My estimations
Posted by Lou on September 13, 1998 at 13:12:05:
In response to Tenants, Servants, and Pemberley, written by Kathy K on September 13, 1998 at 01:08:03
how many tenant families would have lived on an estate such as Pemberley.
Kathy, I took a tract of land five miles square which translated into 3200 acres. Assuming half of this land was farmland, and considering a farmer then could be able to tend perhaps 20 acres, this would mean that 80 tenant farmers per estate might be possible. This is strictly a guess and I would love to know if anyone has exact information.
how many servants would have it have taken to keep such a home running?
Here is a listing of household servants and their salaries c. 1791, from a book I have been reading:
House Steward and Butler 63 per annum.
Game Keeper 59 per annum.
Cook 50 per annum.
Bailiff 50 per annum.
Valet 30 per annum.
Groom of Chambers 30 per annum.
Coachman 26 per annum.
House Keeper 25 per annum.
Kitchen Gardener 25 per annum.
Porter 21 per annum.
Lady’s Footman 18 per annum.
2nd Coachman 16 per annum.
Groom 16 per annum.
Under Butler 16 per annum.
Lord’s Footman 12 per annum.
Lady’s woman 12 per annum.
1st Laundry Maid 10 per annum.
Kitchen Maid 10 per annum.
Housemaid (Upper) 9 per annum.
Dairy Maid 9 per annum.
House Maid 9 per annum.
Pantry Boy 8 per annum.
House Maid (2nd) 7 per annum.
Stillroom Maid 7 per annum.
I would say based on this 25 to 30 household staff members. Much like running a small business today. I think people back then had much more to do than we assume they did.
Source: Audley End Archives, printed in A.F.J. Brown, English History from Essex Sourced, vol. II, p42. Reprinted in How They Lived, vol. III, 1700-1815, Asa Briggs, p.143.
- Er, hang on a minute..... Caroline 14:10:24 9/14/98
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- numbers are low P. Bingham 13:56:28 9/14/98
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- Inflation Linden 19:07:53 9/13/98
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