The life of a British maid

It's just before dawn on a Saturday in summer 1906, and 16-year-old Alice Sutton’s mind is already spinning— tonight’s plans could cost her her job. But for now, there's work to do. Alice gets ready slowly, thinking about how her life has changed. Only a week ago, she was the lone servant in a modest home. Now she’s an under-housemaid at Wroxton Abbey in Oxfordshire, England, the grand estate of Sir John and Lady Ann Ashby-Blythe. As one of the lower-ranking indoor servants, she reports to the housemaids

and, ultimately, the housekeeper, Mrs. Fletcher. Her responsibilities include scrubbing floors, sweeping fireplaces, and other cleaning tasks. She’s one of over a million women in domestic service in England— making up almost 30% of the female workforce. All but the poorest households have at least one servant, while estates like Wroxton employ dozens. She waits for Roberta, her nosy roommate, to leave. When all’s clear, Alice slips a stick of chalk into her pocket. A buzz of excitement fills the kitchen as everyone discusses tonight’s guest:

Prince Arthur, the king’s brother. Tonight is Alice’s chance to prove herself to her new employers. As she finishes her breakfast, Alice watches as a kitchen maid carefully stirs eggs, ensuring the yolks stay perfectly centered. Like many of the tasks servants perform, it requires painstaking precision. And Alice thinks it’s the sort of pointless demand only someone who has never had to do it could dream up. Alice and another under-housemaid, Louisa, head to Sir John and Lady Ann’s rooms to perform their morning chores:

filling the water basins, opening the curtains, and carrying out the chamber pots. The two girls had become fast friends after meeting months ago at a gathering of the Women’s Social and Political Union. Since 1869, British women who owned property had been allowed to vote in local elections— but not in parliamentary ones. Many hoped the Liberal Party, back in power since December, would expand voting rights for all women, but they kept deferring the issue. This included Alice’s employer, Sir John, who,

while a critic of Britain’s imperial project, had yet to voice an opinion on women's suffrage. But now, women of all classes were demanding deeds, not words, from the government— chaining themselves to railings, smashing windows, and defacing churches. Alice and Louisa hadn't gone that far. Not yet. Alice's afternoon is spent in the downstairs entryway, washing each tile in the grand mosaic with milk so it would gleam in the candlelight as the guests arrived. As the dinner hour nears,

she guides footmen carrying intricately carved butter sculptures to the dining room, and notices Roberta pulling Luisa aside. Alice lingers, trying to listen in on their conversation, but Mrs. Fletcher admonishes her for dawdling. By the time Prince Arthur's motorcar finally arrives, Alice has spent over 12 hours on her feet. As the dinner bell rings out, she realizes it's now or never. She and Louisa slip out and run to the nearby church. Alice scrawls “Votes For Women” across the wall

while Louisa strews pamphlets about. Suddenly, Roberta emerges from the shadows. Before Alice can stammer an excuse, Roberta hurls a rock at one of the windows. The three girls stand back and smile, imagining Sir John and the prince’s reactions when they arrive for church the next morning. With the prince there, the act might even make the newspapers. They rush back to the Abbey, arriving just in time to help clean up after dinner. Alice heads to bed, exhilarated and exhausted, unaware of how much would change in the years to come.

From 1914, the First World War fundamentally altered the rhythms of domestic life. Working-class women like Alice took on roles in factories, offices, and civil service. Many never returned to domestic work. In 1918, some women over 30 were finally allowed to vote in parliamentary elections. But another decade would pass before all women could vote on equal terms with men. By the mid-20th century, rising taxes, falling agricultural income, and a shrinking workforce led many grand estates to be sold off—

relics of a system whose grandeur depended on deep inequalities and the invisibility of the laborers who sustained it.Follow for more stories like this.