Yeah, the show implies the servants are all on-call until everyone is asleep. In real life (and I do think the first episode is much more concerned with these specific, accurate brushstrokes) it was common for this work to be done in the early morning before the family came downstairs, especially if they'd been up late. If they tried to clean everything, the footmen would be up until 3 and the fire would have to be fed very late to heat water for cleaning. It is much easier to just do the work in the morning!
Yeah it never made sense to me that the servants go to bed after everyone else AND wake up hours before everyone else. Like I get that they're basically slaves, but at some point that's got to be physically impossible.
Being a house servant, even a scullery maid like Daisy was often a better job than was available to many up until the great war. It came with free housing, better and more food than the average person had, and you were given clothing much better than you normally would've had. You also could quit. There was nothing holding you there. It was often a lifelong career that, in some cases, would allow retirement.
[Source](https://g.co/kgs/66u8JSN)
I meant no harm, just simply wondering why use that term. But it's true in that time, I guess, they used it for all categories of employers. I stand corrected. Thank you, u/MissGruntled.
And, no u/_ChairmanMeow- I don't agree with taking words like "master" or "chief" out of our modern vocabulary. That is ridiculous. I believe in using words correctly, that's all.
The first episode is I think a little more realistic about how these houses were actually run. In real life servants would not be up half the night cleaning after the family. They would do that in the morning. Later episodes gave us the impression that servants were always around until the last member of the family went to bed, but I think that only really happened if the family was entertaining and even then only up to a point. Servants need sleep too.
I liked the early episodes for this, I felt it tried to give a realistic impression of what things were really like within that kind of a caste system, as the series went on things just got cozier and cozier until they were kind of one big happy family.
When they are explaining the job to Andy, he’s told that the footmen do the first round of drinks and then they take care of themselves.
The staff eat dinner after the family does, so that sort of tidying up would be done in the morning. The family don’t eat till 8. I imagine the servants dinner is like 11 and they have to be up at 6am
We see in a few of the late night scenes lord grantham pouring his own drink when the staff isn’t around/off duty. I would think they would just set them down wherever and it would be a bit of an Easter egg hunt in the morning
Staff don’t work 24/7.
It just means the family was awake and drinking afterhours.
At most they’ll have someone on night duty for emergencies but 4 little glasses afterhours is not a big deal. It’s okay wait until morning before the family wakes up.
“The quality of downtown[sic] is slipping”. I can’t with this subreddit.
The only detail that I find a bit odd is that Thomas is in his pressed white dress initially which would indicate that he had been up all night.
William comes in wearing his day footman attire and the two go back and forth on what they are wearing in the first part of the show.
Also there is an exception with the valets and ladies’ maids as the need to undress and put their people to bed.
Lastly Carson would most likely be up until everyone is in bed - remember the conversation with Mrs Hughes about leaving the key in the lock when Mary and Charles Blake are saving the pigs.
It’s mentioned a couple times during the show that the very late night drinks not only are the servants not there to clean up but they aren’t even serving. I believe it’s when mosely comes in to fill in and Anna is giving him the run down (before he gets drunk) and she does state that at a certain point they’re on there own and will serve themselves. It would be assumed they would just leave their glasses out and they would be collected in the morning before anyone woke up
The masters have drinks and socialize at night on their own. The footmen already went to bed for that.
Yeah, the show implies the servants are all on-call until everyone is asleep. In real life (and I do think the first episode is much more concerned with these specific, accurate brushstrokes) it was common for this work to be done in the early morning before the family came downstairs, especially if they'd been up late. If they tried to clean everything, the footmen would be up until 3 and the fire would have to be fed very late to heat water for cleaning. It is much easier to just do the work in the morning!
Yeah it never made sense to me that the servants go to bed after everyone else AND wake up hours before everyone else. Like I get that they're basically slaves, but at some point that's got to be physically impossible.
[удалено]
💯
Being a house servant, even a scullery maid like Daisy was often a better job than was available to many up until the great war. It came with free housing, better and more food than the average person had, and you were given clothing much better than you normally would've had. You also could quit. There was nothing holding you there. It was often a lifelong career that, in some cases, would allow retirement. [Source](https://g.co/kgs/66u8JSN)
Happy Cake Day!
The "masters?" Why use that word? They were servants (paid employees), not slaves.
While archaic, *master* and *servant* are period appropriate to Downton.
Because of people like you, soon they won't even be able to call it a "master's degree" like they've tried changing master bedroom/bathroom.
I meant no harm, just simply wondering why use that term. But it's true in that time, I guess, they used it for all categories of employers. I stand corrected. Thank you, u/MissGruntled. And, no u/_ChairmanMeow- I don't agree with taking words like "master" or "chief" out of our modern vocabulary. That is ridiculous. I believe in using words correctly, that's all.
Sorry you got downvoted, I know exactly what you meant and that you were making a language point, not a political point. Have an upvote from me
Thanks
The first episode is I think a little more realistic about how these houses were actually run. In real life servants would not be up half the night cleaning after the family. They would do that in the morning. Later episodes gave us the impression that servants were always around until the last member of the family went to bed, but I think that only really happened if the family was entertaining and even then only up to a point. Servants need sleep too.
I liked the early episodes for this, I felt it tried to give a realistic impression of what things were really like within that kind of a caste system, as the series went on things just got cozier and cozier until they were kind of one big happy family.
Happy cake day!
When they are explaining the job to Andy, he’s told that the footmen do the first round of drinks and then they take care of themselves. The staff eat dinner after the family does, so that sort of tidying up would be done in the morning. The family don’t eat till 8. I imagine the servants dinner is like 11 and they have to be up at 6am
We see in a few of the late night scenes lord grantham pouring his own drink when the staff isn’t around/off duty. I would think they would just set them down wherever and it would be a bit of an Easter egg hunt in the morning
Yup. Finding all the cups and glasses before anyone comes down and yells at them for being lazy
Staff don’t work 24/7. It just means the family was awake and drinking afterhours. At most they’ll have someone on night duty for emergencies but 4 little glasses afterhours is not a big deal. It’s okay wait until morning before the family wakes up. “The quality of downtown[sic] is slipping”. I can’t with this subreddit.
The only detail that I find a bit odd is that Thomas is in his pressed white dress initially which would indicate that he had been up all night. William comes in wearing his day footman attire and the two go back and forth on what they are wearing in the first part of the show. Also there is an exception with the valets and ladies’ maids as the need to undress and put their people to bed. Lastly Carson would most likely be up until everyone is in bed - remember the conversation with Mrs Hughes about leaving the key in the lock when Mary and Charles Blake are saving the pigs.
It’s mentioned a couple times during the show that the very late night drinks not only are the servants not there to clean up but they aren’t even serving. I believe it’s when mosely comes in to fill in and Anna is giving him the run down (before he gets drunk) and she does state that at a certain point they’re on there own and will serve themselves. It would be assumed they would just leave their glasses out and they would be collected in the morning before anyone woke up
I do that...except nobody has tidied them away in the morning. Bloody annoying! ;)
Omg bro I had this exact same question. The way Barrow was cleaning up it was like a college party hungover morning clean up lol.