Thursday 27 January 2011

Domestic Service

Having researched my own family history (and many others), I am always interested in the lives of women in the 19th century.  Domestic service played a large part many ordinary women's lives.  My great-grandmother was a servant in "big house" a couple of streets away from where I live now. 

In my own home I still have evidence of the importance of domestic servants - the servants bell - a device which was used to call servants to various parts of the house.


servants bell

Fortunately, it no longer works, but I'm sure it was the bane of some poor girl's life in years gone by.


cleaning windows

Don't try this at home!

I wonder if they really had to do this?


Love, Liz

3 comments:

Sindy said...

That poor woman hanging out the window! This is a job for the men and their ladders and scaffolding--yikes! Seriously though, life seems to have gotten so much easier these days--at least on the homemaker front--yay!
Sindy

Shortbread and Ginger said...

Hi Sindy - I agree! I would never have been able to do this! Liz

Karen Mills said...

That poor girl. Thank God it wouldn't be allowed nowadays!! X