Servants' Hall: A Real Life Upstairs, Downstairs Romance

by Margaret Powell

Margaret Powell's Below Stairs, a servant's firsthand account of life in the great houses of England, became a sensation among readers reveling in the luxury and subtle class warfare of Masterpiece Theatre's hit television series Downton Abbey. In Servants' Hall, another true slice of life from a time when armies of servants lived below stairs simply to support the lives of those above, Powell tells the true story of Rose, the under-parlourmaid to the Wardham Family at Redlands, who took a shocking step: She eloped with the family's only son, Mr. Gerald.

Going from rags to riches, Rose finds herself caught up in a maelstrom of gossip, incredulity and envy among her fellow servants. The reaction from upstairs was no better: Mr. Wardham, the master of the house, disdained the match so completely that he refused ever to have contact with the young couple again. Gerald and Rose marry, leave Redlands and Powell looks on with envy, even as the marriage hits on bumpy times: "To us in the servants' hall, it was just like a fairy tale . . . How I wished I was in her shoes."

Once again bringing that lost world to life, Margaret Powell trains her pen and her gimlet eye on her "betters" in this next chapter from a life spent in service. Servants' Hall is Margaret Powell at her best—a warm, funny and sometimes hilarious memoir of life at a time when wealthy families like ruled England.

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

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Margaret Powell (1907 – 1984) was an English writer. Her book about her experiences in domestic service, Below Stairs, became a best-seller and she went on to write other books and became a television personality. Below Stairs was an impetus for Upstairs, Downstairs and the basis of Beryl's Lot, and is one of the inspirations of Downton Abbey.

Reviews

[Karen Hogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A servants recollections of working for the wealthy landowners in England. Like a written version of "Downtown Abbey".

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margaret Powell relates more incidents from her time in service. When the son of one of her employers runs off with a maid it causes a big to-do both upstairs and down. The master and upper servants are furious at this breaching of class distinctions while Margaret and the younger servants think it's a fairy take come true. Margaret would have jumped at the chance to become a real lady but Rose stubbornly clings to her working class roots, parroting her mother's evangelical religious beliefs and her father's hatred of the ruling class. Margaret and another friend from service, Mary, continue to visit Rose and try to remain friends through the turbulent marriage though never fully feeling comfortable with the situation. Meanwhile Margaret and Mary go out in search of their princes. They kiss a lot of men who turn out to be frogs rather than princes but it doesn't stop them from hoping. Margaret sees service as a means to an end rather than a permanent situation.

I found this memoir more engaging than the first one because it had a central plot rather than a disjointed set of remembrances. I especially liked the upstairs/downstairs conflicts and learning about how people viewed those distinctions and the possibility of moving up in the world. Rose's story is heartbreaking and anything but a fairy tale. I felt sorry for her and I also had sympathy for her husband because Rose was just SO annoyingly stubborn.

For those who like Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs and wonder what life in service was really like, this book is for you. It's not necessary to have read any of Margaret Powell's other books to enjoy this one.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. I haven't read her earlier memoir, Below Stairs, yet... and after reading this I'd still like to do so. So that says something.

I didn't love the author all the time; however, her voice and the fairly reasonable way she looked at situations kept me interested. It made me feel like Downton Abbey is doing a pretty good job showing the life of domestic servants in the '20s, including the squabbles over hierarchy and personal dignity (they are doing this particularly well with Mr. Molesley) and the attempt to have something of a life in a job where you only get one full day off a month.

The central thread of this memoir centers on the story of Rose, a parlourmaid who achieves the ultimate dream (or commits the ultimate sin) of capturing the attention of the son of the household - and he doesn't want to just have his way with her, he wants to MARRY her! Predictably, it is not a smooth road. The book shows the difficulties faced by the couple from all sides, and frankly, I think the author is about as sympathetic as I would have been.

Overall, it's a quick, interesting read.

[Cindy Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dry & not much of a story - moral is don't marry above your station. Only reason this came out was popularity of Downton Abbey.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book is A Real Life Upstairs, Downstairs Romance it is rather misleading. The story is told by Margaret, the kitchen maid who becomes a cook. The story is mainly about her, Margaret with the story about Rose, the under maid being rather a sub plot.

The book was OK, my copy was 183 pages long, but the story could have been told in probably 80 pages. And I mean the whole story, not just the part of the story that deals with Rose. Margaret only works at the home with Rose for about 4 months, but as they become friends she occasionally visits Rose and hears updates of her new life above stairs. Margaret moves from house to house as a kitchen maid and then as a cook. Sometimes she works for kind people, sometimes not. Sometimes she likes her co-workers, sometimes not. Not a lot of variety in the subject. And several times we read what she prepared for meals. I think a lot of this was just to fill space as this is really a short story. I became bored with the repetitiveness after about half way through. Another technique I believed was used to lengthen the story was repeat phrases, like my friend Mary came to visit, or my friend Mary met me at..., or my friend Mary said. I know Mary is your friend already!

Margaret is also well read and the author throws in random quotes from books without necessarily referencing the book. Most, if not all, the quotes meanings were lost on me. Sorry, I guess I am not as well read as Margaret. But I found it annoying to read some quote that didn't mean anything to me and was typically in prose or old English, and believe me it happens often. Also, Odette, a French maid in one house keeps talking in French. Fair enough I guess, but as I don't understand French, again lost on me. Sometimes the author did translate what Odette had to say, but now I get to read it twice, once time that I didn’t understand but struggled to as I didn't know for sure if the author would translate and then again sometimes in English. Again I wonder if this was done to lengthen the story??

Anyway, although the story was cute I would not recommend the book. In my opinion keep searching until you find something better on which to spend your money.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of the TV show "Downton Abbey" so very interested in reading books from authors who actually worked downstairs for the big houses.Margaret Powell has written several books about the years she worked as a kitchen girl and then worked up to cook. this book she is an assistant cook in a big house in the 1920s. she writes some of the families she has worked for but mainly about herself and the staff she works with.
This book focuses on herself, and a couple of the staff members. one in particular is "Rose" a beautiful kitchen girl who catches the interest of the son "upstairs" of the family that lives there. an upstairs wealthy family member who takes an interest in "the help" is unheard of and not usually accepted.Gerald the rich son and Rose start up a relationship and marry. Gerald's father never accepts the marriage and neither does Rose's dad who hates and resents the well to do. A part of this book has Margaret and another staff member Mary who visits Rose over the years and witnesses how the life is for Rose and her wealthy husband. Rose has a baby girl with Gerald.and soon the marriage goes downhill. this is an interesting book. Margaret Powell does a fine job describing inservice work during the 1920s.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was similar in nature to the TV show/series Downton Abbey which I thoroughly enjoy. However, this book wasn't as enjoyable and was more like a Diary of the author's time while in "service". It was all about how she moved around in "service", what the personalities of the other's "downstairs" were like and how the female servants tried to get out of service by getting married in various ways. I guess I just would rather have a well written story than a biography which is more like a diary.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Downton Abby, this book is for you. The author tells the story of her early life working as a domestic servant in England, before WWII. This is her second book on the subject, and they are both very good. I really enjoy learning history this way, through true, interesting stories by the ones who lived it.

[Lois · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring 🤷🏾‍♀️
I could do without the suggestions about Black folks full stop.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Downton Abbey, you will enjoy Margaret Powell’s memoir, Servant’s Hall. During the early part of last century, Margaret worked as a cook in several estates in England. She started as a kitchen maid and worked her way up to cook. Servant’s Hall focuses on the romance of a co-worker, Rose, with a wealthy family’s only son, Gerald. I think what surprised me the most is how upset all the servants and Rose’s family were. It was a giant step up for Rose, but her family and friends were dead set against the match. Gerald’s father kicked him out of the house, but his mother continued to help and support him. In between the story of Rose & Gerald, Margaret tells of her life as a cook. She changes jobs fairly often when she is unhappy with her working conditions. And she continues to hope that she will meet a man and marry and be able to quit working. I wish Margaret Powell had written more than two books. Both Below Stairs and Servant’s Hall were excellent memoirs of what it was like to work in service in the early 1900’s.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read. It definitely lent some perspective to both Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs, which I enjoyed. Considering the author (a cook in London the 20s and 30s) is not a professional writer, the book was pretty readable and kept a more or less clear storyline.
The "romance" at the center of the story was both interesting and sad, but the story bounces between that (a former co-worker of hers that married the son of the master employing them) and various anecdotes from her later positions. All of it was interesting, especially (as I mentioned) after watching shows set in the same time period and with the same subject matter.
I recommend it for a quick, easy read.

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book is like gossiping with a friend-it waivers between interesting and tiring. I really did enjoy reading about details of day to day life of servants, but toward the end of the book it began to get repetitive and boring. The author is pretty funny and she addresses subjects like sex and having babies with candor you don't expect from a person of her generation. Overall, it's an easy and fun book to read, especially if you like time period pieces.

[Vicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into reading this! I really enjoyed Maragret's first novel, but this one just fell flat. It's a small book but it got so boring that I couldn't even finish it. Maybe it's the because the story this time was about an under parlour maid instead of Margaret herself, but I felt utterly disconnected from the characters. They didn't feel very alive on the page, and I just wasn't invested in Rose's story enough to finish this already slim novel. The time I can use tackling my October to-be-read (TBR) pile is too precious to waste!

[Ingrid Holzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this book 3.5 stars, but that’s not an option. I read Margaret Powell’s bestseller, Below Stairs, and loved it. Her style of writing was refreshing and I could envision life of domestic service through her words. I was looking forward to this next book, but it fell short for me, particularly at the end. Margaret Powell spent so much time on the relationships of others yet failed to really tell her readers much about how she met her husband. Essentially it went from one page where she was single and the next she was engaged and married. This story wasn’t as engaging for me, but it still provided insight into a world unknown to most.

[Ashley Field · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel in the minority in preferring Below Stairs to Servants' Hall. I'd say only half of the book is truly about the romance, if that. And half of what remains is what I already know from the previous book. Still, she has an enjoyable prose and lovely sense of humor, even if she's a bit "back in my day" about life (your rose-tinted glasses look lovely dear). I mostly enjoy these for the glimpses at life during a different time.

She really hits you in those last couple paragraphs, though. I wish I knew more about that!

[Cindy DavisClark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as a gift several years ago, just got to readings this. The true story of a servant in a British home. She tells about her life up until her marriage. She also tells the story of a servant that married the son of the home owner and how that worked out. Interesting as it did not romanticize being a servant the way some fictional works have written.

[Holly Hartzell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Great descriptions about life as a servant. She kept alluding to her getting married and I kept waiting for the story to weave in as she talked of several beau’s. In the end, she never shared much about her actual falling in love. But still enjoyed it.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable memoir by Margaret Powell. This book is the second in her two book series of life as a servant in London that inspired the series Upstairs Downstairs.

[J.S. Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4. +
Wry humor, solid prose, and great flair, from a woman who was self-taught in all things. This title and her memoir are little gems of early 20th century domestic life, giving more insight into the Downton Abbey era.

[Lesa Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked Downton Abbey you will like this book. A real life upstairs, downstairs romance.

[Trish Lagenour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Details about a lifestyle that no longer exists. Found it very interesting.

[Sonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining memoir of life as a cook for a British upper class family.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 1979, billed as the inspiration for Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs, author Margaret Powell gives a glimpse of the downstairs servants from her perspective as a cook to English society during the 1920's. She also provides tidbits of the marriage of a coworker maid to an upstairs 'gentleman.'

Servants' Hall, was somewhat informative and somewhat interesting, but fairly repetitive and narrow in scope, so pretty much a sleeper. That being said, I did find it much more interesting than Julian Flowers' Belgravia.

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Margaret Powell’s second memoir. Her first, titled “Below Stairs” described her life as a young girl who left school when she was thirteen to take up a job as a kitchen maid in domestic service. This book, first published in 1979 and again in 2013 continues her story. The second publishing was a result of the renewed interest in life in the great houses that existed around the Edwardian period in British history.

Margaret continues to share events in her life, describing several different work experiences until she eventually left domestic service to marry and have three children. This is a true story, although Powell has changed some of the names and places, mindful of protecting the identity of both those she worked with and those who employed her.

Powell is a smart woman and unlike many of her contemporaries is well read. She is also hard working and determined to make a good life for herself, never inclined to self-pity or complaining about her lot in life. Instead, she watches the people and the world around her, making insightful observations about their behavior and noticing how much the world is changing with every passing year.

Although this book has been marketed as the story of Rose, an underparlour maid at the Wardham’s Estate, who married the wealthy family’s only son Gerald, this volume is actually much more. That romance serves as a continuous thread through Powell’s narrative, but the book’s main focus is Margaret and her life and experience as a cook in the various homes in which she worked.

At the age of eighteen after working several years as a kitchen maid, Margaret decided it was time to take on the role of a full-fledged cook. Her search took her to a temporary job at Redlands with the Wardhams, where she met Rose and another girl Mary, who became a close friend.

The Wardham’s son Gerald had recently returned home from Rhodesia where he had failed at a farming enterprise funded by his father. He soon noticed Rose, the parlourmaid whose beauty attracted every man’s attention. He stopped in a few times “below stairs” to catch sight of her, times viewed with great disdain by the staff. The space “below stairs” was considered their turf and except for the morning meeting of the cook and the mistress to plan meals, it was considered off limits to the family.

Gerald and Rose carried on a secret romance and when it started, so did the gossip. He asked her to marry him and one night they eloped, an event that shocked everyone. Both those above stairs and below, knew the marriage would not go well. Although the staff had enjoyed the idea of a fairy tale romance, they also knew that such a union would be headed for trouble, the gardener even voicing the opinion that Gerald would soon get bored spending his life gazing at a pretty face. Margaret and some of the more experienced women pointed out all the potential hazards of Rose’s life ahead but Rose paid little attention and Margaret came to believe that Rose was not really in love, just dazzled by the prospect of living a life of affluence and becoming “one of them”. However, when the couple suddenly disappeared one night, the deed was done.

Rose was beautiful, but simple minded and naïve. She came from the poor streets of Manchester and had no idea of the life she was taking on. Nor did Gerald, who was so taken in by her beauty, he ignored the reality that his new wife was an uneducated woman who knew nothing about the arts, business or politics, could not speak well or carry on a conversation at the dinner table with his friends. She had no idea how to manage a home or direct the servants and could never be a part of the world he knew and had lived in his entire life.

The Wardhams came from an historic lineage and had always married within their blue-blooded class. When Gerald’s father learned of the marriage, he was so angry at his son’s choice of a wife, he refused to speak to either of them and the couple were forced to leave the house. Rose’s family also did not support the marriage. Her father had worked at the mill since he was ten years old, was a fervent labour man and would have nothing to do with the idle rich who “lived off the blood and sweat of the poor”. Rose’s mother was equally shocked and called Gerald not one of “their kind of people”. Mrs. Wardham remained kind to both Rose and Gerald, giving them a house to live in as a wedding gift and later a nursery when their first child was born. She doted over her granddaughter Victoria Helen, a child Mr. Wardham refused to see or acknowledge.

Rose was outwardly transformed in her new life, with silk dresses, diamond rings, pearl necklaces and an elaborately waved hairstyle. But she hated her big house and was full of complaints about how Gerald wanted to change her. She complained about the more intimate aspects of marriage which she loathed, establishing a separate bedroom for herself. Rose believed she was the person Gerald married and he had no right to demand she change, remaining stubborn, narrow minded and determined not to be different from her parents and relatives.

The marriage faltered when Rose refused to try to improve herself by furthering her education, improving her speech or learning anything about the new world she was suddenly a part of. Margaret felt Gerald was justified in his complaints. He was giving her a lovely home, beautiful clothes and someone to do the housework and had the right to expect something in return.

As time passed, Rose continued to hover from being the girl she grew up as in the slums of Manchester and becoming one of the upper class . Margaret found Rose becoming less and less interested in her and their friend Mary, their personal lives, their hunt for boyfriends or their lives below stairs. She only wanted their company so she would have someone to listen to her complaints. Margaret became frustrated with Roses’ inability to see that a pretty face was not enough for a lasting successful marriage, angry at Rose for simply refusing to try to make the union work.

Powell’s story includes details of what life was like for domestic servants, with the strict in-house hierarchy ruled by the butler, the huge meals that had to be prepared and the different personalities of her employers, not all of whom were kind. She comments on the personalities, work ethics and lives of the people around her, read every book she could get her hands on and like many of the girls she worked with, tried to find a marriage partner. She had very definite ideas of who she was looking for, not a man with money, but someone who saw marriage as an equal partnership between two people, one in which she could maintain her freedom.

Readers come to admire Margaret’s determination, grit and wry sense of humour. She enjoys plays, films and museums and speaks with a good vocabulary, always ready with a quick retort, but wise enough to know she must keep some things to herself. She can quote from Longfellow and shares with her shocked Dutch mistress that she has read Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”, Dostoyevsky’s “The Possessed” and a volume of short stories by Anton Chekhov. She had little patience for Rose’s many complaints about her marriage and felt if she had the same opportunity, she would have approached it very differently and made a successful go of it.

This short volume is filled with many small, easy to read chapters. It has been credited for generating the popular British TV series “Upstairs, Downstairs” in the seventies and more recently Julian Fellows praised it for inspiring his popular TV series “Downton Abbey”.

Apart from the abrupt ending, it was a fun, entertaining and enjoyable read.

[Dawn Livingston · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book because based on the summary it sounded like a romance novel, but it's not, it's non fiction, stories bases on someone actual experiences. So that was a let down from the start. Then the real issue is that the summary talks about a maid named Rose that marries the son (Gerald) of her wealthy employers. Of course I thought that was the focus of the story, but it wasn't. The main character is actually a servant named Margaret, she's the one that tells the story, it's her point of view. Rose is just one of the characters of the book.

So... the reader is led to believe the main character is Rose, when it's actually Margaret. Margaret's efforts to find a husband are part of the content yet she glosses it over when it does happen. At the end of the book the author just summarizes what happens in the end to whom, and what happens in her own life and it makes for a sudden, hurried and unfulfilling ending.

[Kelsey Dangelo-Worth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book on a trip to the Newport mansions, and as I’m fascinated by the Gilded Age (and a fan of Downton Abbey), I couldn’t put it down. The memoirs of a domestic servant in the period between the wars in England, mostly featuring the story of a fellow kitchen maid who married “above stairs”, the son of the “Sir and Madam”, as well as her own journey towards matrimony and the escape from service. Powell’s voice is lively, engaging, feisty, and incredibly intelligent and perceptive. A wonderful book that portrays a fascinating time period and perspective, a truly thoughtful and thought-provoking memoir concerning class and service. Grade: A

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was disappointing. I thought from the title that it would be a happy story of a lucky servant girl who has a fairy tale romance with someone from "above stairs." Instead, it was merely an opinionated, self absorbed story of the author's own quest for men while bragging about great she is as a cook. She also manages to complain how her friend couldn't make a go of her romance, but she could have done a much better job with fitting in. I felt sorry for Rose, all the while feeling no such pity for Margaret, the author. I found this book difficult to get through, definitely not a good read.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written, funny book, but not much in the way of plot. The storyline is a bit plodding, but an interesting contrast with 'Longbourne' to see the ways in which servant life changed in the ~200 years that separate the books, but almost no difference in distance or place. I'd like to read her first books, as I suspect that it's better.

Oh, the payoff of her marriage at the end of the book was particularly poor. She spends most of the book lamenting the difficulty of finding a husband and then when she does there's no story behind it at all. That was disappointing.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the blurb about this book, one would think it was the story of Rose's life, first as a maid and then her "move upstairs" when she married the son of the house. But that's very misleading. In reality it's the story of another "downstairs" person who tells the reader a very little of Rose's story while she telling you about herself and another friend. I found the story to be a bit dry and it wasn't what I expected it to be at all.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who enjoys Downton Abbey, I was drawn to this book about life "downstairs" where the servants work and live. Margaret Powell provides us a first-hand account of what it was like to work for the wealthy families who ruled England. Her style is witty, detailed, and poignant. A good glimpse into careers and lifestyles of both England's servers and the served.