The manor or country house is often viewed exclusively as a stage for the economic and political elite of the past, a setting for splendour, luxury, and self-presentation. However, the world of the manor also included a well-defined hierarchy consisting…
To celebrate the unique history of Russborough, on the occasion of the ‘return home’ of the Prodigal Son series by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617 – 1682), a special study day is being organised at Russborough House, County Wicklow. It aims to explore…
Our third workshop, on ‘Servants’ networks & relationships: within & beyond the country house’ took place on 21 January at Uppsala University. The morning comprised papers by Rupert Goulding (National Trust, UK), who discussed the writing and service career of…
Historic Royal Palaces is currently running an exhibition on the untold lives of a wide range of servants who have worked at Kensington and Hampton Court: from Frances Talbot, the ‘rat killer ‘Keeper of ice and snow’, to Mehmet von…
The second workshop took place on 4 June 2024 at Manchester Metropolitan University. The theme was “Representations of Country House Servants”. Literary scholar Karen Lipsedge (Kingston University, UK) opened the workshop with a paper exploring how the anonymous 1808 novel…