Servants' Stories: Life Below Stairs In Their Own Words, 1800–1950

by Michelle Higgs

Step into the world of domestic service and discover what life was really like for these unsung heroines (and heroes) of society. Between 1800 and 1950, the role of servants changed dramatically but they remained the people without whom the upper and middle classes could not function. Through oral histories, diaries, newspaper reports and never before seen testimonies, domestic servants tell their stories, warts and all - Downton it isn't! * Revenge on a mistress with a box of beetles * The despair and loneliness of a 14 year old maid * The adventure of moving to London to go into service * An escape from an unhappy home life Find out about the 'servant problem' and how servants found work; how National Insurance began to improve their lot; the impact WW1 had on domestic service; and what was done to try to make the occupation appealing to a new generation. Praise for Michelle Higgs 'A delightful layman's guide for tourists from 2014, where you'll glean plenty of juicy detail to paint a more accurate picture of your ancestors' lives.' Family Tree (for A Visitor's Guide to Victorian England) 'An enjoyable and well-written social history, helpfully revealing more about what life would have been like 'below stairs'. Who Do You Think You Are? (for Tracing Your Servant Ancestors) 'Daily life is recounted with both historical detail and sympathy, aided by numerous first-person accounts.' Your Family Tree (for Life in the Victorian and Edwardian Workhouse) 'A lively text which should do much to open up the world of the Victorian prison to the general reader.' Who Do You Think You Are? (for Prison Life in Victorian England)

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2015

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but repetitive.

[Sue Wilkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

How Hard They Worked!
Servants are the stars of the evocative look at life below stairs from the Regency era until the mid-twentieth century. Many of these Servants’ Stories are previously unpublished. Mary Ann Ashford was only thirteen when she began work as a maidservant, and it’s hardly surprising she was exploited by several employers. William Tayler, a footman, kept a diary which gives a fascinating insight into life working for the gentry in the 1830s. One young girl, Amy Grace Rose, left a good situation because her mother found her another place, and almost died from overwork. It was also very difficult for servants to ‘better themselves’ through education, as they rarely had a moment they could call their own. You’ll find yourself wanting to cheer on the rare occasions when a servant was able to turn the tables on an over-exacting employer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories, some of which were extremely moving.
This book is essential reading whether your ancestor was a domestic servant, or if you are just interested in the world of domestic service and the real heroes and heroines who kept homes running like clockwork, often at the cost of their own health.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fascinating to read the servants' stories from their own viewpoints rather than from a non-servant imagining what it must have been like. I had no idea many servants were married even when they lived with their employers and only got to visit home on Sunday afternoon (if their employers were gracious enough). One chapter on Elizabeth Banks lets the journalist tell her own experiences in more detail, with lists of exactly her employers expected her to do. A good book to read if you're interested in history or servitude.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watching shows like Downton Abbey, I always wondered at the plight of servants who seemed to have to be up at the crack of dawn fetching breakfast trays, and who also had to hang about for hours at night to meet late-night whims or to tuck their employers into bed. It seemed like they never had any time for themselves and must have been chronically sleep-deprived. Well, that pretty much sums up many of the stories of working in service. Truly these people were taken advantage of, overworked and underpaid. Some of the accommodations were unbelievably bad, from living in cellars to being nearly starved to death. And he amount of work they were expected to do was truly unrealistic. It wasn’t all bad though. Some domestic workers lucked out into finding humane, reasonable employers who paid decently and treated their servants well.

The stories are fascinating, the more so because they are first-person accounts taken from private histories, unpublished memoirs and oral histories.

[Catherine Buchan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched material from the author supplemented by accounts of life "below stairs" from servents themselves makes this a fascinating and enjoyable read. Although I have studied family history for many years I got several surprises from their accounts. For example I never realised how often servents moved between jobs. Well worth reading if you are interested in history or genealogy.

[Elianor M.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

helpful for researching service in the victorian age

[Peggie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book to be similar to reading a textbook from a class taken years ago.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories themselves were the most interesting part; the background information, while useful, was a little dull.