonderful marketing platform, an international profile. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. While she was constantly working hard in her position, her past became an ultimate roadblock. 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. He is as protective towards the Crawley family as he would have been to his own. RELATED:Downton Abbey: 10 Most Hated Supporting Characters Of All Time. The masters valet was especially important; his job was to make the master look impressive at all times. Write us at. In the background, a servant scoops coal.Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE Privacy Policy. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. Thomas, as a second footman, would have earned an annual salary $37,379.37 (in 2014 dollars). But perhaps most antique of all is the idea of life in a house full of servants, with two symbiotic. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. While she had a rough exterior, it was never enough to overcome her talents and ethics. Neame is now an ambassador for the GREAT Britain campaign, which is backed by government departments and the British Council, using it to promote the UK around the world. Servants worked 17-hour days with time off limited to church on Sunday morning and one afternoon a week. Alternative sources of employment for women opened up in offices, shops, factories and later the National Health Service. The results of all of the painstaking work and added expense paid off though, as Downton Abbey has been realized for the silver screen in a fashion that only its particular brand of drama and . Lesley Nicol as Mrs. Patmore, the Cook. How much did house servants get paid Downton Abbey? ), Anna (Head maid) and Gwen (house maid) in their room. We are not nearly as proud of our achievements as we should be. Where they just fired and thrown out? Join me next time for more explorations into the art and history of Europe, including the British Isles. 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. Always "give room" if you meet one of your employers or betters on the stairs and avert your gaze. I don't think an inflation calculator can accurately communicate what those numbers really signified. As for the maids, there do seem to be six of them altogether: Sometimes experience trumps anything else. For all these great houses, you have to invest in them. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me and my team. MORE:Where are the cast of Downton Abbey now? Lady's maid Anna Bates is played by actress Joanne Froggatt, whose acting credits include Liar, Coronation Street and upcoming ITV drama Angela Black. Archived post. Never talk to another servant in the presence of your mistress. At the time, the waiters made a great show of clearing the tables by whisking the tablecloth OUT FROM UNDER the cups, plates, pots and tiered cake stand. Servants should never offer any opinion to their employers, nor even to say good night. How much was Cora's dowry? In smaller, middle-class homes in the cities servants were pushed into attics and dank basements to keep them apart from the family. However, 69 Emmy nominations and 15 wins later, it's never been more apparent just how much of an impact the show made. Now Ive never seen a tweeny, but there seem to be about two hallboys/odd job men. Do public servants get paid well? The castle has been one enormous character as well.. If this is explored later in the series for those who have watched, how accurate is the portrayal? 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). I recently rewatched the second season of Upstairs, Downstairs, and I have some general questions/want to check if I understand things right. The earliest rising servant was the scullery maid, or tweeny, who sat lowest on the pecking order. NEXT: Mr. Carson's 10 Best Quotes On Downton Abbey, Ranked Alfred was rarely at the forefront of proceedings, which makes him one of the best employees at Downtown. Since he first started out as a footman, Carson was dedicated to the old ways that made a grand house work. Do you suppose theyll make a making of movie like theyve done with some other BBC productions? Who owns the house in Downton Abbey? In real life, during World War I, the 5th . I know it's not an easy comparison to today, because they had room and board included in their wages. Downton Abbey will be shown Sunday night on your local PBS station starting at 9 p.m. Click here to view the video clips. We had been doing corporate functions, but it all became pretty sparse after that. Like this story? MORE:Downton Abbey star Maggie Smith looks incredible at start of career - see the gorgeous snaps. Apparently nothing was considered too menial and records show that servants' duties included ironing shoelaces and cutting their masters' toenails. How much did servants make in Downton Abbey? 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. Despite the awful wages and conditions competition for places was fierce. Occaisionally a servant who became pregnant by a member of The Family would be paid off (but also fired), depending. Visitor numbers doubled, to 1,200 a day, as Downton Abbey, scripted by Julian Fellowes, came to be screened around the world after becoming a hit in the UK in 2010 and then in the US. Archived post. For a start, how many servants are there in DA? Maggie Smith will be playing a 120 year old by the time this show wraps production. Servants were not allowed to marry of have children of their own. The neglected tombstone found in an overgrown burial ground. Click on this link. There are many things about Downton Abbey that evoke a bygone erathe costumes, of course, and the cars, not to mention the clipped diction, the proper manners, and the attitudes toward sex and class. II, By CHARLES G. HARPER. Though some servants were married Samuel and Sarah Adams who wrote the Complete Servants come to mind most employers wouldnt hire married women and fired females who married. Where would this place them in terms of social class? At the bottom of the ladder were the young girls who could enter service when they were 13, earning a few pounds a year. The Second Footman: (Thomas Howes) Williams position among the upper servants is low, for he must answer to the butler, housekeeper, and first footman. Footmen are expected to wear livery and are generally tall and handsome. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Today, her overall net worth is estimated to be around $8million. would be promoted into the households of the adult children, and grow old with them. (The First World War shook the system; the Second World War pretty much ended the system entirely). Siobhan Finneran as OBrien, the countesss ladies maid, Rose Leslie as Gwen, housemaid, and Joanne Froggatt as Anna, head maid. 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. Although only her kitchen maid, Daisy, is seen as her regular assistant, there would have been others in a house this size. I guess Ill have to return to find out. Subject to the cooks every whim (and to the housekeepers and anyone else who happens nearby) she goes about her duties cheerfully. 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. I also think I remember reading that slavery was outlawed much earlier than in the States. Servants who got pregnant were often fired and thrown out. The female staff are forbidden from smoking. We'll own up to our mistakes and will make the corrections with a polite smile on our faces.) In 2017, Variety estimated hour-long dramas (like Downton Abbey) cost $5 to $7 million dollars per episode to make. Vic said: Downstairs in Downton Abbey: The Servants: Jane Austen's World http://t.co/8ufFL50 [], Very informative, thank you! The servant stairs. I hadnt noticed that. I wish him a long happy life with his true love, Anna. The Downton Abbey actor is a familiar face with TV and movie fans, Hugh married his wife Lucinda 'Lulu' Williams in 1998. Credit: Courtesy of Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE. Dowton Abbey, the series, highlights eleven servants who ran the household, but in 1912, Highclere Castle, where the exterior and interior shots were filmed, used the services of 25 maids, 14 footmen, and three chefs. For a long time. I assume you would not as many full time staff. Second Footman Check but fail, in high class household is supposed to be as alike physically to first footman as to be twins. Photograph: Nick Briggs/ITV. http://files.stv.tv/img/galleries/downton-abbey-series-one/590331/DOWNTON_ABBEY_EP1_43.jpg. Eventually, when he felt called to pursue bigger dreams, he did so without a ton of fanfare or fuss. I thought, So what?, because I had never heard of Highclere Castle.