Menial servants: Necessary women and watchmen

Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Originally published by University of London, London, 2006.

Citation:

'Menial servants: Necessary women and watchmen', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, ed. R O Bucholz( London, 2006), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp392-396 [accessed 26 November 2024].

Necessary Women 1685–1837

The necessary women were appointed by and under the direct supervision of the lord chamberlain. One necessary woman served at £91 5s until 1695; two until 1702; and three from 1702 to 1727. The first of these made £121 5s; the other two £30–35. (fn. 1) In 1705 Anne Hickson was established as necessary woman to the ladies of the bedchamber at £20 per annum. (fn. 2) The establishment of 1727 names six such servants ranging in payment from £121 5s down to £23 per annum. A seventh was added in February 1728. (fn. 3) Under George III, as head necessary woman Augusta Brandenburg made £304 6s 4d prior to 1782; this was reduced to £200 per annum in that year. (fn. 4) The necessary woman to the great council chamber made £62; that to the ball room made £62; that to the German chancery £50 (reduced in 1782 to £32); to the king's pages at the Queen's House, £50; to the great drawing room £33; to the back stairs £32; to the guard chamber £36 4s; to dust and sweep ashes from Whitehall £40. (fn. 5) In 1825 those to the duke's gallery, backstairs and German chancery received an additional £30 per annum apiece in compensation for the loss of lodgings consequent upon renovations at St. James's Palace. (fn. 6) By 1836, the necessary woman to the king's private apartments made £45 10s per annum; that to the entrance hall and corridors at St. James's £30; to the guard chamber £32; to the ball room £54 12s, to the Drawing Room £55 plus £30 for lodgings and £20 in lieu of coals. (fn. 7)

Necessary Women 1685–1837



1685	29 Dec.	Holmes, B.
1691	12 Nov.	Verrÿt, J.
1696	10 Mar.	Dewhurst, A.
1702	9 July	Foiston, M.
1702	26 Nov.	Whaley, A.
By 1703		Floyd, A. (at St. James's and Windsor)
By 1705		Hickson, A.
1714	28 Apr.	Mitchell, S. (at Kensington)
By 1716		Chadwick, - (Backstairs Rms at St. James's)
By 1716		Habberly, A. (for the Great Drawing Rm at St. James's)
By 1716		Peach, S. (Old Council Chamber and Passage to Chapel Royal, St. James's)
1721	10 July	Waplington, E.
1722	24 Sept.	Habberly, J. (?Great Drawing Rm, St. James's)
By 1723		Mogg, M. (Backstairs Rms. at St. James's)
By 1723		Young, M. (Guard Chamber, St. James's)
By 1727		Rinckin, E.
1727	1 July	Rowman, J.
1727	16 Oct.	White, S.
1727	16 Oct.	Pritchard, S. (at Kensington)
1727	27 Oct.	Staynes, M. (Privy Lodgings)
1727	27 Oct.	Ireland, S. (Queen's Private Lodgings)
1727	7 Nov.	Lyster, J. (Drawing Rm. and Council Chamber)
By 1744		Cole, - (?[late] Queen's Apartments).
1746	1 Mar.	Ellis, E.
1750	17 Nov.	Pritchard, S. (at Kensington)
1751	4 July	Palmer, R. (King's Backstairs at St. James's
1753	14 Feb.	Laight, M.
1753	8 May	Dufour, M.
1753	28 Dec.	Whittendale, B.
1754	4 Feb.	Smith, F. (lt. Queen's Apartments)
1755	15 Aug.	Cocksedge, A. (lt. Queen's Apts., St. James's)
1755	1 Dec.	Trucky, E. (Guard Chamber)
By 1759		Lloyd, S.
1760	21 Mar.	Thompson, M.
1760	25 Oct.	Jordan, E. (at Kensington)
By ?1761		Dinsdale, S. (from 1769 at Kensington)
1761	15 Jan.	Brandenburgh, A. (King's Private Apts.)
1761	5 Apr.	Heslop, M. (Bedchamber and Great Council Chamber)
1761	5 Apr.	Naylor, E. (New Gallery at St. James's)
1761	5 Apr.	Hamilton, S.
1762	5 July	Bird, R. (lighting and airing the Gallery and Ballroom at St. James's)
By 1763		Pugh, M. (Dukes Gallery leading to Ballroom, St. James's)
By 1763		Couch, C. (Cabinet Council Apartments)
1763	13 Apr.	Turner, E. (Council Chamber, Ball Room and Chapel Gallery at St. James's)
By 1772		Churchill, E. (Ballroom at St. James's)
1777	5 Sept.	Hunter, J.
1779	15 Aug.	Newell, S. (at Newmarket)
1782	15 Feb.	Armstrong, M. (Backstairs)
1782	17 Mar.	Caddy, J.
1783	Mar.	Doggett, V. (Whitehall)
1784	5 Apr.	Jarman, A.
1786	22 Oct.	Bush, J. (Cabinet Council Chamber)
1790	11 Feb.	Betty, J. (lighting and airing the Gallery and Ballroom at St. James's)
1791	5 Jan.	Keet, E. (Guard Chamber)
1792	5 Aug.	Macqueen, C. (Drawing Room, etc., St. James's)
1793	13 Dec.	Orme, F. (Guard Chamber)
1795	6 Apr.	Todd, E. (Whitehall)
1797	5 Jan.	Groom, S. (lighting the Gallery leading to the Ballroom, St. James's)
1798	4 Sept.	Goode, E. (Ballroom at St. James's
1801	4 July	Strode, G. I (Ballroom at St. James's)
1802	5 Jan.	Davies, R. (apts. of the Duke of Cambridge)
1803	16 Mar.	Bourne, E. (to the King's pages at the Queen's [Buckingham] House)
1804	9 Oct.	Baker, J. (apts. of the Duke of Cambridge)
1807	3 Nov.	Pugh, M. (Duke's Gallery leading to Ballroom, St. James's)
1810	3 Feb.	Falwaper, L. (King's Backstairs rooms).
1810	20 Apr.	Farrell, S. F. (King's Private Apts.)
1812	15 Mar.	De Bruyn, L. (King's Private Apts.)
1817	18 June	Norton, S. (Drawing Room, St. James's)
1821	2 June	Norton, S. (Drawing Room, St. James's)
1830	11 Oct.	Brettell, M. (Entrance Hall and Corridors, St. James's)
1830	11 Oct.	Brown, M. (Private Apts., St. James's)
1830	11 Oct.	Parker G. (Ballroom, St. James's)
1830	11 Oct.	Webb, S. (Guard Chamber)
1831	20 June	Halse, C. (Private Apts., St. James's)

Necessary Woman to the German Chancery 1716–?1837



By 1716		Spencer, J.
1737	23 Sept.	Fisher, A..
1744	19 Mar.	Thompson, C.
1774	Aug.	Caldicot, E.
1782	27 Feb.	Perry, S.
1784	5 Jan.	Stokes, S.
1789	5 Jan.	Macqueen, C.
1792	22 July	Moore, A.
1808	10 Feb.	White, A.

Watchmen at the Cockpit c. 1726–?1815

There were as many as four watchmen at the cockpit, appointed by the lord chamberlain, at £20 per annum apiece. (fn. 8)



By 1726		Fido, J.
By 1726		Herbert, E.
1738	3 May	Rock, J.
1739	1 Feb.	Molloy, D.
1741	14 Apr.	Wherrit, J.
By 1741		Charles, W.
1741	18 Dec.	Charles, B.
By 1749		Flower, J.
1749	24 Nov.	Hatch, R.
1753	16 Apr.	Davenport, T.
1754	12 Aug.	Ellis, C.
1773	Jan.	Scammerdini, J.
1774	20 Jan.	Luck, W.
1775		Ashford, J.
1777	22 July	Byrne, M.
1777	20 Oct.	Drew, J.
1780	1 Sept.	Wilds, B.
1782	23 Mar.	Pasquier, S.
1782	6 Jan.	Perry, W.
1783	8 May	Garroway, J.
1794	5 May	Seymour, G.
1794	May	Knight, J.
1802	7 Apr.	Fox, R.
1814	6 Jan.	Garroway, J.
1815	5 Jan.	Phillips, J.