The Servants' Quarters Trivia Quiz

Answer: Butler

The butler was the most senior servant. Not only did he ensure that the household ran smoothly by keeping discipline amongst the other servants, he also greeted guests, oversaw the serving of meals, had the key to the wine cellar, looked after the family silver, and was generally indispensable to the family who employed him.

In the servants' quarters his word was law. A good butler could be virtually invisible when the necessity arose, and he often knew a great number of the family secrets.

Answer: Governess

A governess was often either a 'poor relation', or a woman from a good family who needed to work because the family had fallen on hard financial times. Because of this they could not be treated as actual servants, but neither were they a proper member of the family. They would, from time to time, be invited to eat with the family rather than with the children. Every so often they might be asked to make up numbers at a dinner table, or play the piano to entertain guests.

Especially from c. 1870 on many governesses were well educated women. This, together with their prolonged, direct contact with members of the family tended to make their role ambiguous. (In addition to teaching the children, they took them for walks and played with them). In some households they were much better educated than the lady of the house - and in a few cases the master of the house even preferred the company of a well educated, witty governess to that of his wife. This could lead to very real problems ...

Answer: The bell pull

When the humble bell pull system was invented it was quickly installed in most large houses. It meant that someone who wanted a maid just pulled a cord, a bell rang in the servants' quarters showing which room the bell had been pulled in and a servant could quickly attend. Before that maids and footmen used to sit for hours on hard chairs just waiting for their employer to appear and want something.

Answer: Sparsely

Whilst the senior servants such as the butler, cook, housekeeper, valet and lady's maid would have had their own rooms which were quite comfortable the other servants were not so lucky. Maids and footmen would often be two or three to a room and had only a bed and small chest of drawers each. If they were fortunate there was some sort of rug on the floor, often no heating and they were only allowed a limited amount of candles a week for light. Even when gas lights and then electricity came in, the servants' bedrooms were the last to get these as it was seen as an expensive luxury they did not need. Even so, with many servants coming from very poor backgrounds, living conditions were often better than they had had at home, and in comparison to many other occupations wages were good.

Answer: Very early morning until late at night

Most servants started work well before their employers were up. Parlour maids had to sweep out the ashes of fires, lay and light fresh fires and then change into their smarter uniforms. The house had to be cleaned, coal carried in for fires, hot water made ready to carry up to their employers bedrooms when called for. Breakfast had to be ready.

This often meant that the servants were up at 4 or 5am. At the other end of the day they couldn't go to bed while their employers might still need something, which often meant being up until very late into the night. Meals were eaten in shifts and holidays were rare. One day off a month was fairly common.

Answer: Below stairs

This came into use because the servants' hall, the kitchens, laundry area etc. were often housed in the basement of the property. This meant that they could be separated from the upstairs area of the house easily so no cooking smells, noise or other reminders of the day to day functioning of the house impinged on the lifestyle of the family and their guests.

The basement also usually had a separate outside entrance for use by not only the servants, but deliveries of food, coal etc., as well as for any tradesmen that needed to come to the house. Again, this avoided the employers having their sensibilities offended by exposure to such mundane matters.

Answer: Scullery maids

Whilst some very aristocratic homes imported French chefs most cooks in large houses were women. They took instructions for the menus for the day from the lady of the house, and it was their responsibility to order the food, cook it and get it to the table hot and on time.

They cooked superb meals that most of us today would not even attempt. The poor scullery maid however had to get up early to get the fire in the cooking range going, clean the range, carry in the coal and keep the range going. She also had to prepare vegetables, and worst of all, wash up all the pots and pans by hand and keep the kitchen clean.

In addition, she had to face the wrath of the cook if everything was not spotless, the range not hot enough or, worst of all, allowed to go out.

Answer: Coachman

The coachman was the equivalent of a modern chauffeur. He drove the family coach and was responsible for overseeing the stables. The groom looked after the health of the horses and general condition of the stables assisted by the stable boy. The coach footman would be a footman from the household staff assigned to ride on the coach, either beside the coachman or in a special seat on the outside rear of the coach.

He was there to see to the needs of the passengers when they reached their destination.

Answer: Hairdressing

The lady's maid looked after all aspects of her mistress's wardrobe. She repaired tears and catches, replaced buttons, washed and ironed delicate lace and silk. She assisted her mistress in dressing. Hairdressing was a primary task. The lady of the house couldn't pop to the hairdressers before going to a ball or to the theatre as they did not exist in the way they do now. Any good lady's maid would keep up to date with current hair fashions and be able to dress her employer's hair in a fashionable and flattering style. "Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management" rated it the most important skill a lady's maid needed.

Answer: There were very few acceptable professions for women

Prior to World War I, when large houses staffed with plentiful servants thrived, there were few other respectable occupations open to women, especially those from a poor, uneducated background. Men on the other hand could choose to go into the army or the navy, or agriculture, or industry.

They could be clerks or work in shops. It wasn't until there was a shortage of men after World War I that many places found themselves forced to employ women for the first time in order to continue to function.