The Butler's Guide

With the third season of Downton Abbey at a close, I suspect there are some who feel a bit at a loss, still craving a bit more of the Crawley family and the lives of their staff.

It was a time when most families from the middle class on up had some form of servant working in their home. It could have been the "maid of all work" for those with a limited budget, up to a full staff of house and garden servants, but they were a constant part of much of the life of Great Britain and something with which everyone would have been familiar. But, for better or for worse, things have changed.

What perhaps we have forgotten, is that these servants were professionals in their trade, be it a butler, valet, footman, maid, gardener, chauffeur, etc. The all trained from youth to learn a set of skills which would be used by them for the rest of their lives. While some were simply trying to get by as best they could, many were very proud of the tasks they performed would have been at a total loss should they no longer be needed, as was the case of Mr. Molesley.

Unfortunately, in the modern age, many of the skills that were learned and passed down from generation to generation of servant have been lost. Luckily for those who are interested some of this knowledge was preserved in 1980 when Stanley Ager, former butler and valet, and his wife Fiona St. Aubyn, grand-daughter of Ager's employer, sat down and wrote "The Bulter's Guide."

It was his job to run the home of his employer as well as see to the care and cleaning of his clothes, silver, etc. The book starts out with a look back at the running of the grand house back in 1922 when Ager was but 14 years old. He then covers the topics such as cleaning and polishing, clothing care and packing, and managing the table. He finishes up with a chapter called "Other Graces" which cover such handy topics as "being a guest" and "a romantic picnic for two."

While having servants is not something that appeals or is affordable for most in the 21st century, that doesn't mean we cannot learn from their skills to help us take care of our own things and ourselves. And at the very least, this book offers a unique window into a life long gone through they eyes of someone who worked his entire life behind the scenes.

And thankfully with the popularity of Downton Abbey, the book was re-released in 2012 with a forward from Alastair Bruce, historical advisor to Downton Abbey. I hope you find the book as entertaining, educational and helpful as I have.

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