Servants In The Victorian Era

How bad was the work for servants in the Victorian Era? Servants were never middle or high-class people, they were the poor people. Servants were important for middle and high-class people because they were basic for their daily life. The butler’s duties were a lot easier than some servants, but they were still important. The butler had entire control of the dining room, and under the measurements of the footman (Holt, A Book of Manners for Everyday Use). The clothes the butler wears salt-and-pepper patterned trousers and a high double-breasted black waistcoat, for breakfast and lunch(Holt, A Book of Manners for Everyday Use). Butlers never were all black, but a black tie or coat would be fine. The butler was often assisted by a footman, and

The average age the children were for these jobs were 8 ½ years old. The children had to work as much as adults had to but some of the jobs children had weren’t safe, it wouldn’t be ok now. For them they didn’t care to have children as servants to because they didn’t had people who make sure that it doesn’t happen. Some of the jobs children had were coal mines, pick pocketing, some had to work in factories, and laundry for pay(Price). Children three through five had to do chimney sweeps, they did those jobs because their small body was great for fitting inside the chimney. Chimney sweeps where horribly they had all the dirt and grime from fires and a major risk of getting hurt. According to “victorianchildren.org” the job of sweeping the chimney may have been the most dangerous job for children in the 1800’s, especially when the child first started doing the job. The people who did chimney sweeps rarely made it to middle ages. Orphans were taken and put to work cleaning the chimneys, but when they got to big they were put back on the streets, and children often outgrow the job by nine to ten years of age(Price). They coal mines weren’t as bad as the chimney sweeps, but still many risks are with this jobs to. Children age five boy or girl who worked in places like the iron or coal mines usually died around age twenty-five. Non or little attention is paid to the children 's safety and health back then. Death was not uncommon back then because in factories the made children clean under machines even when it was running. They didn’t care if a child died back then only if work was done, children were beaten for arriving late or falling asleep. Unlike today we don’t have to worry about are children getting beaten for that because we can have servants. Some jobs children had to work sixteen hour