The Life of a Domestic Servant Part 1

[lisamum10]

The life of a domestic servant. Part 1
My name is Elsie Adams and I entered service as a maid in 1934 at the age of fourteen. I never knew my parents as my father died as a result of wounds received during the war and mother died in childbirth. In consequence I was brought up in an orphanage. Life there was bearable; the food was adequate and I got an education. Discipline was strict although not overly so. I received many a smacked bottom with the hairbrush in the dormitory and the strap from a fearsome woman in charge called Mrs Hope. The procedure was that we went to her office and had to lay cross a chair after which she pulled our tunics up and our draws down and then we received several stinging whacks with the strap. At school, it was the cane across the hand and one or two teachers were very fond of using it, particularly the old ones.
On my fourteenth birthday, I was allowed to leave school and a job had to be found for me. Like most girls of my age, I was deemed to be right for domestic service. I was sent to several potential employers, but I wasn’t considered suitable until finally I was accepted. My employer was a young woman in her mid-thirties, the wife of a local bank manager. She was a wealthy woman in her own right and they lived a lifestyle befitting their station. Quite why this woman chose me is a mystery; perhaps she wanted me so young in order to mould me in the way that she wanted. I had no choice in the matter and had to accept my lot at this house. The family consisted of Mr Richard Tyson, Mrs Emily Tyson, Master Frederick, known as Freddie and Miss Belinda, known as Bella. The ages of the children were ten and seven. I was instructed to address the adults as Sir and Madam and the children as Master Freddie and Miss Bella. Being only fourteen I was still a minor in the eyes of the law and Mrs Tyson left me in no doubt at my interview that I would be treated as such in respect of discipline. If I failed in my duties, I would be caned. As you can imagine this came as a great shock particularly as I was given charge of discipline over Miss Bella. If Miss Bella was to be disciplined, I was to take a hairbrush, put the girl over my lap and soundly smack her bare bottom. I was to be provided with a maid’s black dress, black woollen stockings, white apron and cap. All my meals were provided and I had Sunday afternoon and evening off and Wednesday afternoon in the week. I was expected to attend church with the family on Sunday morning.
And so it was with much trepidation that I knocked on the front door of No 25 Walton Crescent. This was my first mistake. I was told in no uncertain terms by Mrs Tyson that the servant’s entrance was at the rear of the house. I went to the back and let myself in. So having been shown to my room at the top of the house I unpacked and put on my uniform. The thing I hated about the uniform was having to wear a rubber girdle to keep my stockings up. I had never worn stockings before and the whole thing felt really uncomfortable. However as I was kept busy I didn’t have time to think about it and soon got used to it. As servant’s quarters go, I was very lucky; the room was light and airy and well furnished; it even had a battered old wireless set. I then went downstairs and reported to Mrs Tyson who took me to the nursery and introduced me to the children. Miss Bella seemed a very sweet child and I soon discovered that it was Master Freddie that was in charge of the nursery. My duties were to spend as little time with the children as possible and concentrate on cleaning the house and preparing lunch. In the late afternoon a cook came in to prepare the evening meal. I survived my first day without any problems and fell into bed, exhausted. Next morning I was going about my duties when loud cries came from the nursery. I put down my duster and hurried to the nursery just as Mrs Tyson was going in. I followed her in to find Master Freddie sitting on top of Miss Bella.

“What is the meaning of this?” demanded Mrs Tyson.

“He won’t let me share the crayons,” cried Miss Bella.

“But they’re mine, you had no right to take them,” shouted Freddie.

“Enough!” cried Mrs Tyson. “I will not tolerate this disgraceful behaviour. You will both be punished.”

“But mummy, it wasn’t my fault,” pleaded Bella pitifully.

“Be quiet and don’t argue with me,” said Mrs Tyson angrily. “Freddie you will go and wait for me outside the study.”

Freddie got up and left the room. Mrs Tyson turned to me.

“Adams, you will take Miss Bella to her room and discipline her, you know what to do.”

“Yes madam.”

Bella got up and I took her by the hand and led her upstairs to her bedroom. It felt so strange; me a young girl, virtually still a child having to punish a young child. Inside the room was a wicker chair in the corner for me to sit on and a hairbrush on the dressing table. I took the hairbrush, went to the chair, and sat down.

“Come here Miss Bella,” I instructed.

Miss Bella immediately came over to me and proceeded to lift her dress and pull down her knickers.

“Good girl,” I said.

She smiled at me and climbed over my lap. I had no idea how many whacks I should give her but I needn’t have worried.

“For that I have to have ten whacks Nanny.” Said Miss Bella.

I was always to be called Nanny and Miss Bella knew exactly what her punishment should be for any misbehaviour.

I gave her required number of whacks to the accompaniment of screams and wriggles. I felt that I had to lay it on hard for fear of retribution from Mrs Tyson. After I had finished Miss Bella got up and immediately pulled up her knickers. I felt so sorry for her as tears ran down her cheeks. I replaced the hairbrush, took Miss Bella by the hand and led her downstairs. When we reached the bottom of the stairs Miss Bella suddenly stopped crying and started to drag me down the corridor.

“This way Nanny.”

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“To the study, we can hear Freddie being caned,”

“We can’t do that,” I gasped.

“Yes we can; I always listen when Freddie gets the cane.”

Miss Bella continued to drag me down the corridor. The final door at the end was the study.

“Mother always makes Freddie wait before she comes to cane him.”

“I really don’t think you should be doing this,” I said as we reached the door.

“Ssshh” whispered Miss Bella putting her finger to her lips.

I must confess that I did feel a tingle of excitement. At the orphanage, some of us used to go and listen outside the door when we knew someone was going to get the strap. I must admit that it gave a sense of excitement hoping not to get caught.

Several seconds later, I heard the very faint swish and a thwack followed by a loud cry of pain.

“He always gets it on his underpants,” whispered Miss Bella.

Two more whacks and then silence.

“Quick!” exclaimed Miss Bella dragging me back down the corridor as fast as she could. We just managed to get out of site when I heard the door open. I took Miss Bella to the nursery and then Mrs Tyson returned with a tearful Freddie.

“Have you been suitably punished Bella?”

“Yes mummy.”

“Let me see your bottom,”

Bella pulled her dress up and Mrs Tyson pulled her knickers down.

“Yes, you’ve done a satisfactory job Adams,” said Mrs Tyson looking round at me.”

“Thank you madam.”

“If I have any more trouble with either of you for the rest of the day then I shall get your father to give you a thrashing,” threatened Mrs Tyson.

Luckily for the children all remained quiet.

I only had three more days with the children before it was time for them to return to boarding school. Even in that short time I had got to feel close to them and was sad to see them go.

[jillybean28]

Great Story.