This BBC series is great. Episode 1 looks at servants in England from the mid 18th century to the end of the 19th. Well worth watching. Here’s an excerpt, about the requirements of a doctor’s wife (lower middle class) in Victorian London.
This is what she wants the housemaid to do,
“Seven o’clock, bring in my hot drinking water.
“Sweep down, thoroughly clean the stairs, “get the bathroom ready and lavatory.”
And then, the servant has her breakfast.
“Eight o’clock, bring my hot water. “Draw up blinds, empty and take away bath. “Always use basin cloth and wipe tumblers.
“8:30, clean grate in drawing room, thoroughly sweep and dust room. “Wipe round parquet, clean all brass.” “Open windows front and back. “Water and wipe with a wet cloth all plants.”
“How to clean a looking glass. “Blow the dust off the gilt frame, “as the least grit would scratch the surface of the glass. “First, sponge it with a little spirit of wine or gin and water, “so as to remove all spots.
“Then, dust the glass over with a powder blue tied in muslin “rubbing it lightly and quickly off “and polishing with a silk handkerchief.”
And then, what you’ll see here is that every minute is accounted for,
taking us through to the evening.
Seven o’clock, we find her tidying the drawing room.
“Put the cushions tidy and tidy the papers. Dust tables and the piano. See to the lights and sweep the fires.
“Eight o’clock, assist and wait at table and after see to bedrooms. Turn down beds, washstands wiped, hot water, chambers and so on.”
Nine o’clock, she has her own supper in the kitchen.
Ten o’clock, she can fall into bed, and that’s the end of her day, until, of course, she gets up and does it all again the next day.
