Immigrant servant impression

[khpittmancpa]

I'm new to reenacting. Based on my own family's history, I am interested in portraying a servant-perhaps a German immigrant servant for living histories. I have three children and would like to incorporate our impressions together since they are young. Please share any information with me that you think might be helpful to a beginner! Thanks!

Dear Ma'am,
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[MissMaggie]

Re: Immigrant servant impression

Hello!
First off, please make sure you sign your posts with your full name.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear that there is someone out there that is interested in doing the servant thing. I've been at it for about 4 years now and I've never met anyone else that did it other than historical site workers.

I'm going to tell you up front that depending on the ages of your children the servant thing will not work. Most women left service when they married and started having children because most employers would not allow their help to have children living in the house. If your children are mostly over 10 then you could have them as other servants of the household. Young girls and boys would go into service as young as 8 or 9. In Oshkosh Wisconsin there was one 11 year old girl as the only servant to a lawyer, another Oshkosh girl was 9 in the employ of someone in manufacturing, and one boy in Green Bay Wisconsin was 9 while working in a hospital. Commonly, most servants were somewhere from the mid-teens to the early 30's. I have come across a few servants in their 40's or 50's. The oldest I've come across being 64.

If your children do not fit in with the idea of being other household servants you will be limited to a very few possible positions. Day work for servants was not overly common because of the hours involved, it was simply easier for them to live in. A day women would perhaps be hired to help with the laundry or cleaning once or twice a week. A laundry women would take in laundry and work out of her own home, however, it is an impress that requires a lot of equipment and work. There is the off chance that a cook would be taken in as day labor though that would have been very unlikely. Your last option would be that of a farm women. I'm not sure how common they were in America, though I know they were very common in Europe. Farm women would do just about everything a man would do around the farm within reason (I doubt they did much plowing or handling the draft animals).

The above options are all very low class type of jobs. Housekeepers, house maids, lady's maids and maid's of all work would have been employed by the higher classes.

The only other option I can think of for you would be to portray a nanny or governess of some sort. This would allow you to be a servant of a higher class while allowing your children to be able to have fun and play. Depending on the ages it might take some persuading for younger children to not call you "Mom" at events.

At any rate, try a search on "Domestic Service" with your local library. You will definitely need to get some things via interlibrary loan. Most books I've found talk about domestic service in England and cover period after ours. However, in my opinion, domestic service really didn't change much in the 19th century. The changes from Europe to America would be much more profound.

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Immigrant servant impression

I'll ditto quite a few of Maggie's comments.

One thing to really consider is the style of events you'll be attending. Not to be the raincloud on the parade, but if the majority of events are "camping/battle" events, you have no place as a citizen, much less as servant... the instances of white servants in the occupied South are vanishingly rare.

Now, if you attend events that take place in historic buildings, the scope for a servant persona is greater, as you'd be more in a "normal' setting for white servants.

Take a look at where your anscestors came into the country. Many Germans came in through New York, Philadelpia, and points north of that. If they did not immediately head West for the farmland in the Wisconsin/Ohio/Minnesota direction, many stayed right there in the cities and took up factory work and other heavy labor jobs--even the children. Life in the slums of the urban centers was brutal for all concerned. (And there aren't too many events that deal with it, which is a pity, as it's a vital part of the American experience in my opinion!)

Also take a look at when and why your family came across... was it after the failed revolution in the 40s? If so, you'll want information on their involvement with that war, and their activities in this country after arriving; it may give you more information to work into a mid-60s impression. What did they do before/what did they do after helps!

One option you might look at is a fairly new immigrant family, wherein the husband has enlisted to provide "start up" money for the family, and the family is now biding time as best they can to wait for his enlistment to be up, so they can continue forward with what they initially planned on arriving in America. As a waiting family, you'd be doing whatever you could to augment his income, so you didn't have to touch the nest egg... taking in wash, doing laundry for convelescent hospitals (back-breaking labor, and dangerous for children to be around in a functional sense), working at piece-work industries (sewing shirts by contract with the government--a great way to work and starve to death at the same time!), etc.

Wow--do I sound like a party-pooper, or what??

I don't mean to be... just that I would strongly suggest doing some full-out research (get to be good friends with the local librarian, and the local historic society folks if you're still living in your family's settlement area, as well as the volunteers at the local family history center), and seeing what elements of the family's experience will work with CW living history. You may find that NON-war living history is a better experience for the family, too--I'm heartily in support of non-war events all over the place, and so long as they fit the time-frame this site encompasses (pre-1865-ish), I'm not going to have a Moderator Fit at all.

[MissMaggie]

Re: Immigrant servant impression

Mrs Clark,
Thanks for mentioning the event location part of it. I tend to portray the maid of a friend of mine so I follow her around at events. From time to time I will have the chance to play in a smaller farm house as the maid of all work. Now, what I would really love to have the chance to do is spend an immersion weekend in more of an upscale home with all the other servants and social custom that goes along with it. All that for a dream weekend and my mother complains that I never clean my room, go figure :D

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Re: Immigrant servant impression

I will echo Elizabeth in finding white female servants are rare in the South, so one will have to consider that if one is reenacting in the South. I personally study enslaved servants so I can't offer much help into hired white help other than if one is interested in Dr. Eppes' comments on his "experiment" which was a white nurse for his children (something his wife wanted as she was of Philadelphia birth).

Nevertheless, the major problem with servants is there are never enough of them. For example, when I attempted to find the total valuation of General Winfield Scott's property in 1860 I didn't have any luck. Nevertheless, what I did find was he had to have a pretty penny as he had 7 (white) servants in his NYC household.

Again, I'm coming from a different angle but somehow I doubt there was as much interaction between a white servant and their employer as there was between a slaveowner and his/her slave; however, that's just me talking out and not having any evidence to say yay or nay. I would clarify that a white woman in the South who is married likely wouldn't have much interaction with a field hand. I digress now...

(UGH THIS SIGNATURE STUFF IS TICKING ME OFF)
Emmanuel Dabney
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society

[AbbyWalker]

Re: Immigrant servant impression

First, I can attest to the fact that Maggie has an excellent domestic impression!

<<>>


There is another book out there called "Plain Talk and Friendly Advice to Domestics with Counsel on Home Matters" It was written in 1855 by
an anonymous New England lady and published by Phillips, Samson & Co,
Boston.

Her Introduction chapter includes the following:

" The writer of these pages is not aware of the existence of any book written expressly for the guidance and encouragement of servants. And she is sensible of the difficulty of so addressing them, as to gain their confidence, and give no offence to their natural prejudice..... But she believes her honest and earnest desire to improve the condition, as well as the efficiency and usefulness, of the LARGE CLASS (my empahasis) of people filling the various and responsible grades of service will not be entirely unappreciated."

She goes on to say: " Sevice is voluntary time and labor spent in the employ
of another, receiving, in payment therefor, board and wages-the relation of
servant and master ceasing at the option of either party."

Clearly she shows her New England background with that definition. Her
definiton that service is voluntary might have been disputed even up North,
where the choice for new immigrants or the poor perhaps would have been
"going into service" or starving. Or taking up illegal activities. Illegal activity is on the auther's mind though, since she assures her servant readers that
"It is sheer folly for servants to look upon their position as disgraceful or degrading. Only vice and crime can disgrace you. You can only be degraded by the indulgence of low and evil propensities. Honesty, fidelity, and an obliging deportment will as surely advance and ennoble, as their opposites will sink and ruin you."

Chapters include advice on dressing, deportment, wages and economy.
She even has a chapter decrying the practice of hired girls getting together and holding "gripe sessions". " I am sorry to say it is nothing uncommon for the hired girls of a village to have some special place of resort, wher on certain evening they run together, and hold a sort of club meeting, discussing their fancied grievances, boasting of their impertinences and faithlessness- to say nothing of more criminal practices- towards their respective employers, and encouraging each other in such conduct, instead of planning to better their condition and assisting each other by good counsels.

I'm sure Maggie never gripes when she's portraying a maid of all work! :p


Regards,
Abigail Walker

[MissMaggie]

Re: Immigrant servant impression

It never ceases to amaze me when I read about what people think of the serving class. Most people regaurded them as something like lazy children to be told how to do everything, scolded when they got it wrong and generally not trusted. Servants, on the other hand, generally thought their employers were lazy, silly, useless and not to be trusted.
One of my favorite books is called "The Greatest Plague of Life, or The Adventures of a Lady in Search of Good servant." The author is simply "One who has been almost worried to death" There are some wonderful illustations by George Cruikshank about the evils of servants from the constant stream of "followers" to the cook who didnt cook because she was reading novels and then all the breakages blamed on the cat. My favorite is the plate entitled "The Morning gossip". It shows three maids with brooms on the front step talking. Has a wonderful illustrated view of a back fastening dress and some caps, but that is besides the point.

[AbbyWalker]

Re: Immigrant servant impression

It never ceases to amaze me when I read about what people think of the serving class. Most people regaurded them as something like lazy children to be told how to do everything, scolded when they got it wrong and generally not trusted. Servants, on the other hand, generally thought their employers were lazy, silly, useless and not to be trusted.
One of my favorite books is called "The Greatest Plague of Life, or The Adventures of a Lady in Search of Good servant." The author is simply "One who has been almost worried to death" There are some wonderful illustations by George Cruikshank about the evils of servants from the constant stream of "followers" to the cook who didnt cook because she was reading novels and then all the breakages blamed on the cat. My favorite is the plate entitled "The Morning gossip". It shows three maids with brooms on the front step talking. Has a wonderful illustrated view of a back fastening dress and some caps, but that is besides the point.

Yes, in this book, and remember, the author wants her readers to know that she's on their side, REALLY on their side, she talks about a maid ,who had just arrived from Ireland, that she employed. Poor Bridget doesn't get anything right and the author has to do everything over, despite "giving up all my time to assist and teach her..." The author gave Bridget, NEWLY arrived from Ireland, which was still in the Iron age as far as the peasants were concerned, three days to catch on and couldn't fathom why the girl never outgrew the
"puzzled and vacant air while living with me."

Abby Walker

[khpittmancpa]

Re: Immigrant servant impression

Thank you so much for all your comments. Do you have a specific suggestion regarding the working class for a woman with children (5-8-11)? It's just the four of us and most of the events we go to are in GA/SC/TN/FL and are battle events with some living history. We have been spectators at the events for a couple of years and wanted to pursue reenacting as a "hobby". Although, I have to say it is more of a passion to us! Sometimes I go by myself, but for the most part, we wanted to go as a family. Are there perhaps other alternatives for civilians accompanying a millitary unit? I am specifically trying to form an impression including my children that can accompany the military unit. I thought perhaps maybe incorporating sewing or other work in some way. Again, thanks so much for your help! Any suggestions are appreciated.

It never ceases to amaze me when I read about what people think of the serving class. Most people regaurded them as something like lazy children to be told how to do everything, scolded when they got it wrong and generally not trusted. Servants, on the other hand, generally thought their employers were lazy, silly, useless and not to be trusted.
One of my favorite books is called "The Greatest Plague of Life, or The Adventures of a Lady in Search of Good servant." The author is simply "One who has been almost worried to death" There are some wonderful illustations by George Cruikshank about the evils of servants from the constant stream of "followers" to the cook who didnt cook because she was reading novels and then all the breakages blamed on the cat. My favorite is the plate entitled "The Morning gossip". It shows three maids with brooms on the front step talking. Has a wonderful illustrated view of a back fastening dress and some caps, but that is besides the point.

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Immigrant servant impression

My best advice would be to join in with a civilian-only group. There are really no appropriate scenarios for a woman with children in the military arena. (Soldier's camps are notorious for bad food, bad water, and outrageous disease, not to mention the vice and corruption of morals... no mother wants her children exposed to that!)

With a civilian-only group (like that of http://www.agsas.org ) you'll be working with folks who are experienced at setting up appropriate civilian activities at a wide range of events, and you'll meet folks who don't have any military connection at all, but still participate heavily. (We're on the wrong side of the country for AGSAS, but we don't do any military stuff in our family--hubby included--and it works out fine to be totally separate from the military establishment.)

Right now, one of the biggest obstacles facing those citizens who wish to do accurate living history is the military scenario paradigm... because the sheer fact is, what's being provided at most events is completely unrealistic in terms of the experience of average people of the time. Barring Westward Migration and some extreme situations, women and families just didn't "camp out" waiting for battles to be done! At Gettysburg, they hid in their cellars, and tried to get out of the way of the shelling. In Vicksburg, citizens camp the closest to camping, I think: they set up homes in caves, to avoid the shelling of their real homes.

But the vast majority didn't camp: and that's the first barrier to accurate living history scenarios for families. Getting with a group that focuses on the experience of the citizens, rather than makes them dependents of the military, is a great first step; you're far more likely to have more realistic (or less obtrusive) avenues of overnight accomodation, activities, and impression possibilities.