Lady's maid

A lady's maid is a female personal attendant who waits on her female employer. The role of a lady's maid is similar to that of a gentleman's valet.[1]

For the butterfly with this name, see Vanessula milca.
Illustration depicting a Parisian lady's maid in the 1630s. The illustration is made in the turn of the 18th-19th century, by Georges-Jacques Gatine (1773–1848)
Mistress and Maid by Johannes Vermeer.

Description

Traditionally, 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 the servants' hall, a lady's maid took precedence akin to that of her mistress. In Britain, a lady's maid would be addressed by her surname by her employer, while she was addressed as "Miss" by junior servants or when visiting another servants' hall.

A lady's maid's specific duties included helping her mistress with her appearance, including make-up, hairdressing, clothing, jewellery, and shoes. A lady's maid would also remove stains from clothing; sew, mend, and alter garments as needed; bring her mistress breakfast in her room; and draw her mistress's bath. However, she would not be expected to dust and clean every small item, as that would be the job of a housemaid.[2]

Examples of lady's maids

See also

References
  1. "Class and the Domestic Service System through Downton Abbey" (PDF). Repositori Obert UdL. Archived from the original (PDF) on Aug 26, 2022.
  2. Hoppe, Michelle Jean. "Article 046--Servants--Their Hierarchy and Duties". Literary Liaisons. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  3. Helen Rappaport: Queen Victoria: A Biographical Companion, 2003
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