Could anyone who may be familiar with this subject tell me if it was common for people who had servants to keep the offspring of those servants as both families grew? Also, would it be logical to surmise that children of the original servants would be sent to serve in the homes of the landowner's offspring? If so, what are the chances that the same servant's name might be attached to the family surname for 100 years or more, even accompanying them to the States? I know I'm wording this awkwardly but I'll send it anyway, hoping someone can understand me. Evelyn **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

My grandmother was a Lady's companion up to 1914, and used to tell me tales of the goings on at the Big House. It was quite common for members of the indoor staff to marry one of the outdoor staff (e.g. I know of a coachman marrying a lady's maid, and a gamekeeper married the under cook). They would be given either a tied cottage or rooms over the stables (have seen some of them and they were quite large). Their children would often become servants too - gardeners and maids, footmen and kitchen staff. The wife would often be asked to come back to lend a hand when they had a big do on (engagement party for the son of the house was one such party with 40 guests stopping the night). This cycle would repeat itself with each generation - only the Great War (WW1) stopped it as so many of the male servants were killed on the Somme and never came back Hope this helpsSue Hope > From: MissEv1017@aol.com> Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 19:09:28 -0500> To: LEICESTERSHIRE-PLUS@rootsweb.com> Subject: [LEI] Speculation on Families and Servants> > Could anyone who may be familiar with this subject tell me if it was common > for people who had servants to keep the offspring of those servants as both > families grew?> Also, would it be logical to surmise that children of the original servants > would be sent to serve in the homes of the landowner's offspring? > If so, what are the chances that the same servant's name might be attached > to the family surname for 100 years or more, even accompanying them to the > States?> > I know I'm wording this awkwardly but I'll send it anyway, hoping someone > can understand me. > Evelyn> > > > **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. > http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489> > -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LEICESTERSHIRE-PLUS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _________________________________________________________________ Who's friends with who and co-starred in what? http://www.searchgamesbox.com/celebrityseparation.shtml

MissEv1017@aol.com wrote: > Could anyone who may be familiar with this subject tell me if it was common > for people who had servants to keep the offspring of those servants as both > families grew? > Also, would it be logical to surmise that children of the original servants > would be sent to serve in the homes of the landowner's offspring? > If so, what are the chances that the same servant's name might be attached > to the family surname for 100 years or more, even accompanying them to the > States? It would depend very much on the employer as to whether they kept on a girl who'd had an illegitimate child, let alone the child as well. It was far more usual for the girl to lose her employment. If the employer had a married couple on his staff, then obviously the servants' children would remain with their parents. In which case, it is entirely possible for the servants' children to then be taken on by the employer's children when they eventually had their own homes. As to whether the same family continued in service for a 100+ years would depend on how common the surname was. If it was SMITH, then it's probably not the same family. If it was a highly unusual name then there's a good chance that it was the same one. A valued member of staff could certainly have accompanied the family abroad either temporarily or permanently but that would also depend on the member of staff being willing to settle abroad permanently. The were no hard and fast rules so only way you are going to know for sure what did happen is to research the servant/s family/ies, otherwise it is as you say: speculation.