The Ladies Maid

Today some knowledge, or assumptions about a ladies maid. What is a ladies maid, and whats her role? The whole speration about different types of maids comes from victorian times, where it was common and necessary to run a weahlty household with a large amount of servants. And as there are different tasks to fullfill in such a household, there were different roles. The role of a ladies maid was even known before, at regency times and earlier. In general she was the main female servant to the lady of the house, sometimes also the head of the female staff. And yes, you know surely all the stereotype of the elder maid that was sometimes nearly a friend of the lady of the house, but mostly the classical old virgin.

Wikipedia knows about the Ladies Maid:

A lady's maid is a female personal attendant who waits on the lady of the house. The position is very similar to a gentleman' valet. Traditionally, in eras past, the lady's maid was not as high-ranking as a lady's companion, who was a retainer rather than a servant, but the rewards included room and board, travel and somewhat improved social status. In Britain, a lady's maid was addressed by her surname by her employer. The lady's maid was addressed as Miss by junior servants or when visiting in another servants' hall. In the servants' hall, a lady's maid took precedence akin to that of her mistress. A lady's maid's specific duties included helping her mistress with her make-up, hairdressing, clothing, jewellery, shoes, A lady's maid would also clean dishes, remove stains from clothing, fill jugs with fresh water every day, polish and dust the furniture every day and sweep the floors very slowly and carefully.

You can not always sperate the duties of the ladies maid completely and clear as it was depended on the size of the household how her task would be and differ over times


A little bit more indepth of the duties of a ladies maid can be found here:


The business of a Lady’s Maid is extremely simple and but little varied. She is generally to be near the person of her lady and to be properly qualified to for her situation her education should be superior to that of the ordinary class of females, particularly in needlework and the useful and ornamental branches of female acquirements…
It will be her business to dress, re-dress, and undress her lady; and in this, she should learn to be particularly au fait and expeditious, ever studying, so far as it depends upon herself, to manifest good taste by suiting the ornaments of and decoration of her dress to the complexion habits age and general appearance of her person. Thus she will evince her own good sense, best serve her lady and gratify all those who are most interested in her welfare and happiness. She should alway be punctual in her attendance and assiduous in her attention.
Her first business, in the morning will be to see that the house-maid has made the fire and properly prepared her lady’s dressing room:- she then calls her mistress, informs her of the hour and having laid out all her clothes ,and carried her hot water to wash, she retires to her breakfast with the housekeeper and other principal servants. When her lady’s bell rings, she attends her in the dressing room- combs her hair for the morning, and waits on her till dressed; after which she folds and puts away her night-clothes, cleans her combs and brushes and adjusts her toilet table:- she then retires to her workroom to be ready if wanted and employes herself in making and altering dresses, millinery etc. About one o’clock the family generally take their lunch and the servants their dinner.-After this she is again summoned to attend her lady’s toilet whilst dressing to go abroad. When gone, she again adjusts her clothes and everything in the  room and lays out and prepares the several articles that may be required for her dinner or evening dress and afterwards employs herself at needlework in her own room or in her other avocations to dress for dinner, perhaps about five when she attends her for that purpose; and having done this it may happen that no further attendance on her mistress’ person will be required till she retires to bed: meanwhile she employes herself at needlework as in the morning or else in the various occupations of getting up the fine linen quazes, muslins cambrics laces etc and washing silk stockings taking the spots or stains out of silks etc etc
It is for  her to see that the housemaid or the chamber maid empties the slops, keep up the fires both in this and the bedroom (if wanted) and keeps the rooms in perfect order. Previous to her mistress retiring for the night she will have looked out her night clothes and aired them well; and she will not only now but at all times when she goes to dress carry up hot water for washing etc and when she is gone to bed she will carefully examine all her clothes and do all that is necessary to be done to them before she folds them away.

So what we conclude out of this for the Academy of Ladyship, a set of special rules that i will not post here in detail. Our maids in the academy should not know to much about it upfront. But first we have to look for a ladies maid, as the former ladies maid, rosie, you have read it here in on the blog was not able to hold that position.