The problem of the footman

The problem of the footman now appears in My Particular Friend. In the first story, The Poison Pen Affair, I avoided all mention of a footman (save for the mention of an unidentified servant), because I am uncertain of the number and quality of the servants in Miss House’s household at No. 3 the Royal Crescent. I am uncertain, for instance, whether three single ladies would have a footman, much less whether the house is grand enough to have a butler. Logically I know that as a probably first-rate house it is probably is (at least the footman), but for my purposes I dislike the idea of introducing a male character into the little clubby world of Charlotte, Jane, Mrs. Fitzhugh, Mary and Alice the maids and Mrs. Hutton the housekeeper.

As an amateur and not very knowledgeable historian, I can assume that there might be a cook apart from Mrs. Hutton, a scullery maid or two, perhaps two maids that lit the fires, emptied the chamberpots and fetched the water (service beneath those of Mary and Alice, ostensibly ladies’ maids), and maybe a boy or two to the clean shoes. Unlike a great house, we don’t need gardeners, ostlers, coachmen and the like, but we probably have two footmen wearing the clothes of a previous generation (or more likely century), if not an actual butler.

If any visitors here have thoughts on this, I should dearly love to hear them but just by virtue of writing this I am convinced that I must add a footman. My husband suggests I make him older and almost a butler.