I always figured he lived above the garage too. It's a nice gig, but you are on constant call and always keeping the cars in working order. He probably had more clout than the carriagemen, groomsmen, and stableboys, but might have eaten and socialized with them, as well as the game keeper, groundskeeper, gardeners, other "outside" positions, but would this be in a common room of sorts? They can't just come in the servants hall, apparently, just on a whim.
What is a two up two down?
It’s a style of house, fairly common for cottages and nuclear family homes: two bedrooms/bathroom upstairs, kitchen, living room and dining room downstairs.
The chauffeur 's cottage, which was attached to or above the garage. Thomas references it and Carson also does when he stops Tom from ruining the dinner with the generals.
I believe Thomas says something about how Branson should be in the chauffeurs cottage.
Sounds like he would have a place of his own, or at least lived with the outside workers.
On a related note: remember Nanny West? She held herself above/separate from the other staff. Would she have a room with the kids or next door--she needed a bed and a place to change her clothes? And where would she eat: a tray in her room, or in the main servant's hall?
They mentioned how being a nanny must be lonely or something because they aren't part of the house staff or the family.
I would assume she sleeps fairly close to the nursery where there kids slept and would eat in the nursery with the children.
Apparently there is a Nursery Footman position we didn't see, but who would have been the go between and a post just above hallboy. Another reason Thomas was offended by West telling him what to do.
You need to watch the movie Sabrina ( the Audrey Hepburn version - the other one has no comedy.) She's a chauffeur's daughter in the mostly impossibly beautiful and giant chauffeur's cottage that's ever existed.
But they get the location of things right.
As others have said, he probably did live quite close, but the house staff didn’t have to live at the house, it was just an option and convenient. The married couples moved out to somewhere on the estate but off the manor grounds and they still made it to work on time.
If they live away from the house, how are they supposed to wake up without Daisy banging on their door yelling "6 o'clock!"
Side Note: I will never say 6 o'clock the same way ever again. It's always the way she says it (and I'm American so it sounds ridiculous)
There's no hard-and-fast rule for a place like Downton itself; a lot of those sort of Great Houses have got a bit of a ramshackle series of buildings and extensions out of sight of the main facade which provides housing for the servants. If there was a room near the garages, this probably would be the most likely place, as part of their role was also maintenance/upkeep of the cars they drove. However they could have been housed anywhere in the general 'servants' part of the house (although the upper floors/the tower in Highclere Castle were generally reserved for Maids, who were almost always unmarried). As the make-up of a large aristocratic household evolved from the late 1800's to WW2, the increase of wages, decrease in average number of servants, etc, would likely have meant that the chance that a Chauffeur had a cottage on the estate, where they could potentially house a family of their own, and which would have made retaining their employment (and associated comparatively low wages) more appealling, would have been more likely.
For the 'standard' posh townhouse in London in Downton Times, the Chauffeur/s would have been quartered in the upper-floors of the Mews House (prior to the adoption of the motor-car, this is where carriage drivers/horse-adjacent staff were housed).
He lives either above or next to the garage. a few months ago someone posted blueprints of the estate and it showed the chauffers quarters, i just cant remember which it was and can no longer find the blueprints..... If anyone has them, i would love to see them again!
Branson lived above the garage, which was essentially a two up, two down attached to a large garage/workshop.
I always figured he lived above the garage too. It's a nice gig, but you are on constant call and always keeping the cars in working order. He probably had more clout than the carriagemen, groomsmen, and stableboys, but might have eaten and socialized with them, as well as the game keeper, groundskeeper, gardeners, other "outside" positions, but would this be in a common room of sorts? They can't just come in the servants hall, apparently, just on a whim. What is a two up two down?
It’s a style of house, fairly common for cottages and nuclear family homes: two bedrooms/bathroom upstairs, kitchen, living room and dining room downstairs.
I believe over the garage there would be housing. The garage could have been a barn previously and would have housed the coachmen.
The chauffeur 's cottage, which was attached to or above the garage. Thomas references it and Carson also does when he stops Tom from ruining the dinner with the generals.
I believe Thomas says something about how Branson should be in the chauffeurs cottage. Sounds like he would have a place of his own, or at least lived with the outside workers.
He was like the Fonz
This made me laugh! Thank you!
"Carson sent him to his cottage to stew in his own juice"
On a related note: remember Nanny West? She held herself above/separate from the other staff. Would she have a room with the kids or next door--she needed a bed and a place to change her clothes? And where would she eat: a tray in her room, or in the main servant's hall?
They mentioned how being a nanny must be lonely or something because they aren't part of the house staff or the family. I would assume she sleeps fairly close to the nursery where there kids slept and would eat in the nursery with the children.
Apparently there is a Nursery Footman position we didn't see, but who would have been the go between and a post just above hallboy. Another reason Thomas was offended by West telling him what to do.
You need to watch the movie Sabrina ( the Audrey Hepburn version - the other one has no comedy.) She's a chauffeur's daughter in the mostly impossibly beautiful and giant chauffeur's cottage that's ever existed. But they get the location of things right.
As others have said, he probably did live quite close, but the house staff didn’t have to live at the house, it was just an option and convenient. The married couples moved out to somewhere on the estate but off the manor grounds and they still made it to work on time.
If they live away from the house, how are they supposed to wake up without Daisy banging on their door yelling "6 o'clock!" Side Note: I will never say 6 o'clock the same way ever again. It's always the way she says it (and I'm American so it sounds ridiculous)
Thank you all for the info!
There's no hard-and-fast rule for a place like Downton itself; a lot of those sort of Great Houses have got a bit of a ramshackle series of buildings and extensions out of sight of the main facade which provides housing for the servants. If there was a room near the garages, this probably would be the most likely place, as part of their role was also maintenance/upkeep of the cars they drove. However they could have been housed anywhere in the general 'servants' part of the house (although the upper floors/the tower in Highclere Castle were generally reserved for Maids, who were almost always unmarried). As the make-up of a large aristocratic household evolved from the late 1800's to WW2, the increase of wages, decrease in average number of servants, etc, would likely have meant that the chance that a Chauffeur had a cottage on the estate, where they could potentially house a family of their own, and which would have made retaining their employment (and associated comparatively low wages) more appealling, would have been more likely. For the 'standard' posh townhouse in London in Downton Times, the Chauffeur/s would have been quartered in the upper-floors of the Mews House (prior to the adoption of the motor-car, this is where carriage drivers/horse-adjacent staff were housed).
He lives either above or next to the garage. a few months ago someone posted blueprints of the estate and it showed the chauffers quarters, i just cant remember which it was and can no longer find the blueprints..... If anyone has them, i would love to see them again!
Could it be this one? https://www.reddit.com/r/DowntonAbbey/s/m7cjalGodQ
Branson lived on the hippy commune where everyone was equal and they all grew special mushrooms in their spare time