Domestic Service and Gender, 1660-1750: Life and work in the London household (Women And Men In History)

In this exciting new study Tim Meldrum explores the ""real lives"" of domestic servants. From close examination of court records and other documentary evidence, he has reconstructed the lives of ordinary domestic servants in London. A revealing account of life below the stairs, the gendered nature of domestic service, how different members of the household interacted with one another, it makes a valuable contribution to the ""separate spheres"" debate Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 List of tables 10 Acknowledgements 11 1. Introduction 14 The historical importance of domestic service 15 Historiographical outlines 17 Principal sources 20 Structure of the book 23 2. Metropolitan service: the London context 25 London's economy 25 Structures of London domestic service 28 Useful definitions 38 Conclusion 45 3. Service, mastery and authority 47 Introduction 47 Household discipline 50 Character and employment 64 Conclusion 78 4. Household relations 81 Introduction 81 Privacy and the family 84 Servants and spatial segregation 89 Proximity to the person 97 Sexual relations between household members 113 Departure from the household 134 Conclusion 136 5. Domestic service as work 141 Introduction to the meaning of work 141 Housewifery and the drudgery of service 150 Domestic service in retailing households 166 Idle luxury 177 Conclusion 189 6. Wages and remuneration 196 Introduction 196 The importance of money 200 Non-wage earnings 208 Conclusion 218 7. Conclusion 220 Appendix I Bibliographical essay 223 General domestic service 223 Domestic service in london 224 European domestic service 225 Domestic service in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries 226 Service, slavery and patriarchy 227 Gendered work and wages 228 Sources for London domestic service 229 Index 231 This Book Presents The Lives Of Women And Men Who Lived And Worked As Domestic Servants In London Between 1660 And 1750. Using The Testimony Of 1,500 Individual Servants Alive In A Distinct Phase Of English History, The Book Brings To Life: Household Relations; Sex And Slander; Life Cycle; Working Conditions; And Wages, Perks And Tips For Diverse Servants. It Addresses The Controversies Over The Early Modern Family And The Myth Of Separate Spheres. Its Broad Scope Encompasses Histories Of Privacy, Desire And Social Relations, Of Cultures Of Work, And Of Moral Economics Of Service. Integrating The Latest Social And Cultural Histories. This Books Shows How Thousands Of Men And Women Got Their Living Within The Households Of The Sometimes Turbulent, Always Vibrant World Of England's Capital City.--book Jacket. Tim Meldrum. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book presents the lives of men and women who lived and worked as domestic servants in London between 1660 and 1750 using the testimony of 1,500 individual servants who were alive in a distinct phase of English history Domestic Service and Gender, 1660-1750 explores household relations, sex and slander, life cycle, working conditions, compensation, and special perks for diverse servants. It addresses the controversies over the early modern family and the myth of separate spheres. Its broad scope encompasses histories of privacy, desire and social relations, of cultures of work, and of moral economies of service. Integrating the latest social and cultural histories, this books shows how thousands of men and women got their living within the households of the sometimes turbulent, always vibrant world of England's capital city. "This book presents the lives of women and men who lived and worked as domestic servants in London between 1660 and 1750. Using the testimony of 1,500 individual servants alive in a distinct phase of English history, the book brings to life: household relations; sex and slander; life cycle; working conditions; wages, perks and tips and for diverse servants. It addresses the controversies over the early modern family and the myth of separate spheres. Its broad scope encompasses histories of privacy, desire and social relations, of cultures of work, and of moral economies of service." "Integrating the latest social and cultural histories, this books shows how thousands of men and women got their living within the households of the sometimes turbulent, always vibrant world of England's capital city."--Jacket