A revealing account of life below the stairs, based on close examination of court records and other documentary evidence, this bookexplores the gendered nature of domestic service, and makes a valuable contribution to the "separate spheres" debate.

In this exciting new study Tim Meldrum explores the "real lives" of domestic servants. From close examination of court records and other documentary evidence, he has reconstructed the lives of ordinary domestic servants in London. A revealing account of life below the stairs, the gendered nature of domestic service, how different members of the household interacted with one another, it makes a valuable contribution to the "separate spheres" debate.