Meaning
A female servant employed to attend personally to a lady of the household.
Description
A lady's maid was a personal servant who attended to the dressing, grooming and personal care of her mistress. Her duties included laying out and caring for her mistress's clothing, dressing her hair, accompanying her when travelling and carrying out personal errands. The role required tact, discretion and often skill in dressmaking and hairdressing. A lady's maid was a confidential servant who was privy to the most private aspects of her employer's life. The position was considered one of the more desirable in domestic service as it involved less physical labour than most servant roles.
Also Known As
Personal Maid, Waiting Woman, Abigail
Commonly Found In
- Census Returns
- Estate Records
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