numbers are low
Posted by P. Bingham on September 14, 1998 at 13:56:28:
In response to My estimations, written by Lou on September 13, 1998 at 13:12:05
] Here is a listing of household servants and their salaries c. 1791, from a book I have been reading:]
I think this list is missing much of its staff if its size is to be compared to Pemberely. This number might be comprised of a skeleton staff who is left to take care of the estate when the family is gone for a season (I don't mean Season, but perhaps visiting for an extended period somewhere else, or spending the Winter at another family estate or spending the Spring in London. In a large estate such as Pemberely, as much as twenty five people would be needed to run the kitchen rooms alone. I have numbers somewhere but I can't find them. I'll keep looking. But I would guess a number to be somewhere around 75 to 100+ servants to run Pemberely, that is, when the family is there, and this number would include both the household staff and the outdoor staff.
And this list likely is missing much of its staff. It has both a House Steward and a butler, then a bailiff and a underbutler to boot. Even large estates did not necessarily require both a a House Steward and a butler, especially by 1791. And having both of these leads me to believe this estate is very large and would need a large staff to run it.
] 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.
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