The Lady's Maid: My Life in Service

by Rosina Harrison

'I was able to get on well with everyone below stairs and above, or so I thought until I began working for Lady Astor...' In 1929, Yorkshire lass Rosina Harrison became personal maid to Lady the first female Member of Parliament to take her seat and wife of one of England's wealthiest lords. Lady Astor was brilliant yet tempestuous, but outspoken Rose gave as good as she got. For 35 years the battle of wills and wits raged between the two women, until an unlikely friendship began to emerge.The Lady's Maid is a captivating insight into the great wealth 'upstairs' but also the endless work 'downstairs', but it is Rose's unique relationship with Lady Astor that makes this book a truly enticing read.Please note, The Lady's Maid is the new title for the book originally published as Rose.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Memoir, Historical, Biography Memoir, British Literature

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 1975

About the author

Rosina Harrison (known as Rose) was born in Aldfield, North Yorkshire, in 1899. Her mother was a laundry maid and her father a stonemason. Rose became a lady's maid in 1918, and she was later lady's maid to Lady Astor for 35 years. She later retired to Worthing where she died in 1989.

- from Random House

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have read other accounts of ' life in sevice' which I enjoyed more. Lady Astor was a thoroughly unpleasant woman, and although Rose appeared to gain her respect, Lady Astor nevertheless still had the upperhand. There were some interesting snippets, but on the whole not as engaging as it should have been.

[JimZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Lucy Lethbridge’s “Servants: A Downstairs History of Britain from the 19th century to modern times” so much that I copied down one of the books Lethbridge had used in writing her history and put it on my ‘to-be-read list’. And I finally got around to ordering this book, and 3 months later finally got around to reading it. Rose (her full name: Rosina Harrison) reminisces about her life in service over some 46 years in England. Overall it was an interesting read, though tedious in some parts. But I would give it a solid 3 stars. I was not too jazzed of her use of the word “coloured” when describing blacks but then again I was not born in 1900 like Rose was, so people of that time referred to blacks by that term and of course oftentimes worse (Rose did not use the even more derogatory terms than ‘coloured’). And I did not grow fond of the main person she was in service to for many years: Lady (Nancy) Astor. She seemed to treat Rose in a mean way…some people put on a rough appearance but have a soft side or “deep down” are nice folk — I did not see that in Lady Astor. But then again, if she was a pompous privileged ass then so were the majority of her ilk…people either married into or born into privilege.

Just some things from the book that struck me:

• I had never known what “blacking” a stove meant, and that was one of Rose’s chores when she a girl living with her family. Yeesh, people nowadays have self-cleaning ovens, but back then apparently once a week folks had to do this: “…I had to clean and blacklead the kitchen range. The blacklead came in blocks like soap. It was kept in a jam-jar and every time I used it I’d have to pour cold water on it and work at it until it produced a sort of paste. This was brushed onto the stove and finally polished until it shone. When I’d finished I must have looked a terrible sight, for I had porous skin which absorbed any of the blacklead that got on it, and plenty seemed to. The family all got a good laugh out of me on Saturdays. Which I thought was very unkind of them at the time. And more so now that I think of it again. Then the steel fender had to be emery-papered and polished.”

• And Rose described when she was in Lady Astor’s service how footmen (several levels below a butler) had to polish the silver. I used to polish silverware as a little kid with something called Wright’s Silver Polish. I used a rag and the polish was like a paste and one would rub off the tarnish on the silver with not a whole lot of effort. But back then: “…Polishing was an unpleasant task. It began with red rouging; this gave the silver a dark appearance which looked better, particularly under light. This rouge was put into saucers, mixed into a paste, and then rubbed on with the fingers and rubbed in hard. The silver was then highly polished with cloths and leathers. Polishing silver this way played havoc with the footmen’s hands, but Mr. Lee insisted that there were no short cuts….”

• And this was the number of staff hired for just one of the Astor’s houses (they had at least three and one looked like Downton Abbey): “The inside staff employed to run the house were Mr. Lee, the steward/butler, an under-butler and three footmen, two odd-men (they were given odious chores such as carrying heavy things), a hallboy, and a house carpenter; in the kitchens the chef, three kitchenmaids, a scullery maid, and a daily (temp help); a housekeeper, two stillroom maids, four housemaids, and two dailies; four in the laundry; two ladies maids (Rose was one), for Lady Astor and Miss Wissie; a telephonist and a night watchman. But wait there’s more! The outside staff was much larger, with estate maintenance men, gardeners, farm workers for the stud and home farms, and chauffeurs.
And all these people were in service, paid a pittance. On some manors if you fell sick, tough. You were sacked and off to the workhouse you go.

• Rose in her memoir said she had a love life but she preferred to keep it out of the memoir. But she wrote in the memoir that it was impossible to have any sort of social life living as a lady’s maid because she had so many few days off and worked such long hours (sometimes 18 hours a day!). And she never married — she was engaged to somebody for 9 years but she rarely saw him (they were both in service), and they mutually ended to the engagement.

• For breakfast, when the Astors had guests and they often did (the main house of theirs could hold 40 guests!) there were 12 different hot dishes for breakfast. Holy crap!

• The servants ironed shoe laces!!!! 😮

• One quote from Rose in the book when she was talking about the dogs that the Astors had…it just struck me as well, true, I guess. but weird for her to point out: “Dogs and people can complement each other, I’ve found. Many an ugly man can look quite handsome alongside his bulldog.” 🤨

• Oh, and here was a typical response from Lady Astor to Rose: “Shut up, Rose.”
Well I could go on and on…such absurdity.

If you will excuse me, I just rang for my butler to inform the chauffeur to bring the Rolls-Royce around to the front of my mansion so I can go to Costco. I hear they have a sale on toilet paper. You can never have enough toilet paper in a pandemic. 🧐

Review: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/17/ar...

[The Dusty Jacket · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosina (Rose) Harrison was born in 1899 in a little village near Ripon in Yorkshire. The daughter of a stonesman and a laundrymaid and the eldest of four children, Rose had but one desire in life: to travel. In her 35 years of service to Lady Astor—Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess Astor—Rose would not only travel the world, but she would become an integral part of the prestigious Astor family (“the landlords of New York”). This is Rose’s life—told in her own words—that spans several wars, a coronation, 1,000-person receptions, misplaced jewelry, a missing sable tie, and a loving friendship that would endure all of these and more.

"Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor" is a lady maid’s personal account of a life filled with dignitaries, disagreements, devotion, and discovery. Fans of the British television series "Upstairs, Downstairs" or Amazon Prime’s "Downton Abbey" will appreciate this behind-the-scenes perspective into the lives of both the aristocracy and their attendants. Through Rose, we gain an appreciation of what it is to work for someone whose heart is charitable, but whose tongue is often sharp and cruel; we experience dinners with Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and George Bernard Shaw; we see how entertaining is not just an event, but an industry; we understand that the key to a beautiful floral arrangement is to consult with Nature herself; and we learn the correct way to “pop” a champagne cork (gently unscrew the cork, cover it with a napkin, and then by tilting the bottle to one side, the cork will come out easily and quietly).

"Rose" is an entertaining look into the innerworkings of the wealthy and those who keep the gears of this expensive and vast machine greased and operating flawlessly. While no employer/employee relationship is without its ups and downs, the respect, dependency, and devotion between Rose and Lady Astor spanned over three decades and showed us the meaning of perseverance and the value of loyalty.

Rose Harrison died at the age of 90 in 1989. Although she never married nor had any children, hers was a life fulfilled and a dream attained. When Rose was asked by Bobbie Shaw (Lady Astor’s son by her first marriage) what she would like most in this world, Rose replied, after a moment’s hesitation, “To live my life over again”. In her autobiography, published in 1975, she wrote that her answer would be the same.

Lady Astor enjoyed a close twenty-year friendship with playwright George Bernard Shaw and so it seems fitting that I end this review with a quote of his that I think adequately sums up the life of Rosina Harrison: “Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” Rose created a full and satisfying life through her employment and friendship with Lady Astor. She gave as good as she got and quickly became a respected and trusted confidante to a woman who was the second elected female Member of Parliament, but the first to take her seat. Not bad for a spunky Yorkshire girl who thought that life couldn’t get any better than luxuriating in the family’s hip bath.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting look into a real life story of an upstairs/downstairs situation. The book is full of anecdotes and stories of what Rose experienced and what her day to day life was like. Not exactly a gripping page - turner but I liked it and am glad I read it.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this just before Downton Abbey started up again in Australia for its 5th(?I think) season, so it was good timing to get me back into the mindset of those times. However, I haven’t noticed any of the lady’s maids in Downton Abbey being quite so forthright as Lady Astor’s maid, Rose, says she was in her time!!

I found it interesting that Rose’s mother suggested Rose become a lady’s maid because she had said she’d like to travel. And even more interesting that Rose was able to dictate her terms of employment, to a certain extent. Before she was employed by Lady Astor, she was told she wouldn’t be required to accompany her mistress on trips, and she said that wasn’t acceptable to her!! And lo, and behold, travel she did!!

A very informative read that describes life in a big house just after WWI, up to and throughout WWII and after - 3.5 stars.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one, provided by netgalley, was published in the 1970s, so it might seem a little outdated, but I have to say, I really enjoyed it. It gave absolutely fascinating insights into the lives of the upper- and lower-classes in the first half of the 20th century, as told by a woman who saw it with her own eyes, and generally didn't lose her sense of perspective.

It reads like something your grandmother would say, full of wise words, bizarre admonishments and fascinating insights into a time long past, although Rose is far too enamored of the Astors, and upper class twits in general for contemporary tastes and her devotion gets a bit wearing towards the end of the book. But this attitude in itself is insightful, since Rose's lack of censure when the spoilt upper classes do things like demonstrate their inability to pour themselves a glass of water without a servant, just goes to demonstrate to me how different the world is now.

My grandmother was in service, and if things hadn't changed in the last 100 years (as they hadn't in the 100 years before), then I would be in service as well, instead of leading the relatively luxurious life of a professional woman.

What really sells this book for me though, is the incredible amount of detail included, particularly for fans of period dramas like Downton Abbey (which can't compare to Gosford Park IMO). For a book, written in such an amateur style, containing this much detail, on everything from the ironing of shoe laces (really!) to sending laundry to the country house, to the flowers, shrubs and trees used to decorate for massive parties.

I never appreciated how servants and their employers lived so closely together, and could form such relatively intimate attachments, and yet the real star of this book really has to be Nancy Astor. A more selfish, manipulative, arrogant, inconsiderate, spiteful termagant I cannot imagine, and yet, she absolutely intrigues. She held such prim beliefs, was so sheltered from the lives of the masses, of whom she almost appears to hold in contempt, but her convictions included great understanding and compassion. She was an incredibly difficult woman, but probably one you would never forget.

4 stars. I really enjoyed it.

[Susie Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir begins with Rose as one of four children of a Yorkshire stonemason, and his wife who took in laundry. Reading about Rose's day to day life is exhausting. She never seemed to have a moment to call her own, and that would stand her in good stead once she became Lady Astor's maid.

While it was a given that a person of her class would go into service, her dream was to travel. With the guidance of her mother she studied and trained so that she would be suited to the job of lady's maid in a wealthy family.

Once Lady Astor had her in her sights, Rose was destined whether she liked it or not to become her personal maid, a relationship that endured for 35 years and fulfilled her dream to travel all over the world, staying at the greatest houses and hotels and meeting the aristocracy and royalty.

Lady Astor announced early in their relationship that she intended to break Rose's spirit, and she came close to succeeding, until Rose started to fight back which she did with Yorkshire forthrightness.

Entrusted to carry jewellery worth thousands of pounds around in her handbag, expected to be on call at every hour of the day and night, seven days a week, Rose writes with great affection of her employer, of their frequent spats, shared jokes and genuine fondness for each other. Rose's tale moves along at a rapid pace, humorous, opinionated and entertaining.

The book is 350 pages. I read it in two days and thoroughly enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the life of one of the leading society hostesses of the twentieth century, a contradictory woman who was both penny-pinching and generous, spiteful and caring, and the woman who probably knew her better than anybody else.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because like other people, I am a fan of the show "Downton Abbey" ever since this series has come out i noticed so have a lot of books on the subject of in service employees for the big houses. This book was actually written in 1975 and was recently reissued. I am glad it was.Rosina Harrison was employed for over 35 years by the Astors. She was the personal maid to Lady Nancy Astor.She had also worked for two other families prior to working for Lady Astor. I found if very fascinating to get an inside view of what is was like working for a well know family such as the Astors.
Rosina or other wise known as "Rose" was the personal maid to Lady Astor. she took care of her needs whatever they were. She traveled the world with Lady Astor.Staying in the finest hotels.Over the 35 years Rose shares with the readers, meeting some very famous people who were invited to the many parties held by the Astor. Going through the second World War with them. she spent part of the book describing the Astor family,including the husband and children. I think i like best the relationship that Rose described with Lady Astor.Although Rose was "the Maid' and she showed respect to Lady Astor she was no pushover either. She was capable of standing up to Lady Astor when she felt misused. Rose could be pretty outspoken at times. sometimes getting a "shut up Rose" from Lady Astor. I could see that there was a fondness between the two women. Rose was even quick to come to Lady Astors defense at times. I very much enjoyed this book for the most part. Just wish the chapters were not so long. there were no breaking off points in the chapters. Otherwise a good read. If people are interested in reading about what it is like to work in a Big house this if from 1928-1963.it is interesting.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recuerdo cuando la gran novedad televisiva del año pasado fue ver todas las temporadas completas de Downton Abbey, coincidiendo con su temporada final, al mismo tiempo que también leía la historia de Lady Almina y la verdadera Downton Abbey de Fiona Carnarvon. Ver esta serie así como sus libros me abrió los ojos a cómo eran las cosas a principios del siglo XX, el modo de vida de las personas de clase alta y los más humildes, el rol que se esperaba de cada jerarquía y cómo la Primera Guerra Mundial lo cambió todo posteriormente. Hoy en día cuesta imaginarse una casa llena de mayordomos o unos rituales tan concretos en la rutina diaria, pero así era, otros tiempos.

De primeras creí que este libro era una novela ficticia, pero conforme avanzaba descubrí que eran memorias reales, que Rosina Harrison había existido y que efectivamente se había dedicado por años al servicio de Lady Astor, vizcondesa inglesa y la primera mujer que ocupó un puesto en la Cámara del Parlamento Británico, todo un logro por parte suya. Rosina nos habla de su infancia, donde la gran guerra no tuvo gran repercusión donde ella vivía, su rutina familiar, su entrenamiento para ser doncella y su paso por diferentes señoras de sociedad hasta llegar a la familia Astor, donde primero fue doncella de la joven Nancy hasta que finalmente se le asignó el puesto que ocuparía gran parte de su vida con Lady Astor. Rosina es un personaje que me gustó mucho, porque a pesar de estar consciente de que sus opciones para el futuro eran limitadas, sacó el máximo provecho de sus capacidades y no dudó en hacérselas saber a las señoras para las que llegó a trabajar. Sabía que quería viajar y lo logró con creces. Una lección que recomiendo para aquellos que no se atreven a decir lo que quieren en sus trabajos y una lección que aprendí en mi vida laboral. Lo que es también interesante es que Rosina no tiene reparos en sacar los defectos de su señora. Nunca he leído algún libro antes sobre Nancy Astor ni sabía bien cuál fue su rol en la historia británica, pero así como le dedicó una lealtad absoluta reflejada por tantos años de servicio, es por esa misma lealtad que también le criticó su actitud en bastantes ocasiones, donde su carácter, que podía llegar hasta ser infantil y absolutamente egoísta en ciertos momentos, le daba más de un trago amargo al personal de servicio y a su propia familia, especialmente en los primeros años en que Rosina debió atenderla, hasta que aprendió a corregirla cuando era necesario que alguien lo hiciera. A lo largo de la novela se puede apreciar que lo que comenzó siendo una relación de ama y doncella pasa a convertirse en una especie de amistad con ciertas libertades, pero sin romper del todo el esquema que une a estas dos mujeres.
El único pero que podría decir es que está contado de forma desordenada. Cada capítulo tiene como una pequeña introducción de cosas que pasaron y leerlo es como retroceder en el tiempo de la historia, o también que cuando Rosina menciona un pequeño detalle se adentra tanto que a veces se puede perder el hilo. Tampoco puedo juzgarla del todo, ella misma aclara en el principio su inexperiencia en el campo de las letras, y en general, este es un gran testimonio mucho más que cualquier biografía. Es la historia de una mujer que contó su versión de los hechos de las cosas que vio y que escuchó, que vivió de cerca junto a Lady Astor hasta sus últimos momentos. Esta es la historia de Rosina Harrison.


"Mi vida con Lady Astor fue un desafío constante, un conflicto continuo que disfrutamos con intensidad a pesar de que nos hicimos daño en algunas ocasiones. Aunque nos separaban la posición y el dinero teníamos una personalidad similar y puedo decir que entre nosotras existía un profundo respeto".
-Rosina Harrison.

[Jenny GB · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really interesting look into a woman's life as a lady's maid. It's told in a very personal and conversational style as a series of recollections from her years in service. The tidbits are interesting and really kept me reading it quickly to see what would happen next since Lady Astor was quite the character. Rose really has a great attitude about her work and life. It's a joy to read about her and read her arguments with Lady Astor. You feel as if you knew her when you are done.

I'm not sure who edited the edition I was reading, but boy it could sure use a second look. There were a number of blatant spelling errors and other mistakes and I'm not usually one to pick up on all of those things. One other thing that slightly decreased my enjoyment was the odd organizational structure to the book. It jumps from topic to topic rather than a sequential recollection so the chapters occur at all different time periods and even in chapters it's hard to always know exactly what is happening. However, the content here is interesting and worth a read especially if you're a Downtown Abby fan.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my normal read. I bought it among others at a flea market to put in our fishing cabin. Last month I picked it up and started reading it just out of curiousity and ended up reading the whole thing. It is about the personal maid of Mrs. Astor. What a life they lead and what a relationship was forged between these two. It was quite interesting and a slice of life that I am not sure exists any more. Maybe the Royal's still have such huge households of people serving them. I am going to send it to my mother-in-law as I am sure she kept track of Lady Astor through the newspaper in her day. I really enjoyed the book and I think most people would if you like learning about lifestyles of the rich and famous.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Fascinating glimpse of a world gone by, of the very rich, and their many extremes of behavior. Loved reading about Rose and her early life, her family and the support she received from her mother who helped her become a ladies maid. The hierarchy of the servant class placed a ladies maid nearer to the top, but it was still hard work. Lady Astor, who was the first woman elected to parliament was by all accounts very difficult, a difficulty that Rose had to learn to negotiate in order to perform her duties and still retain something of her own characters. This she does to marvelous effect. I think I would have liked to have met this plucky woman. Fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs will enjoy this account.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biggest take-away from this book -- having your own personal ladies maid would be truly AWESOME! Unfortunately, it would seem that I am serving in the capacity of ladies maid to my children with all the picking up and fetching that I do for them.

This account by Lady Astor's maid painted an interesting picture of life in service, as well as an intimate look at the Astor family from her unique perspective. I enjoyed reading and learning more about this period of time in England. I had read Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia several years ago, but it was fun to read about Nancy from her maid's perspective.

[Sarah Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a promo galley of this book from Net Galley. 3.5 Stars.

This book piqued my interest because of my recent obsession with Downton Abbey. It is the memoir of Rose, lady's maid for 35 years to Lady Nancy Astor. This book reads as if you were sitting down for a conversation with Rose - she is frank and open about her opinions and feelings. Because of her honesty, she is able to portray a very realistic image of what life was like for the serving class in the early twentieth century.

Rose had a tumultous relationship with her lady; apparently Lady Astor was a strong willed and sometimes difficult woman, but she met her match with Rose. Rose recounts numerous memories of the Astor family, their social life, her expected job duties, and her travels around the globe for her job. She also describes in detail serving under Lady Astor in the second world war. Like Downton Abbey, Rose's mistress was originally born in America (Danville, Virginia to be exact) and both she and her husband were honorable and kind employers who were conscious of the social obligations that their wealth and status demanded of them. Likewise, Rose herself took her position very seriously - she discusses in detail her fear of losing precious jewelry, and notes with pride that she always had her lady's clothes packed and cleaned perfectly.

I enjoyed the conversational flow of this book and Rose's frank manner. I loved the inside look at Lady Astor, especially having read Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia many years before that gave me a preview of Nancy Astor's upbringing and family background. This book was a wonderful, insightful look at a time gone by, preserved by someone who knew the family quite possibly better than anyone else.

[Maxine · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor" is an interesting read. Not a compelling page-turner, but interesting enough, especially if you like imagining what the "Upstairs" and "Downstairs" environments were really like in an era that has vanished.

As the author points out, not many people have a desire to "go into service" these days. Once upon a time, being in service (as a lady's maid, butler, footman, or even a "lower" servant) was a desirable position. Having secure employment, with room, board, and steady pay was no small thing for most of the first half of the 20th Century.

Rose tells her story with candor and a remarkable talent for detail, shedding much light on the relationships servants shared with the great families they served, and also illustrating the complicated hierarchy among the staff.

While never denying that life in service is hard work, Rose illustrates the true respect and affection shared between families and loyal servants, the wonderful opportunities for travel and the chance to meet the rich and famous enjoyed by some of the luckier ladies' maids, valets and butlers.

The elegant Lady Astor, portrayed as difficult and demanding, but also highly principled, compassionate and courageous, was obviously admired by her loyal maid. The story of their thirty-five year relationship transcends that of employer and servant. Ultimately, it's the story of mutual respect and affection between two strong-willed women whose world few can now imagine.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been enjoying reading the true Downton Abbey stories lately. This was one of the best. The historical time period was very interesting, since you know the names and backgrounds of a number of the tertiary characters.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at what it was like to be lady's maid to Lady Astor. Of course Nancy Astor was not born to the nobility; she was a divorced American who married Waldorf Astor, an American-born peer whose father had bought himself a Viscountcy after moving to England to escape a family feud. So Rose's experience was probably untypical; I don't believe, for example, that Lady Astor's constant refrain of "shut up, Rose" was the way most English ladies spoke to their lady's maid.

In some ways Harrison's account of her childhood and how/why she became a lady's maid was the most interesting part of the book for me. Coming from a poor family, going out to work at a very early age was a necessity but Rose showed sufficient promise that her family kept her on at school till sixteen (very late for her class; my own mother was called "The Duchess" by her family for staying on till fourteen) and ensured that she learned dressmaking and French so that she would have a chance of becoming an upper servant. Rose was motivated, because from an early age she wanted to travel; becoming a lady's maid and remaining unmarried was how she could achieve her aim, and she clearly never regretted her choice.

Rose started out as a junior lady's maid to Lady Astor's daughter, but Lady Astor soon poached her for herself and there she stayed until her mistress died. She saw the huge changes that the two world wars made in the lives of the aristocracy and followed Lady Astor into the gradual reduction in her circumstances that came about with widowhood and age. Despite practically never getting a pay raise she managed to save enough to buy her widowed mother a home, which became her own investment for her old age--and Lady Astor really respected her for looking after her mother, one of the more touching moments in the book.

Obviously this is a memoir by someone not born to be a writer, so it's not the best story out there. But I found it an interesting resource for anyone interested in the real lives of servants.

[Carol R Reiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose: My Life in Service
by Rosina Harrison

With the tremendous curiosity that the hugely popular Downton Abbey has generated about the British class system when every "Lady" had her personal maid and every" Gentleman" his personal gentleman or valet, this memoir originally written in 1975 was re-issued in 2011.

Rosina Harrison was born in a small Yorkshire village near Ripon in 1899 to a proud but poor hard working family. As a small girl she was put to task which would prepare her for the only possible life a child of such circumstance would have--as a servant in a great house.

Rosina was a step ahead of her siblings. She showed a tremendous interest in personal advancement with her greatest desire was to see the world. Her parents recognized this and scrimped and saved so that she could take French lessons and study fine dressmaking . These skills would qualify her for the enviable position of lady's maid. Today such a job would be more of a personal assistant to a celebrity or important figure.

By 1929, after several jobs with society figures, Rosina found herself in the employ of Nancy Langhorne Shaw Astor. Lady Astor was an American expatriate from Virginia married to one of the grandsons of John Jacob Astor who sought to bring his progeny up as English gentry. This expatriate family of great wealth was at the epitome of their social class, English high society, during the first half of the twentieth century,.

OK, so what is so interesting about this book: Nancy Lady Astor was a petulant little tyrant whom the unsuspecting Rose had to match wits with for the next thirty-five years to keep her sanity and her "enviable " position. Despite the fact that Lady Astor was a miserable self-absorbed childish prig, Rose valued her meagerly paid job for the great perks: world travel, an exposure to the finest finery and proximity to the world beaters, in royalty, politics, the arts, and society. Rose became a peer by proximity the invisible servant, a fly on the wall who breathed the same air as the rarified folks. This was epitomized to perfection in the great film interpretation of Remains of the Day.

Lady Astor died in 1964 at her daughter's stately home. On that very day Rose left with her ladyship's dog Madam slipping out door of the grand house.

The book is interesting in the details of Rose's early life and her later struggles to hold her own with that bitch.

"I'm a Virginian, we shoot to kill," said Nancy in defense of one of her rude remarks on hearing of the death of an adversary.

But, the book rambles. It is not really written in any chronological order.

It is worth skimming. Read the beginning and the end, peruse the rest. If you want to get a clear and concise picture of life with Nancy read Wikipedia it covers it.

Nancy was an anti-Catholic, Jew hater who thought that slavery did a service for the Africans; it brought them Christianity. She was a close confident of that other noble American of impeccable character, Joseph P. Kennedy ( a Catholic!). Together they shared the thought that Hitler was good for the world. He would solve the pesky Jew problem and get rid of communism.

"Shut up, Rose" is what Lady Astor would tell Rose when Rose had the temerity to speak her mind. "Ordinary people say please and thank you. Common people respect their fellow man, as a "lady" your ladyship should set a better example for we "lesser" folk.

"Promise me Rose, you will never leave me." . . .

Methinks Julian Fellowes read this book before penning some of Downton Abbey.

"I'm an American, have gun will travel" Cora to Robert upon hearing that he has lost her entire fortune. This made no sense in the context, but the king, ehr Lord Fellowes, can do no wrong say the television viewing public . . .

CRR

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publisher's synopsis:
In 1928, Rosina Harrison arrived at the illustrious household of the Astor family to take up her new position as personal maid to the infamously temperamental Lady Nancy Astor, who sat in Parliament, entertained royalty, and traveled the world. "She's not a lady as you would understand a lady" was the butler's ominous warning. But what no one expected was that the iron-willed Lady Astor was about to meet her match in the no-nonsense, whip-smart girl from the country.
For 35 years, from the parties thrown for royalty and trips across the globe, to the air raids during WWII, Rose was by Lady Astor's side and behind the scenes, keeping everything running smoothly. In charge of everything from the clothes and furs to the baggage to the priceless diamond "sparklers," Rose was closer to Lady Astor than anyone else. In her decades of service she received one £5 raise, but she traveled the world in style and retired with a lifetime's worth of stories. Like Gosford Park and Downton Abbey, ROSE is a captivating insight into the great wealth 'upstairs' and the endless work 'downstairs', but it is also the story of an unlikely decades-long friendship that grew between Her Ladyship and her spirited Yorkshire maid.

My thoughts:


Rosina Harrison's 1976 memoir was re-issued in December of 2011, right in the middle of the frenzy surrounding our fascination with the BBC's mega-hit series Downton Abbey! Being a fan not only of Downton Abbey, but also Gosford Park and Remains of the Day, I wasted no time in requesting this e-galley through NetGalley!

I was prepared to like this book and the author did not let me down! I did keep reminding myself that Ms. Harrison published her memoirs thirty six years ago, she wrote of experiences and memories dating back over ninety years ago. I add that, because I consider this to be a bit of a time warp-ish education in the way people spoke and in the way things really were back then. A couple of words threw me a bit and I found myself on the search engines, learning new "old" terms. What I also was amazed at was the real physicality of house work done back then. And I gripe about having to rinse the dishes before I load the dishwasher. The kitchen staff scrubbed with products that made their hands bleed. Being a fan of period British books and movies, I was still astounded by how many people those big estates employed! The series 1900 House, a few years ago, illustrated just how far we've come!

Rose tells things the way they were, in her own words, she doesn't "white wash" Lady Astor or her life with any of her other employers. Rose had a clear and precise picture of people as they were. As she was in service as a lady's maid, she saw the good, the bad and the ugly. I thought Rose was a great observer, and people who are great observers, in my opinion, are excellent writers. They don't embellish. They report. And that's what Harrison did. She reported in great detail, always being careful to respect her employers, their guests and the people she worked along side.

I really enjoyed this book, it's a slice of a life lived a long time ago. It's well written, entertaining and it kept my interest. Almost too much, I never wanted to put it down. Harrison's My Life In Service to Lady Astor, thirty six years later, is still worth a read, it's the story of a life well told and well structured. It's a look into a time gone by, and shouldn't be missed. What a great lesson in life and history!

I really recommend My Life In Service to Lady Astor! Brava Rose Harrison!

I give it 4 out of 5 stars!!

** This book was provided to me by the publishers through NetGalley, and in no way affected my review.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the foreward of this memoir, author Rosina "Rose" Harrison professes that her story is a simple, perhaps uneven retelling of events as she saw them during her many years of service to Nancy, Lady Astor. She humbly warns that she "does not have the words or education" of those other observers to have written about Mrs. Astor. I must say that in finishing this keen insider story, Rose has words and education aplenty. She probably provides one of the most honest views of this American-gone-British icon available.

Lovers of the "Upstairs, Downstairs" or "Downton Abbey" series will devour Rose's telling of her life in service as a lady's maid to the infamous Nancy Astor. Her point of view is especially entertaining coming from an English working class view over the pair of American Astors. Subtle differences in how a proper household was run within layers of subculture provide a lively backdrop to what is essentially a lovely, loyal and honest recount of Rose's relationship with the notorious Mrs. Astor.

Written in originally in 1975, this story is as alive and compelling today as it must have been then. Rose had honestly told of life as she found it, felt it, and lived it - and in the course also described in photographic detail the character of her employer and "the tribe" of Astors. From her humble beginnings, her journey into another world of priviledge and wealth does not change her as one might expect. To the contrary, her very conscience and humanitarian nature steadied Rose, likely setting an example and softening the force of nature that Lady Nancy Astor indeed must have been. In a period of time that changed dramatically over two world wars and beyond, Rosina Harrison rode the wave of domestic service to its fullest, and was true to herself along the way.

[Emily Organ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book in the shop at Cliveden which once belonged to the Astors. It describes a lifestyle which existed for many years in England and is now defunct (probably a good thing). What's interesting about this book is the complicated relationship between Rose the maid and Lady Astor. Although Rose had a lot of respect for her, Lady Astor clearly irritated and frustrated her in many ways. Lady Astor doesn't come across as very likeable however I suspect she was fairly typical for a woman of her era and background. The extravagance and wealth of the Astor household is quite staggering and this book provides a fascinating insight into how an aristocratic family lived before WWII scaled down this way of living. I like the story of how Rose entered this lifestyle having been from a very humble Yorkshire family. So much more could be made of this book. It's not particularly well structured, it's repetitive and contradictory in some parts. There are also quite a number of typos. The book could have done with a much better edit. And what it's really missing are photos. I wouldn't expect a lady's maid in the early twentieth century to be snapping away, but this book really could have included some photos of the Astor family and their homes. Some historical context in the form of a foreword would help lots too. This book is a nice easy read and it's interesting. However Rose's memoir could be presented in a more fascinating way.

[Anne Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audible version of this book. Sometimes an audible makes all the difference, and I don't know if I would have been able to get through it without the entertaining narration that so perfectly captured the voice of a loyal, quirky servant from Yorkshire and her uppity employer, Lady Astor. It is rife with details of aristocratic life in a bygone era; a time that seems so far removed from 2018. Hard to believe that Lady Astor and her crowd had the means or wherewithal to constantly entertain such large groups of famous and not so famous people in their stately mansions- paying attention to every last detail concerning silverware, flowers, food and wine. It was like every night involved putting on a posh wedding reception that most of us would need a year to plan. The reader is also struck by the frivolity of it all: dancing, dining, gossiping... changing in and out of five different outfits everyday and making sure that your maid perfectly pressed each one. No doubt, the writers of Downton Abbey plowed through this book and used the information when writing the Downton scripts. Rosina also nicely depicts the chasm between employers and employees. While servants are in the basement scrubbing pots with bleach until their skin turns blistered and raw, the guests are upstairs having the time of their lives and feeling fully entitled to their privilege and wealth.

[Lisa G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book and it was a fast easy read. I enjoyed her narrative very much and she is quite good at painting an easily imagine visual w her descriptions.
My only issue with the book was that she lost me with all the names of "who this and who that". Who was at what party, who knew who etc. etc.
I felt many times like I was in someone's living room watching a slide show of their vacation. While I can appreciate the beauty of the of what they saw and experienced I cannot fully absorb all the details as I wasn't there.
That was how I felt many times in the book. I felt she could have dispensed with some of the name dropping and who knew who and concentrated more on the nuances of her job and other historical information.

Lastly, I wondered why she had to apologize so many times for her feelings about Lady Astor's behavior towards her and her (obviously bullying) tendencies. I understand the need to be polite but then why bring them up. I felt that she was constantly justifying her behavior. Different times, different ways..I understand but for me, her constant need to apologize was annoying. Call it what is was and move forward.

Anyhow...that is just my humble opinion. It was a great memoir. She was a fabulous gal, Rosie was. Certainly made of tougher stock then I am!! I am glad to got to know her :)

[Gigi Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a memoir by Rosina (Rose) Harrison, it is a behind the scenes look at the life of Rose as she ministered to Lady Nancy Astor. Not knowing much about Lady Nancy Astor I googled her and read more about her history. She was one of the leading ladies of the early 1900s.

I found this book and interesting book about Rose a lady's maid for 35 years to Lady Astor. I think I especially found it interesting because of my interest in the TV show, "Downton Abbey."

Rose recalls many memories of the Astor family, day-to-day life with them, and her life's wish to travel and see the world. This wish was fulfilled after she bacame the lady's maid to Lady Astor. This was a delightful look back to times almost a hundred years ago.

I found this a fascinating read and since as I said I like "Downton Abbey" this became a must read on my list of books to read this year. I can even feel some of the storyline of Downton Abbey in this book. If you are a "Downton Abbey" fan I think you will probably enjoy reading this book. I found this book both interesting and educational. I enjoyed this book so much I awarded it 4****

This book is part of my Nook Library.

[Jon Blanchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is said you can always tell a Yorkshire man but you can’t tell him much, and the same clearly goes for Yorkshire women, to judge by Rosina Harrison’s account of her life as Lady Astor’s maid. In her forward she says that although there have been many assessments of Lady Astor, her account will be different. “To begin with”, she says “I haven’t the same use of words that they have, nor have I their education, so I have kept away from the parts of Lady Astor’s life that I was not able to understand and have written about those I could.” That’s telling us.

Rosina seems to have been the only person who could cope with the imperious Lady Astor. I find it fascinating that while Rose clearly admires her mistress, her rounded portrait of her shows her in a very critical light.

For devotees of upstairs/downstairs gossip this is unputdownable.

It also brings up something that feminists avoid – that politically powerful women, at least in the UK, have as often been on the right as the left.

[Dawn Livingston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting to learn about the upstairs people and the downstairs servants but the detail tended to be such that it was a bit tedious at times and I ended up skimming and skipping ahead. I couldn't keep track of who was who and had what residence and when they used it and how many servants it had and what their titles were, etc.

I read far enough to learn that Nancy Astor was a difficult but fascinating woman. Her name brings to mind the famous quotes from her and Winston Churchill They apparently did not like each other at all.

Lady Nancy Astor: Winston, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea.
Churchill: Nancy, if I were your husband, I'd drink it.

An indication of her temperament?

It's certainly an interesting glimpse into servitude (not slavery) and Mary Astor. It will likely be of most interest to those that like Upstairs, Downstairs or Downton Abbey but I preferred the book Not In Front of the Servants.

Worth reading but whether it's worth owning, that's up to you. Depends on how much you like the topic.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose Harrison was a ladies maid to the rich and famous. She wrote the story of her life, most of which is about her service to Nancy Astor. Her writing style is personal and straight forward and she strings together a series of anecdotes mostly in chronological order but sometimes around a theme.

It is an intriguing book but I wish Rose had used a ghost writer as the stories are good but there is never enough meat in them. Nancy Astor was a fascinating character (she seems to have had a personality somewhat like Steve Jobs)and I would have loved to have heard more about her relationships with Churchill and Bernard Shaw or the Profuma scandal which took place at Clivden, her country home, and involved her son Billy. Alas, Rose is all too discreet, great for a ladies maid but not so good for an author.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have this friend who I lent the Downton Abbey DVDs to.

She has since purchased many books based on: Downton Abbey.

I have four of them sitting at my house right now.

Some of them I couldn't even get through the first paragraph.

Painful.

This was the least daunting.

It did have some parallels to Downton Abbey: the home being used during WWII, the flower show, class systems, etc.

But.

It wasn't at all like a soap opera.

Which, let's face it, is kind of one of the reasons it's so popular and I'm counting down the days till it comes back on.

I did like how it was told by the actual maid of thirty years, in her own words, for her own purposes.

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as I love the time period. After visiting Rhode Island and seeing the Beechwood Mansion of the Astor's, I wanted to know more about this family. I have also read the book written by Margaret Powell titled "Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey" which I did not enjoy as much. So when I found this book I was timid. However the information in the book as seen through the eyes of Rose who was for35 years a Lady's maid to Lady Nancy Astor. What i enjoyed was the honesty of the book, the stories of the people she worked with. I

[David Szatkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a "biography" in the traditional sense. Rather, the author tells her experience of being a lady's maid to Lady Astor. I would suggest that knowing and enjoying history is more than knowing facts, dates, and even 'biographies.' History is coming to know about people, events, times, and the many influences that helped to shape them. Often, we do not hear the voices of the people behind the people. This book is an exception. Here we hear (I listened to this book as an audio CD) the perspective of a maid, and what her experience of her employer was like. Fun, charming, no doubt less that a perfect historical book, but a necessary balance to being overly academic as well.