Done and Dusted Trivia Quiz

Answer: Butler

It is something of a cliche to suspect the butler of having "done it", that is to say, committed a murder or other crime that is central to a mystery novel or play. In reality, an efficient butler would have made sure that whatever needed to be done for the smooth running of the household had, in fact, been done.

In addition to being in charge of the staff, he interacted with both guests and the family, more so than junior members of staff.

Answer: Housekeeper

While the butler was usually male, the housekeeper was the senior female member of staff, whose duties included supervising junior staff, especially the female portion thereof. While some were very likely strict disciplinarians, it is conceivable that others took a more motherly interest in the welfare of their charges.

In either case, the smooth running of the household was largely her domain.

Answer: Cook

Cooks could be of either gender, but the image of a buxom lady in a white apron and mob cap is what most often comes to the fore when thoughts of the cook of a great house have come to mind. Certain television programs may have planted this image. Cook's duties included planning of meals, grand or ordinary, shopping for the necessary ingredients and preparation of said meals.

Answer: Valet

The valet in domestic service should not be confused with the modern usage of the term, meaning a hotel employee who parks guests' cars and performs other duties, such as carrying luggage. The "gentleman's gentleman" of whom we speak was a manservant dedicated to the care of the head of the household, or perhaps sons of the family. Duties would have included care of the gentleman's clothing; personal duties such as drawing baths and shaving; making travel arrangements and even looking after financial items.

A valet might have worked his way up from a position as footman, or possibly have been an officer's servant in the armed forces.

Answer: Lady's maid

In many ways the lady's maid was the female equivalent of the valet. Her duties included looking after her lady's wardrobe, makeup, hair and other personal items. Like her male counterpart she was expected to be discreet, and not gossip below stairs about anything she might see or hear above. It was a position that carried some prestige in the hierarchy of the servants' hall.

Answer: Footman

A young man who became a second, or even third, footman could aspire to promotion to first footman, who assisted the butler, and even one day to the lofty heights of butler himself. Some might eventually become valets, instead, or perform similar duties for visitors or younger members of the upstairs family. Meanwhile, he would serve dinner, standing unobtrusively to one side until required, or help other members of staff by doing any heavy lifting required during cleaning or other tasks.

The term "footman" hearkened back to the days when the master of the house rode on horseback, with at least one servant running alongside him - literally a "man on foot" - to attend to his needs.

Answer: Parlour maid

The duties of a parlour maid were many and varied, and could change depending on the size of both the household served and the staff serving it. She might also be expected to open doors for guests, and to announce visitors; to lay and light fires in the fireplace; and to answer the ring of a service bell and do the bidding of the family member who had summoned her thus.

It was not an easy job!

Answer: Scullery maid

The hardest, dirtiest jobs were reserved for the scullery maid, who would be charged with scouring all the pots and pans, scrubbing the kitchen floors and any other task necessary to keep the kitchen pristine. In earlier days these jobs were done by male scullions, but by Victorian times they had become the work of the lowliest (and usually youngest) female staff member.

The good news was that she might be able to work her way up to kitchen maid, or even assistant cook eventually.

Answer: Boots

Boots was short for 'boot boy', usually a youth in his teens, whose duties included the care of the footwear of the members of the household. He could also perform as a hallboy, whose duties could include some of the more unsavoury tasks necessary about a great house with many occupants. Hard work could pay off in this case, also, as he could aspire to rise to higher things, possibly even as high as butler.

Answer: Governess

The position of governess was rather an odd one, in that she existed somewhere between upstairs and downstairs, without being truly a part of either entity. Her job was to give the children of the family a basic education, and in the case of the girls, to teach them the correct way to behave in society.

She would often eat alone, as she belonged neither in the dining room nor the servants' hall. Once the children were grown, her job was done, and she would seek new employers. Occasionally, she might be kept on as a companion to one of her former students.