Great house
A great house is a large and stately residence; the term encompasses different styles of dwelling in different countries. The name refers to the makeup of the household rather than to any particular architectural style. It particularly refers to large households of times past in Anglophone countries (especially those of the turn of the 20th Century, i. e. the late Victorian or Edwardian ages in the United Kingdom and the Gilded Age in the United States), such as the English country house, the "stately homes of England" and the homes of various "millionaires' row" (or "millionaires' mile") in some U.S. cities such as Newport, Rhode Island) with luxurious appointments and great retinues of indoor and outdoor staff. By some reports, the summer homes of the wealthy at Newport averaged four servants per family member. There was often an elaborate hierarchy among staff, domestic workers in particular.
It was considered declassé to refer to one's own townhouses, estates or villas (or those of friends) as mansions and modern etiquette books still advise that the terms house, big house or great house be used instead.[1]
Today's great houses are limited to the very well-to-do;[2] royalty, aristocrats and people whose professions demand that they entertain, such as those in the diplomatic service and chief executive officers. [3]
In countries with supplies of cheap domestic labour, the middle classes are still able to afford household help, but not approaching the numbers involved in the running of a great house.
Management of a great house
On large estates or in families with more than one residence, there may be a steward (or estate manager, a more modern expression) who oversees direction of the entire establishment. Today it is not uncommon for a couple to split the duties of management between them. [4]
Household staff
Practices vary depending on the size of the household and the preference of the employers, but in general the staff is divided into departments Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
- Aravis was dressed to look like a superior slavegirl in a great house and wore a veil over her face.” [5]
Depictions of great houses
The complex hierarchy of a staff in a great house has been portrayed in several notable productions for film and television. Among these are:
- Backstairs at the White House (miniseries)
- The Edwardian Country House
- Gosford Park
- The Remains of the Day (film)
- Sense and Sensibility (film)
- Upstairs, Downstairs
- ’’You Rang, MLord?’’
Notable great houses
- The household is divided into departments: G-branch, general household staff comprising valets, butlers, under-butlers, 13 footmen, and drivers. Other footmen work for F-branch - food and drinks, which has five chefs - and H-branch - housekeeping and cleaning.
- Chatsworth House
- Eaton Hall (Cheshire)
- Hatfield House
- Holkham Hall
- Istana Nurul Iman
- Mansion House, London
- Rashtrapati Bhavan
- Syon House
- 10 Downing Street
- White House
- The household employs five full time chefs.
References
- ↑ Post
- ↑ Emily Post’s Etiquette: A Guide to Modern Manners by Elizabeth L. Post. 14th Edition. 1984.: Chapter 11 Employees in Your Home
- ↑ The International Guild of Professional Butlers estimates that the annual salaries of a 20-25 person household staff total in excess of US$1,000,000.
- ↑ Agencies that place and train domestic staff at the upper level usually refer to two tiers of domestic couple: managerial or household help
- ↑ from The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
Further reading
- The Victorian Great House. Malcolm Airs. 2000.University of Oxford Press. ISBN 0903736292}}
Links
- The International Guild of Professional Butlers [www.butlersguild.com]
- The International Butler’s Academy [www.butlerschool.com]
- Starkey International www.