- Joined
- Aug 25, 2012
In slave states during the Civil War era women of means had enslaved household staff but how did this work for women of means in non-slave states? In the early years they may have had indentured servants as household staff but the practice of indentured workers was probably not common by the start of the Civil War. So I assume that women of means had hired household staff. Would have these household staff lived in the women of mans house or lived in thier own homes and come to work everyday?
I have not seen any records that any of my direct ancestors had any household staff living with them, but they may have not had enough money for household staff. I do have a post Civil War great grandmother who lived at her employer's house as a cook, but she later married him. When my dad was young his father had a hired man or two living with them and my father's mother of and on had a hired girl who lived with them as well. My father's parents were not well off so they would not have had any real household staff but just one hire girl to help my grandmother. My grandfather did not pay his hired men and they worked for room and board.
When you research you ancestors did any of them have live in household staff? Were any of you ancestors live in anyone's house as household staff?
I have not seen any records that any of my direct ancestors had any household staff living with them, but they may have not had enough money for household staff. I do have a post Civil War great grandmother who lived at her employer's house as a cook, but she later married him. When my dad was young his father had a hired man or two living with them and my father's mother of and on had a hired girl who lived with them as well. My father's parents were not well off so they would not have had any real household staff but just one hire girl to help my grandmother. My grandfather did not pay his hired men and they worked for room and board.
When you research you ancestors did any of them have live in household staff? Were any of you ancestors live in anyone's house as household staff?