Scullery
About This Room
Objects In The Room
For Kids
The Scullery
This was a multi-functional area. It provided facilities for household cleaning and some laundry, although in Bath laundry was also often sent out to the nearby village of Weston. These cleaning jobs were always kept separate from the Kitchen. The Scullery Maid probably also slept in this room.
The Scullery Maid
The Scullery Maid or scullion was the lowest of the servant hierarchy and likely to be a young girl of 10 to 13 years of age. Her job was to wash pots and pans, and her hands were perpetually raw and covered in chilblains. She also had to scrub floors, dressers and tables and clean away vegetable, meat and fish debris and generally skivvy for the other servants. She did not eat in the Servant’s Hall with the other servants but instead watched over anything still cooking in the kitchen. She was paid around £2 10 shillings per year, worth approximately £12 today.
The Footman
The role of the Footman encompassed many jobs. He was expected to accompany the Master whilst out of the house, to protect him and to undertake any errands his Master might require including carrying parcels. In the house, he would be expected to answer the door, carry coals, clean boots, trim candles and set tables. A Footman would earn approximately £13 per year, worth £1,134 today.
The Butler
Male servants were paid a third to half more than female servants, and male servants were taxed to help fund the fighting in the American War of Independence. The Butler was paid approximately £25 per year (£2,181 today). In addition to this, he would have food, accommodation and extra allowances such as tea, tips, commission when paying Master’s Bills, cast-off clothing (to wear or to sell for profit) and occasionally new clothing. In a house of this size, there was probably only one male servant who undertook the combined roles of the Butler, Footman and Valet.
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Objects In The Room
Coal hole entrance
This allowed coal to be delivered directly from the street.
The Well
The 1772 house particulars describe No. 1 Royal Crescent as being, ‘well-supplied with water’ and during the redevelopment in 2012 a rectangular well chamber was located beneath the scullery floor. Having its own supply of water from a well was a great asset for a town house because piped water was so unreliable. Usually a house had two water supplies, hard water (either piped or well water) and soft rainwater for washing, which was collected in water butts.
Dough Trough
A trough such as this would have been more common in a big country house, where bread was made for large numbers. In the city, bread was readily available from bakers’ shops, of which Bath had many.
Various irons
During the Georgian period, ironing was done using heavy weight irons such as these on display. They would have been heated on the stove and then used to complete the laundry tasks. Ironing was done on a table rather than a purpose made ironing board.
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