Genealogy Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Boards

Quick Search

Single word search

Tools

Findmypast DNA Banner

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Victorian vocation?

Login to Add Reply Watch This
ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Malcolm

Malcolm Report 25 Jul 2013 13:22

I have a female ancestor who in the 1871 census is described as a "Late Housekeeper in a Gentleman's Home". Any thoughts on this please?
Kind regards
Malcolm

Rambling

Rambling Report 25 Jul 2013 13:37

Housekeeper for a Gentleman, simple as that I'd think, keeping the household running smoothly, in charge of the servants if any.

Researching:

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 25 Jul 2013 14:08

Sorry, but it seems self-explanatory

'late' in this context means 'formerly...................presumably, she was retired by 1871

Malcolm

Malcolm Report 25 Jul 2013 18:14

Thanks for thoughts. The lady in question was 59 in 1871 so she may well have been retired. Or perhaps she simply did the evening/late shift.

Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it

Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it Report 25 Jul 2013 18:44

Housekeepers were on duty 24/7 they could be called on at any hour for an "emergency"

some had something like 1 day a month off when they left the under housekeeper in charge with lots of instructions but would again still be on call if needed

Researching:
Surname Fahse. Germany. Essex .South East London My avatar is one of our wedding photos of 1957

SylviaInCanada

SylviaInCanada Report 27 Jul 2013 05:02

.............. and "in a gentleman's home" probably meant that she was housekeeper to a single man, not to a married man with a family.


saying she was "late housekeeper" did mean that was her last job, not that she was on late duty.


Most housekeepers lived in ................ they had total charge of the house, hired and fired staff. If it was a married couple, the wife would be nominally in charge, but it seems that a housekeeper for a single man might have been left to do it all ................... keep the house running smoothly and "don't bother me" sort of thing.


He might have died, or he might have married, and so she is without a job.



You might find out more, if you look on an earlier census.

Researching:
My brother, photo taken in September 1991 just a couple of weeks before he died. ............................................................ To help us and to get better results, please post as much detail as you can, especially name, date(s) and place. Also say what you already know.

DazedConfused

DazedConfused Report 27 Jul 2013 12:38

Well everyone has ignored the other answer, which is less palatable

She could easily have been his mistress, they were often called 'live-in' housekeepers.

Researching:
We are all of us in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars, Oscar Wilde New avatar, my dad age about 3/4 months, could have been worse, it could have been the awful nude on a rug!!