SERVANTS AND MASTERS

Downton Abbey is an excellent way to "see" the manners of the Edwardian Era and how these were closely observed.

The footmen were like the peacocks of an Edwardian country house, impressive to look at and always on display, whether greeting guests at the doorstep or serving them in the dining room. Nearly always well-dressed young men, the footmen represented crisp formality and quiet grandeur on behalf of the entire estate. A tall or particularly good-looking footman would even earn a higher salary than the other members of the household staff.

However, the footmen and other servants were never thanked, no matter how much they were needed. This was more a matter of practicality because as the servants did everything --- open a door/lace a corset/bring a cup of tea --- if they were thanked once, they'd be thanked over sixty times a day. As the English would say; "that would be tiresome."

Etiquette wasn't just reserved between servant and master. A hierarchy within the servant class itself was governed by a unique set of rules. The butler and housekeeper were at the head of this group in terms of dignity, authority and earnings. Then came the cook, valets, Lady's maids and footmen; last of all were the parlour maids, laundry maids, kitchen maids, dishwashers and stable grooms. Even among one group of servants there were minor differences. For example, the first footman served the meat, the choicest course; while the second footman served a minor sauce or side. The assistant cook was considered an apprentice to the chef/cook, while the kitchen maids were only assistants. Even the order in which servants sat at their own downstairs dining room table reflected this class system.