Life in the Victorian Country House

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Description

A highly illustrated exploration of the country house and the way it worked in the nineteenth century written by one of Britain's foremost social historians.

Country houses formed a distinct community and power base within the broader Victorian countryside. This book shows how landed families' day-to-day existence depended on the skills of the indoor servants who provided their meals and ministered to their general comfort, and the outdoor staff who contributed to their leisure and sporting pursuits.

It considers the relationship and the divisions between those living 'above stairs' and and the carefully considered hierarchy of domestics who met their needs 'below stairs'. Also considered are the wider social activities of the two groups who, while living under the same roof, experienced a very different daily round. That applied to preparations for the holding of house parties and the running of sporting events, as well as the important social influence exerted by the London 'Season'.

Reviews

"... shows how landed families' day-to-day existence depended on the skills of the indoor servants who provided their meals and ministered to their general comfort, and the outdoor staff who contributed to their leisure and sporting pursuits. It considers the relationship -- and the divisions -- between those living 'above stairs' and and the carefully considered hierarchy of domestics who met their needs 'below stairs.'" --Jane Austen Today, www.janitesonthejames.blogspot.com (September 2010)

"... a beautifully illustrated book ... filled with historical details and archived photographs of Britain's landed families and their day-to-day lives." --Pamela Horn, www.janeaustensworld.wordpress.com (October 2010)

Author Bio

Pamela Horn formerly lectured on economic and social history at Oxford Polytechnic, now Oxford Brookes University, for over twenty years. She has written a number of books on Victorian social history, including The Rise and Fall of the Victorian Servant and Ladies of the Manor.