Throughout history, there have been many names and titles used to refer to female domestic servants. The specific terms used often depended on factors like the historical time period, geographical location, and the servant’s duties or position within the household.
Maid
One of the most common terms for a female domestic servant is “maid” or “maiden.” This word dates back to the Middle Ages in England and was used to describe a young, unmarried woman who worked as a servant in a noble or wealthy household.
The term “maid” highlighted the servant’s youth and unmarried status. Maids performed a variety of domestic tasks including cooking, cleaning, washing, and tending to the needs of the lady of the house. A maid was considered lower in status than a housekeeper or governess, who were older and held positions of greater responsibility.
The use of the term “maid” continued into the Victorian era. A Victorian maid referred specifically to a female servant whose work centered on housework tasks such as chamber work (cleaning rooms), firing (lighting fires in stoves and fireplaces), and table service (serving meals). The role of a Victorian maid contrasts with other specialized servant roles like cook, nurse, or lady’s maid.
Housemaid
“Housemaid” was another term commonly used to denote a female domestic servant, especially one who performed housework. The term emphasizes the location and nature of the maid’s work – laboring within a house or household.
Housemaids were responsible for physically demanding chores like emptying chamber pots, carrying water for bathing and washing, beating dust out of household items, and scrubbing floors. The position of housemaid ranked below a cook or lady’s maid.
Housemaid was used as a general term for a female cleaning servant. It could refer to a maid-of-all-work in modest households or the lowest ranking maid in an aristocratic estate.
Parlourmaid
In wealthy English households of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, a parlourmaid was a female servant who worked in the reception rooms of the house.
A parlourmaid’s duties included cleaning and tidying drawing rooms, parlours, libraries, and other public rooms. She polished furniture, trimmed lamps, emptied ashtrays, and ensured the reception rooms were presentable for guests.
The parlourmaid served refreshments like afternoon tea to those using the parlour and answered the door when visitors called. Her work uniform was usually more formal than other maids.
The role of parlourmaid ranked above general housemaids but below senior servants like the cook or lady’s maid. The position required good social skills, literacy, and decorum.
Kitchen Maid
In large aristocratic or upper-class households that could support extensive staffs, kitchen maid was the title for the lowest-ranked maid who worked under the supervision of the cook.
Kitchen maids performed basic repetitive kitchen tasks like peeling vegetables, cutting meat, carrying food and supplies, washing dishes, cleaning ovens, stoking fires, and removing ashes. Their uniform included an apron and cap.
The challenging working conditions and menial labor of kitchen maids meant the role had low social status. However, it could be an entry-level position to eventually advance to cook.
Scullery Maid
A scullery maid had the most dirty and physically demanding job among kitchen servants. She worked in the scullery, a small room next to the kitchen where pots and pans were scrubbed clean.
Scullery maids hauled well water, stoked fires, peeled vegetables, plucked fowl, washed dishes, and scrubbed cooking equipment. Their hands were often red and raw from the hot water and powerful lye soap used for cleaning.
The position of scullery maid was one of the lowest in the servant hierarchy. It was often the first role taken by young rural girls newly in domestic service.
Between Maid
“Between maid” referred to a female servant who both waited on tables and cleaned. She was literally a maid who worked “between” the upper and lower ranks of servants.
Between maids worked in middle-class households that were too small to have separate housemaids and parlourmaids. She served meals, washed dishes, answered doors, cleaned reception rooms, and emptied chamber pots.
The between maid could replace the parlourmaid or housemaid if they had time off work. She occupied an ambiguous position somewhere between the two.
Nursemaid
In wealthy English households, a nursemaid was a female servant tasked with caring for the young children of the family.
A nursemaid’s duties included feeding, bathing, dressing, and supervising the young children. She provided basic education on manners and household conduct. Nursemaids scolded, disciplined, and taught the children proper behavior.
Unlike governesses, nursemaids were usually uneducated themselves. However, nursemaids typically had good mothering instincts and patience with boisterous children.
Ladies’ Maid
An upper class woman of the 18th or 19th centuries employed a ladies’ maid to help her with her appearance, hygiene, wardrobe, and dressing.
A ladies’ maid helped style her mistress’s hair, ran baths, assisted with dressing, laid out clothes and jewelry, and went shopping for personal items. She was expected to be discreet and skilled in fashion and grooming.
Ladies’ maids had high status among servants because they had close contact with the woman of the house. They sometimes served as confidantes or companions as well as personal attendants.
Abigail
“Abigail” was a term used for a lady’s maid dating back to the 17th century. It was inspired by a character named Abigail in the biblical Book of Samuel, who waited on King David’s wife.
An Abigail performed the typical duties of a ladies’ maid like dressing, sewing, delivering messages, and accompanying her mistress on outings. She was expected to be loyal, tactful, and respectful.
Use of “Abigail” as a name for ladies’ maids declined in the 19th century. But it conjured images of a servant from a past era of witty, experienced Abigails dressing aristocratic women.
Tweeny
“Tweeny” was a term for a junior maid in a modest middle-class household in the 19th and early 20th centuries. She worked “between” the upper servants and the kitchen help.
The tweeny performed light cleaning work upstairs and helped the cook or housekeeper with kitchen tasks. Her work included scrubbing front steps, emptying chamber pots, making beds, and assisting with cooking and washing.
A tweeny occupied an ambiguous role straddling the line between housemaid and kitchen maid. The position was often a first job for young girls entering domestic service.
Slave/Enslaved Woman
In the American South before 1865, female domestic servants on plantations were overwhelmingly enslaved African-American women.
An enslaved female servant was considered the legal property of the slave owner. She worked under coercion rather than freely contracted labor.
Enslaved women working as servants in plantation houses performed duties like cooking, cleaning, laundry, sewing, childcare, and serving meals. Their labor was exploited to support the domestic comfort of the white Southern family who enslaved them.
Mammy
“Mammy” was a label used in the American South to refer to black female slaves who worked as nannies, housekeepers, cooks, maids, and personal attendants to white families.
The term mammy stereotyped enslaved black women as obedient, loyal servants who dutifully nurtured the children of their white masters. This ignored the lack of choice and horrific conditions female slaves faced.
Mammy figures were also popularized in novels, films, advertisements, and songs in the late 19th and early 20th century. They created a nostalgic but misleading image of happy, maternal enslaved servants.
Domestic/Servant
More neutral terms used for female household servants throughout history are “domestic” and “servant.”
A domestic performed domestic work within a household, including housekeeping, cooking, and childcare. The term does not ascribe a specific rank or position.
Servant also functions as a broad, gender-neutral word for someone who works as an employee doing household tasks for the benefit of the family. It can be modified to denote seniority, like “head servant.”
While less descriptive than occupational names like housemaid or cook, these terms avoid problematic associations with slavery, stereotypes, or low social status.
Conclusion
In summary, some of the main historical titles used for female servants include maid, housemaid, parlor maid, kitchen maid, scullery maid, nursemaid, ladies’ maid, Abigail, and mammy. Usage varied based on time, place, and a woman’s precise occupational role and rank.
Certain terms have problematic links to slavery, stereotypes, and class prejudices. More neutral labels like domestic, servant, or worker have emerged in recent times. But the terminology for female servants across history reveals much about past social hierarchies and gender roles.
While household mechanical appliances have eliminated many traditional domestic roles, women still perform the majority of unpaid housework today. Examining the history of female domestic workers illuminates their vital yet undervalued contributions to family comfort and daily life.
Many women worked grueling jobs as exploited servants or slaves throughout history. Their stories and voices have often been overlooked. Recognizing that legacy and the realities behind romanticized images is key to better understanding women’s work and experiences in the past.
Common Historical Names for Female Servants
| Name | Origin | Duties |
|---|---|---|
| Maid | Medieval England | General housework |
| Housemaid | Victorian Britain | Cleaning, scrubbing, washing |
| Parlourmaid | Victorian & Edwardian England | Cleaning reception rooms, serving refreshments |
| Kitchen maid | Large aristocratic households | Food preparation, washing dishes |
| Scullery maid | Victorian England | Washing pots and pans, hauling water |
| Between maid | Middle class Victorian households | Waiting tables, cleaning, emptying chamber pots |
| Nursemaid | Wealthy English households | Caring for and educating children |
| Ladies’ maid | 18th & 19th century wealthy homes | Helping mistress dress, bathe, groom |
| Abigail | 17th century England | Attending to needs of lady of the house |
| Tweeny | 19th & early 20th century Britain | Light cleaning, kitchen help |
| Slave/Enslaved woman | American South pre-1865 | Cleaning, cooking, childcare, sewing |
| Mammy | American South slavery | Nanny and servant for white families |