If you enjoyed the behind the stairs view of pre-World War II domestic servitude in Remains of the Day, you will not want to miss the new PBS documentary Secrets of the Manor House.
There is no delightfully proper and sexually repressed butler played by Anthony Hopkins. However, political undertones an unrequited love aside, you will find everything else that you saw in the film.
Historic Homes of Britain
The heyday of these great homes was the Edwardian era. The epoch received its name from the playboy Prince of Wales and later monarch King Edward VII. Despite being married to one of the most beautiful women to ever join the British royal family (Princess Alexandra of Denmark), "Bertie" as he was known to his family, did not let this interfere with his love life.
The living wasn't just easy for royalty. The various Dukes, Earls, Lords, and Barons that form the backbone of the aristocracy were enjoying the spoils of controlling the majority of land in England. Land of course equaled wealth for this agrarian-based society. The biggest perk was ownership of an estate that announced your wealth and status.
20th Century Conservancy
Most of the great historic homes in England are now under the guardianship of the National Trust. (Princess Diana's ancestral home Althorp is one of the few great manses that is still in private ownership, under the direction of her brother, the current Earl Spencer).
The plus side to the government takeover of these private estates is that they are open to the public. For the families who were forced to give up control of their ancestral estates, it was the end of an era and a way of life.
Era of Domestic Service
In the mid-1800's there were over two million people employed "in service" to one of the great estate houses in England. The average manor house employed around one hundred servants.
The retinue of butlers, housekeepers, footmen, maids, and scullery maids were certainly glad for gainful employment, but the gulf between master and servant was enormous.
For the film, the current Lord Palmer allowed camera crews into his Edwardian masterpiece called Manderston House.
One of the most priceless treasures in the home is the 19th century curtains that were woven with real threads of silver and gold and cost over one million dollars.
In comparison, the yearly wages of a maid employed by the house was the equivalent of fifty dollars.
The work was long, hard, hot, and thankless.
The good news is that the industrial revolution was just around the corner. That ensured that many of these poor workers got out of the house and into the factories for long, hot, hard work. The wages were however slightly better.
It was of course the Industrial Revolution, World War I, the creation of electricity, and the increase in affordable mass transportation that ended the privileged life of those living in the great manor houses.
However, as this film proves, for the fortunate few, it was certainly grand while it lasted.
Teresa Wentz - Teresa Wentz holds a Master of Media Arts degree from the University of South Carolina. She has worked in various fields in the film ...
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