The Manor's Household – The Servants' Manor 1725-1800

The large manors formed a social world of their own. This is perhaps especially true for the indoor households at the country's manors, which, according to censuses and estate accounts in the 18th century, were populated by large groups of servants employed at the manors. The history of servants and the study of their daily lives, tasks and coexistence with the lords is a new field of research in both Danish and international research. In a new research project, The Danish Research Centre for Manorial Studies and Gammel Estrup Denmark's Manor Museum will investigate the world of servants at the 18th century manor. Kristine Dyrmann is carrying out the project with funding from the Ministry of Culture's Research Committee. The project began in January 2021.

The project is carried out as two case studies, which together cover the period from 1725-1800 and delve into archival material from two manors – Brahetrolleborg on Funen and Gammel Estrup on Djursland. The main questions in the project are:

• How was the indoor household at the two manors organized, and how did the indoor household relate to the rest of the manor's staff?
• What were the functions of the individual servants, and can we gain insight into their experiences, conditions and everyday life as employees at the two manors? What was the relationship between the lords and servants?
• Last but not least, the relationship of the two manor households to the surrounding society during the period is examined – thereby providing insight into the cultural patterns and social contracts of the past at the large workplaces of the time, the manors.

Common to manors as workplaces and their indoor households was that the servants under the steward, housekeeper and cook had their own hierarchies and specialized functions. Valet-men and chambermaids took care of the manor, and estate stewards and clerks assisted in the manor's administration, while the housekeeper supervised the housemaid and maids. Cooks and maids ran the roasters, brewers and bakers on the ground floor. In addition, there were governesses and tutors who were responsible for the upbringing of the manor's children, while brewers and servants populated the manor's kitchen areas, cellars and attics.

The project will contribute to both Danish and international research by providing insight into the internal structures of the manor and the lives of the staff who formed the backbone of the large household at the manor, while at the same time the manor formed the framework for the lives of the servants, both during and after working hours.

Postdoc
Kristine Dyrmann
Ph.d. in history, cand.mag. in history and French