Until the Second World War, millions of men and more especially women, worked as domestic servants in houses all over Britain. The work could be hard but for those working in ‘Good’ service – working that is, for an upper-class family such as that of the Marquess of Bute, there were often unexpected benefits.  These sometimes included security of tenure, the opportunity to travel, and the secure knowledge that they would be ‘looked after’ in retirement or in times of trouble.

This lecture looks at the world of domestic service, and more particularly at that of the Bute household, and gives a fascinating insight into a vanished world.