Servants' Names

[Dorset Girl]

Concerning the common practice of calling each successive servant by the same chirstian name!

I'm sure I remember reading this tit bit somewhere else but as I was wandering through an old Family Tree Magazine ( June 1993 in fact) I came acrosss this in the postbag section:

"you may have failed to identify a servant ancestor as a result of the common practice of calling each succesive maid, tweeny or footman in the household by the same name, regardless of the individual's real name. So the master or mistress of the house might take the view that their parlour maid was always Eliza the tweeny was always Sarah and the footman was always George."

As if there isn't enough confusion in our searches already!!

Marion

[Colin Rowledge]

While in my own tree I have lots of "Servants", one that I thought was promising [but turned out not be] was a Coachman. While researching the surname "George" I came across this one who had the given name Prince.

I can just imagine the 'Lady of the Manor' trying to explain to others, that she would be leaving with 'Prince George' and would meet up with her husband later.

Colin

[writer-ros]

I have also heard that some people often called their servants Martha or Jane. Something else to consider!

Ros

[Colin Rowledge]

I can just imagine the 'Lady of the Manor' trying to explain to others, that she would be leaving with 'Prince George' and would meet up with her husband later.

Colin

Visions of "Mellors and Lady C." came to mind when I found this.

[Dorset Girl]

I have also heard that some people often called their servants Martha or Jane. Something else to consider!

Ros

I think the names George, Eliza and Sarah were only used as examples - I imagine that whoever was the "first" set the precedent for the following names. I don't imagine it happened in every household but just something to remember when some things seem to fit but the first name seems to be wrong!
Marion