All in a day's work

Erddig's servants were up at the crack of dawn, with little time for rest in between, before heading to bed at 10pm at night. Imagine life as a servant at Erddig with a house full of guests.

Three Housemaids would have:

  • 12 beds to make a day
  • 12 cans of hot water to carry up 2 floors twice a day
  • 12 chamber pots to carry downstairs many times day
  • 7 living rooms and a chapel to clean every day
  • 7 staircases to brush

Two laundry maids would have:

  • up to 50 sheets to wash and iron
  • 50 pillow cases
  • 50 towels
  • 7 huge table cloths
  • 270 napkins
  • 28 tea towels
  • 35 plus servants’ aprons
  • all the shirts, blouses and underwear for family and servants

Did you know?

It was general practice for servants to be charged by their master doing their personal washing at work. In Erddig’s archives is Harriet Rogers’ list of prices for servants washing.

It was common practice for houses to charge servants for washing their personal laundry, even handkerchiefs
Harriet Rogers' note book with personal washing prices at Erddig
It was common practice for houses to charge servants for washing their personal laundry, even handkerchiefs