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    Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff
    Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff
    Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff
    Ebook145 pages1 hour

    Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff

    By Mr. Carson

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Inspired by the Emmy Award-winning television series--and now feature film--Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff is a grand gift book for fans that reveals the proper etiquette and techniques required for those working in the manor or on the grounds of the Grantham estate.

    The household staff of Downton Abbey carries out their duties with effortless dignity, finesse and pride. Yet how do they know how exactly to lay the table, when to leave the room to give Lord and Lady Grantham their privacy, how to care for Lady Mary's furs and which uniform to wear when? This recently recovered and fascinating staff handbook answers all of these questions and more.

    Covering all the main positions of the Downton household—footman, lady's maid, housekeeper, groundsman and more—and with a general introduction for new members of staff from Carson the Butler, this book tells you everything you need to know about working below stairs in the grand estate of Downton Abbey.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateNov 25, 2014
    ISBN9781466874497
    Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff

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    Reviews for Downton Abbey

    3.5/5

    20 ratings2 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I didn't read this one all the way through as I bought it for a gift to give my stepfather, who is a massive Downton Abbey (the show, more than the history/historical background). It's really adorable, and informative about the times. Plus, written tongue-in-cheek by 'Carson' of the tv show. If you are a fan of the show I think you will deeply love this little addendum.
    • 4/5
      3.75 StarsAn amusing and informative albeit short handbook about household staff. The book includes specific rules for different members of staff as well as homemade cleaning product recipes. It's a good companion guide for Downton Abbey fans and a decent start for anyone interested in the roles, rules, and history of household staff.Net Galley Feedback

    Book preview

    Downton Abbey - Mr. Carson

    The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.

    CONTENTS

    Title Page

    Copyright Notice

    Foreword

    Introduction

    The Hierarchy of Staff

    General Notes & Instructions For All Servants

    BUTLER

    Royal Visits

    HOUSEKEEPER

    Specific Notes Pertaining to House Parties

    VALET

    LADY’S MAID

    Particular Advice For Female Servants on Posture & Carriage

    COOK

    ASSISTANT COOK & KITCHEN MAID

    Useful Notes For All Kitchen Staff

    FOOTMAN

    First Aid, Medicinal Drinks & Curatives

    HOUSEMAID

    Appendix

    References

    Copyright

    CONTAINING THE MOST

    APPROVED DIRECTIONS

    AND GUIDANCE FOR STAFF IN EVERY STATION WITHIN THE HOUSEHOLD IN ORDER TO DISCHARGE THEIR DUTIES

    CORRECTLY & WITH EFFICIENCY.

    WITH

    PARTICULAR INSTRUCTIONS

    FOR THE:

    BUTLER

    HOUSEKEEPER

    COOK

    VALET

    LADY’S MAID

    FOOTMAN

    HOUSEMAID

    KITCHEN STAFF

    AND INCLUDING

    USEFUL INFORMATION

    ON TRIED AND TESTED METHODS FOR ALL.

    FOREWORD

    Nothing can be more discommoding in life to an orderly person than to enter a house, whether as a guest or a member of staff, without a proper knowledge of how things are managed there. As we all know, to be wrongly dressed is to ruin one’s enjoyment of a party, and to be unconscious of the rules that are observed by a household is to render oneself a clumsy outsider, open to the derision of others and the just accusation of amateurism.

    To avoid this, I have thought fit to assemble this little book of suggestions that I hope the aspirant servant, either at Downton Abbey or elsewhere, may find informative and useful. I say ‘aspirant’ because I write only for those employees who aim for the highest standards, who wish to master their chosen career to the satisfaction of all they come in contact with. Such has been my own ambition.

    To be a servant, in my view, is a noble calling. I do not suggest that every Hall Boy who starts out blacking boots can expect to be the Butler of a great house, although some must achieve it, nor will every girl be a Lady’s Maid to a peeress or a Cook for Crowned heads or run the house of a political leader although, again, some will. But even those who do not reach these heights can feel proud that the goal of service is to smooth the paths of others, to free them from care and leave them calm and able to devote their talents and education to the general good. Like doctors and nurses, we heal and make well lives that can be fraught with worry and responsibility, we make entertaining a pleasure, motherhood a joy, by taking on the elements of those roles that can be tiring and stressful. The Cook, the Nursemaid, the Valet, the Footman, the Gardener, can all lay claim to being Improvers of Life, an honour in itself.

    I have been called a hard task-master and I do not shirk the charge. My first job was as a Junior Hall Boy at Thrushcross Grange near Ripon, where I arrived in 1870 at the age of fourteen. I found myself under the command of a Mr Alfred Beet, the sternest Butler I have ever encountered, but also in retrospect one of the fairest, a man of the highest possible standards who took pride in every challenge. He was certainly as hard a task-master when it came to his own work as he was with his team, nor can I pretend my efforts always pleased him. Many’s the clip round the ear I can still feel for an un-shone shoe or a mis-ironed newspaper, but his approval, when it came, was a prize in itself which kept me going the whole day long, and I have tried to make him my model in the years since then. Under his stern tutelage, I progressed from Hall Boy to Nursery Footman, and then to Fourth Footman in charge of old Mr Earnshaw’s clocks, but at last it was time to leave and at nineteen I took a position as Second Footman to the Earl of Grantham at Downton, where I have remained for the rest of my working life. The end of my term at the Grange was an important step for me and I can still remember Mr Beet’s speech when we parted. ‘I am pleased to say that you understand the duty of service, Mr Carson. You know the good it can do, and you take pride in that knowledge. God bless you.’ The memory of that moment, I freely confess it, can still bring a tear to my eye. His words have stayed with me throughout the years, providing both discipline and solace through good times and bad, and I can only recommend them to anyone who seeks to enter our ancient, and honourable, profession.

    Charles Carson

    Butler to the Earl of Grantham

    Downton Abbey

    August 1924

    INTRODUCTION

    These are clear instructions for Downton Abbey staff in order to carry out their tasks in the most expeditious and satisfactory fashion. Compiled as an exhaustive set of rules for the newest, most inexperienced members of staff, it is recommended that even the most seasoned servants reacquaint themselves with these accurate directions from time to time.

    Read not merely the directions under your own job title because there are some duties which are common to different servants, and you may find the information contained in these other sections useful in completing your own tasks. Particularly so in the event that another staff member is taken ill or indisposed, and you are asked to assume their responsibilities. Furthermore, reviewing the entire contents of this book will greatly assist you to understand your place in upholding the high standards of this household.

    Lord and Lady Grantham take great pride in their estate, and servants are expected to show that same pride when carrying out their work because they are part of the estate and its ambassadors among servants from other households. Above and below stairs, we all share the duty of keeping the house in good order, something we expect to be passed on to generations to come. It is only by everyone understanding their role and discharging their daily duties efficiently that this will be achieved.

    THE HIERARCHY OF STAFF

    GENERAL NOTES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ATTENTION OF ALL HOUSEHOLD SERVANTS

    SERVANTS’ QUARTERS

    We regard Downton Abbey as not just the home of the Crawley family, but also of the servants. It is a large house and estate where the servants live and work, and the Crawleys wish to be fair employers. The servants’ quarters and rooms are maintained by the Housekeeper and the family will not choose to enter these areas unless there are exceptional circumstances. There are also cottages on the estate which may be granted for married couples to occupy in very exceptional circumstances but marriage, while in service, is not encouraged because it will thwart advancement.

    THE BENEFITS OF EARLY RISING

    Early rising is an essential

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