Diary Of a House Maid

It was 10.15pm and Sarah had finished all her chores for the day. She was a scullery maid for the affluent household of the Seymour family.

Although exhausted she sat on her bed and put pen to paper of her day at work in the big house.

Saturday 8th October 1898

"I am all in. I rose at 5.30am this morning, washed and dressed and started my day in the scullery. I gave the range a good stoke and got the water boiling for a pot of tea for cook and the upper servants.

I lit all the fires upstairs after cleaning them and emptied the chamber pots and cleaned them. It took longer than normal and I flapped as I must not be seen by the ‘family’.

I am considered the lowest in rank of servants.

Beatrice, the kitchen maid scolded me today for dropping the saucepan I was scouring. My ! It did make a clang. I felt my face turn beetroot. I observe the pastry cooking of Beatrice when I have the opportunity, as hopefully, one day I will be able to improve my position by learning new skills.

Mrs Williams, the cook is always shouting her orders at Beatrice and me. She starts her day discussing the days menu with the lady of the house. The cook is very important.

When I was carrying the heavy can of water upstairs today I nearly tripped. Thank heavens I only spilt a very small amount which I quickly mopped up with my apron. I worry that one day I might trip whilst carrying the coal for the fires in the bedrooms. I cannot imagine the mess it would make.

Oh my! My hands are rough and sore. No doubt due to all the floors and stairs I have to scrub and the pans I have to scour.

I miss my mother and father. I haven’t seen them since last Christmas. I have my father to thank for teaching me to read and write as well as my school. Still, I count my blessings to have a roof over my head and enough food to eat."

__________

Sarah closes her diary and climbs into bed. She shivers and pulls the blankets up around her chin. The beginnings of winter are in the air and causing a chill in the room.

Her thoughts return to her family. Her five brothers and her mother and father. She is the only girl in the family and her brothers used to boss her about but she loves them. They lived in a small terraced house in Hackney, East London and it was very cramped. She had to help with the housework from the age of nine. She would scrub the stone front step until it was so clean you could eat off it.

‘I am only sixteen and yet I feel it’s been a hard life so far. I wonder what it’s like to be rich like Mrs Seymour‘?  thought Sarah as sleep was beginning to envelope her.

Sarah drifted off to sleep as she faced another hard day to come.