The household below stairs: Waiters and Servitors in Hall

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

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Citation:

'The household below stairs: Waiters and Servitors in Hall', 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/pp460-462 [accessed 26 November 2024].

'The household below stairs: Waiters and Servitors in Hall', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Edited by R O Bucholz( London, 2006), British History Online, accessed November 26, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp460-462.

"The household below stairs: Waiters and Servitors in Hall". Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Ed. R O Bucholz(London, 2006), , British History Online. Web. 26 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp460-462.

In this section

Daily Waiters in Hall 1660–?

Daily waiters in hall were appointed by warrant of the lord steward. An early establishment lists 12 "wayters" places in 1661. In 1662, as part of the retrenchment of tables at court one "Daily Servitor" was established in ordinary and one daily waiter at supernumerary status, both at board wages of £9 2 s 6d. The Establishment of 1664 lists four "waiters" at £2, plus £18 5s apiece. Their number was reduced to two in 1668, both at similar wages, one at £21 5s 10d, the other at £9 2 s 6d in board wages. There were three supernumeraries at £2 plus board wages of £3 0s 10d apiece. In 1674, the first daily waiter's board wages were raised to £27 7s and there was but one supernumerary. In 1680 the first daily waiter's board wages fell to £24 16s 8d and the last supernumerary had been eliminated. (fn. 1) There was one daily waiter in hall on the Establishment of 1685, at £20 per annum, plus six supernumeraries at between £10 and £12. In 1689 the number of ordinary daily waiters was increased to three at £2 and £26 in board wages. The office was abolished (with a stipend for the displaced incumbents of £2 plus board wages of £28) by the unsigned Establishment of 1 Oct. 1699, but restored at the 1689 levels of staffing and remuneration in 1702. This remained the remuneration into the reign of George II, when the places of the two remaining daily waiters were to determine at their deaths. (fn. 2)

Daily Waiters 1660–?

1660 28 Aug. Smyth, H.
[1660] 29 Sept. Penny, A.
1660 27 Sept. Whitfield, R.
1660 8 Dec. Roane, W.
1661 20 Mar. Kyme, J.
1661 6 Apr. Hyte, T.
1661 16 May Tracy, G.
1661 13 June Wiggan, S.
1661 25 June Edwards, R.
1661 16 Aug. Odell, T.
1662 3 April Lane, T.
1662 11 Nov. Playford, W.
1668 1 Oct. Harding, T.
By 1671 Bellwood, J.
1671 11 Mar. Tooth, T.
1671 18 May Martine, T.
1672 30 Nov. Owen, R.
1674 14 Feb. Sclater, H.
1674 24 Nov. Popple, P.
By 1680 Blackburne, W.
1680 2 April Davies, R.
1681 1 Jan. Lawson, E.
1682 2 Jan. Everall, W.
1684 1 Apr. Wright, J.
1689 26 Mar. Moody, T.
1689 11 May Kemp, J.
1689 30 July Watty, N.
1694 22 Jan. Dagua, P.
1695 25 Jan. Phillips, J.
1701 25 Jan. Moody, J.
1702 1 July Everall, W.
1702 3 July Phillips, J
1711 22 Nov. Paul, W.

Supernumerary or Extraordinary Waiters in Hall, 1662–?1699

1662 8 Mar. Tompson, S. (ext.)
1664 1 Oct. Blackburne, W. (sup.)
1664 1 Oct. Collins, T. (sup.)
1664 1 Oct. Hatter, R. (sup.)
1664 1 Oct. Harding, T. (sup.)
1664 1 Oct. Mathew, T. (sup.)
1664 1 Oct. Malborne, W. (sup.)
1664 1 Oct. Playford, W. (sup.)
1668 1 Oct. Sellwood, J. (sup.)
1670 22 Dec. Stisted, E. (ext.)
1671 13 Dec. Hicks, C.
1671 13 Dec. Popple, P.
1672 26 Feb. Burrough, T.
1672 30 May Stannier, J.
1672 26 Aug. Rushe, W.
1673 11 Dec. Ansell, F.
1685 1 July Martine, T.
1685 1 July Davies, R.
1685 1 July Lawson, E.
1685 1 July Wright, J.
1686 1 Feb. Harding, T.
1686 5 Apr. Jones, H.
1686 15 Oct. Phillips, J.

Servitors (Sewers) in Hall 1660–1699

The servitors of the hall were appointed by warrant of the lord steward. An early establishment lists places for six sewers in 1661. That of 1662 lists places for four "Servits" and ten supernumeraries at £2 in wages and £3 15s 1d in board wages apiece. In addition, there were four supernumerary sewers at £13 6s 1 3/4 d plus £18 5s in board wages. The Establishment of 1664 added a supernumerary at the last remuneration; this additional place was gone by 1668. The number of servitors in ordinary rose to six by 1674, then fell to five by 1680. (fn. 1) The Establishment of 1689 lists six supernumeraries at various levels of remuneration. These places were finally abolished, the incumbents being awarded stipends ranging between £10 and £20 on the unsigned Establishment of 1 Oct. 1699. (fn. 2)

Servitors 1660–1685

1660 Seward, T.
1660 [?26 Aug.] Burton, R.
1660 29 Sept. Martine, S.
1661 12 Jan. Chamberlaine, W.
1661 [?1] Sept. Malborne, W.
1661 3 Sept. Sellwood, J.
1661 7 Sept. Collins, T.
1661 28 Sept. Hatter, R.
1661 28 Sept. Blackburne, W.
1661 28 Sept. Judson, J.
1661 28 Sept. Mathew, T.
1662 16 June George, W.
1662 20 June Harding, T.
1662 30 Aug. Darby, M.
1668 1 O ct. Odell, T.
1668 1 Oct. Malborne, W.
1668 1 Oct. Blackburne, W.
1669 31 July Roane, T.
1674 30 June Collins, T.
1674 30 June Hatter, R.
1674 30 June Martine, T.
1674 30 June Slater, H.
1676 15 July Taylour, W.

Supernumerary Servitors in Hall 1664–1689

1664 1 Oct. George, W.
1664 1 Oct. Roane, W.
1664 1 Oct. Hite, T.
1664 1 Oct. Kyme, J.
1664 1 Oct. Lane, T.
1674 30 June Roane, T.
1680 9 Jan. Taylour, W.
1686 1 Feb. George, W.
1686 1 Feb. Martine, T.
1686 1 Feb. Roane, T.
1686 1 Feb. Taylour, W.
1689 1 Apr. Watty, N.

Footnotes

  • 1. Add. MSS. 36,781, f. 22v; LS 13/31, ff. 13v, 17; LS 13/34, f. 12v; LS 13/35, f. 13, 20; LS 13/36, ff.15, 20; LS 13/37, f. 12.
  • 2. LS 13/38, f. 11v; LS 13/39, p. 24; LS 13/40, p. 27; LS 13/43, f. 14; LS 13/44, f. 14v; LS 13/49, p. 35.
  • 3. Add. MSS. 36,781, f. 22; LS 13/31, ff. 13v, 17; LS 13/34, f. 26v; LS 13/35, f. 20; LS 13/36, f. 15; LS 13/37, f. 12.
  • 4. LS 13/39, f. 29; LS 13/40, p. 27.