At the Market Harborough WI Monthly Meeting last week Jo Golby – suitably dressed for the part – entertained our members with a talk about the life and tribulations of the typical Ladies Maid at the turn of the century.

Jo has spent years as a guide at both Warwick Castle and Calke Abbey and has contributed a lot of her knowledge as background to the makers of Downton Abbey. Jo’s talk this week used the career of the American heiress Mary Leiter and her struggle to be accepted into English Society after her engagement to Lord Curzon of Kedleston to show the challenges for both ladies and her maids in Edwardian society.

Mary was a good friend of Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick (famously the mistress of Edward, Prince of Wales) who helped her find her unique style and place in society – from finding the right dress maker to hiring (and keeping!) a suitable ladies maid.

Jo’s talk covered a variety of aspects of the life of ladies maids, who were the confidants of their ladies, were expected to work incredibly long hours and attend to their mistress’s every demand. Ladies could be required to change dress up to six times a day and required their maids to look after their dress collection and mend as needed. Maids also had to be proficient in making the typical remedies of the day for chafing corsets and a beautiful skin. And last but not least, Ladies maids were expected to keep their ladies’s secrets. One of Daisy Warwick’s challenges in life was that she wore out her maids, who then left with the knowledge of the true insider…

In return for their skills and loyalty ladies maids had a higher status than the rest of the ‘downstairs’ staff, were well paid and got to travel with their ladies. They were also given the (sometimes very valuable) cast offs to keep which added to their income. At the end of their working life they often were pensioned off with a living found on the estate.

Finally, Jo gave a demonstration of the ‘language of the fan’ – an essential for both ladies (and their maids!) and gentlemen (and their footmen!) to master. Who would have known that the change of a finger position could land you an assignation!!

Altogether, this was an enjoyable evening, great fun and very informative. And none of us is likely to look at Downton Abbey in the same way ever again!

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