Maids - Great House

A maid, or housemaid or maidservant, is a female person employed in domestic service. Although now usually found only in the most wealthy of households, in the Victorian era domestic service was the second largest category of employment in England and Wales, after agricultural work

Support Household Staff:

• Lady's Maid

Traditionally, the lady's maid was not as high-ranking as a lady's companion, who was a retainer rather than a servant, but the rewards included room and board, travel and somewhat improved social status. In the servants' hall, a lady's maid took precedence akin to that of her mistress. In Britain, a lady's maid would be addressed by her surname by her employer, while she was addressed "Miss" by junior servants or when visiting in another servants' hall.

A lady's maid's specific duties included helping her mistress with her appearance, including make-up, hairdressing, clothing, jewellery, and shoes. A lady's maid would also remove stains from clothing; sew, mend, and alter garments as needed; bring her mistress breakfast in her room; and draw her mistress's bath. However, she would not be expected to dust or sweep, duties which would instead be performed by a housemaid.

Junior Household Staff:

Maids:

• Between maids (also called Hall girl particularly in the US)

A between maid (nickname tweeny, also called hall girl particularly in the United States) is a female junior domestic worker in a large household with many staff. The position became largely defunct in the 20th century, as few households needed or could afford great retinues of domestic workers with the elaborate hierarchy of the past.

The term hall girl came from her chief duty, which was waitressing in the Servants' Hall. She was required to set the table and remove the dishes, as well as waiting at table. She may also have carried meals up to the head housekeeper, if that head of staff did things like have breakfast or afternoon tea in her room(s).

The term between maid came from the fact that her duties were split between the area of responsibilities of the housekeeper, butler and cook; if these individuals did not like one another, the job of the between maid was a very difficult one.

A between maid should not be mistaken with a parlour maid, though both maids had similar household duties. The parlour maids cleaned and tidied reception rooms and living areas in the mornings and often served refreshments at afternoon tea and sometimes also served dinner. They tidied studies and libraries and (with footmen) answered bells calling for service.

The between maids were roughly equivalent to scullery maids (dishwashers, floor scrubbers, oven minders,so etc.) and often paid less. The between maids in a large household waited on the senior servants (Butler, Housekeeper, Cook) and were therefore answerable to all three department heads, often leading to friction in their employment.

• Chambermaid

A maid who handles the chores in a bedroom.

• HousemaidHouse-maid or housemaid

A generic term for maids whose function was chiefly "above stairs", and were usually a little older, and better paid. Where a household included multiple House Maids they were often sub-divided as below:

• Head house-maid: the senior house maid, reporting to the Housekeeper. (Also called '"House parlour maid'" in an establishment with only one or two upstairs maids).
  

Parlour maid: the parlour maids cleaned and tidied reception rooms and living areas by morning, and often served refreshments at afternoon tea, and sometimes also dinner. They tidied studies and libraries, and (with footmen) answered bells calling for service.[6]
Chamber maid: the chamber maids cleaned and maintained the bedrooms, ensured fires were lit in fireplaces, and supplied hot water.

• Laundry maid:
  

The laundry maids maintained bedding and towels. They also washed, dried, and ironed clothes for the whole household, including the servants.
Under house parlour maid: the general deputy to the house parlour maid in a small establishment which had only two upstairs maids.

• Nursery maid:
  

Was also an "upstairs maid" but one who worked in the children's nursery, maintaining fires, cleanliness, and good order. Reported to the Nanny rather than the Housekeeper.

• Kitchen maid
  

Was a "below stairs" maid who reported to the Cook, and assisted in running the kitchens. Head kitchen maid: where multiple kitchen maids were employed, the "head kitchen maid" was effectively a deputy to the cook, engaged largely in the plainer and simpler cooking (sometimes cooking the servants' meals).

• Under kitchen maid
  

Where multiple kitchen maids were employed these were the staff who prepared vegetables, peeled potatoes, and assisted in presentation of finished cooking for serving.

• Scullery maid
  

Was the lowest grade of "below stairs" maid, reporting to the cook, the scullery maids were responsible for washing cutlery, crockery, and glassware, and scrubbing kitchen floors, as well as monitoring ovens while kitchen maids ate their own supper.

• Between maid
  

Was roughly equivalent in status to scullery maids, and often paid less, the between maids in a large household waited on the senior servants (butler, housekeeper, and cook) and were therefore answerable to all three department heads, often leading to friction in their employment.[8]

• Still room maid Was a junior maid employed in the still room; as the work involved the supply of alcohol, cosmetics, medicines, and cooking ingredients across all departments of the house, the still room maids were part of the "between staff", jointly answerable to all three department heads, butler, housekeeper, and cook.