THE FOOTMAN.

The business of the Footman is so multifarious and incessant, that in

most families, if he be industrious, attentive, and disposed to make

himself useful, he will find full employment in the affairs of the

house, and the more useful he can make himself, in a general way, the

more acceptable will be his services to the whole house, the greater

will be his reward, and the more comfortable he will be himself.

In many genteel small families, the footman is the only man servant,

in which case he is expected to make himself generally useful; but his

particular departments are, the cleaning of the knives, shoes, plate,

and furniture; answering the door, going of errands, waiting at table,

and answering the parlour bell. The footman finds himself merely in

linen, stockings, shoes, and washing; but if silk stockings, or any

extra articles are expected to be worn, they are found by the family.

On quitting service, every livery servant is expected to leave behind

him any livery had within six months; the last new livery is usually

reserved for Sundays and dress occasions.

For the better dispatch of his own particular business, it is

indispensably necessary that the footman should _rise early_, and as

every moment of his time will be appropriated, he must endeavour to get

that part of his business, which depends upon himself, done before the

family are stirring, as interruptions may then occur, and his necessary

labours be unavoidably delayed, or made to interfere with other

business, not less necessary.

The footman should endeavour to get the dirtiest part of his work done

first; such as cleaning the shoes and boots, knives and forks, brushing

and cleaning clothes, hats and gloves, and cleaning the furniture, &c.

&c. For these purposes, his working dress should be generally a pair of

overalls, a waistcoat and fustian jacket, and a leather apron, with a

white apron to put on occasionally, when called from these duties.[22]

The business of the footman below stairs being done, he next proceeds

to clean the lamps in the best rooms. The oil in them should be fine

and good, and changed once a week or ten days, and the cottons should

be thick and closely woven, always kept dry, and cut even at the top,

and soaked a little when fresh put in, by letting down the oil to them

for a short time.

For cleaning boots and shoes, he takes care to provide himself with

proper brushes and good blacking. In boots he will not clean the tops

till he has finished the feet and legs, when it will be necessary to

cover the legs whilst he is cleaning the tops.

Ladies’ shoes are to be cleaned with milk, and other liquids, according

to their colour, and merely the edges of the soles are to be blacked

and polished, but in cleaning these and gentlemen’s dress shoes, great

care must be taken not to soil the inside linings.

Afterwards, the next business in rotation in the morning, will be to

clean the mahogany and other furniture, in the parlour and best rooms.

Whether the tables, side-boards, cellerets, chairs, &c. be of a light

or dark colour, they must be cleaned with a preparation or oil of an

appropriate colour.

In using the different compositions, have two pieces of woollen cloth

for each, one to put it on with, and the other for polishing. Sometimes

a hard brush will be required to lay on the paste, and a piece of soft

cork to rub out the stains. Always rub the wood the way of the grain,

and remember to dust the furniture before you begin to clean it.

If oil be used, let it be rubbed off as quickly as possible, and then

polished with another cloth. When wax is used, let it be applied very

sparingly, and polished off with another cloth.

The brass rods or other ornaments to side-boards, cellarets, &c. should

be cleaned before the mahogany is touched. The dirt on these ornaments

may be removed with flannel well soaped, and polished off with the

plate leather. If any brass work has the lacquer worn off, it may be

cleaned with brick-dust and leather.

Every article of furniture should be cleaned and rubbed in the middle

of the room, when convenient, to prevent smearing and injuring the

walls.

_Looking Glasses_ being very costly, should be cleaned with great

care. First, take a clean soft sponge, just squeezed out of water,

and then dipped in spirits of wine; rub the glass over with this,

and then polish it off with fine powder blue, or whiting tied up in

muslin, quickly laid on, and then well rubbed off, with a clean cloth,

and afterwards with a silk handkerchief. If the glass be very large,

no more of it should be wetted with the spirit at a time, than can be

cleaned off quickly.

The frames must never be touched with any thing wet or damp.

Cotton-wool is the best thing to rub them with, as it will take off the

stains and dirt without doing any injury;[23] or, if the frames are

varnished, they may be rubbed with the spirits of wine, which will at

once take out the spots and dirt, after which they may be re-varnished.

Pictures are best cleaned lightly with a wet sponge, but should never

be touched with a cloth.

The attendance of the footman will now be required in the breakfast

parlour, for which purpose, he must prepare by washing himself, and

throwing off his working dress.

In the directions to the butler, we have given sufficiently at large,

setting out the breakfast table, and waiting at breakfast, which in

small families becomes solely the business of the footman.

After breakfast, he sets the parlour to rights by sweeping up the

crumbs, shaking the green cloth, and laying it again on the table,

making up the fire and sweeping up the hearth.

The footman now carries out such messages and cards as he is charged to

deliver.

When the footman is obliged to go out with the carriage, the butler or

under butler usually undertakes to do such things in his absence, as he

necessarily leaves undone.

In large families, the footman lays the cloth for dinner, and the

knives and forks and glasses, and the butler arranges the silver

articles, and sees that the whole is correctly laid out. When the hour

of dinner approaches, notice is usually given, by the ringing of a bell

by the footman, ten or fifteen minutes before the time; and during this

time he is busy in carrying up every thing that he thinks may or can be

wanted during dinner, so as to have every thing at hand, at that time.

Again he rings the dinner bell, to announce to the family that dinner

is going up, when the butler takes the first dish, and is followed by

the under butler and footman with the remainder of the fish and soups,

which the butler places on the table, and removing the covers, gives

them to the footman and under butler, who convey them out of the room.

The servants then take their respective stations,—the butler at the

side-board, to serve the wines or beer when called for; the footman

at the back of his master’s chair, and the lady’s footman, if any,

behind his lady. When the soups and fish have been served round, the

butler rings the dining-room bell to warn the cook to be ready with

the removes, which are generally, solid joints of meat, or the first

course, if no removes; the butler then removes the dishes from the

table, and hands them to the footman or under butler, who carries them

away. If wine or beer is asked for, the footman or under butler puts

the empty glasses on a waiter, and the butler fills them. When a clean

plate is wanted, the butler hands it to the footman, with a clean knife

and fork, and the footman puts the dirty one in the proper place to be

taken away.

When the butler sees that the first course is nearly done with, he

again gives notice to the cook, and proceeds to take all the dishes off

the table, and the footman and under butler take them away, and fetch

the second course. The butler being employed, in the mean time, in

setting the table in order, laying the mats, clean spoons, glasses, &c.

The footman, with the assistance of the house-maids and others, having

brought up the next course, the butler places the dishes on the table,

takes off the covers, hands them to the footman, to be taken away, and

again takes his station at the side-board, and during the whole dinner,

the same kind of etiquette as before, is observed by every servant in

attendance, (of which, in some cases, there are several besides the

butler, under butler, and footman; namely, the lady’s footman, valet,

and on particular occasions, waiters hired for the purpose.) The third

course, (consisting of pastry, viz. pies, tarts, &c. with game at

the top and bottom of the table, and the cheese and salads placed on

the side-board) which being removed, as before, the butler with a

napkin wipes off the stains and marks of the hot dishes on the tables,

and places the dessert, as it is brought up by the footman and under

butler. He also puts the wine on the table, and the under butler the

wine-glasses, while the footman places the finger glasses before each

person, and a plate, with a knife and fork and spoon on each plate, the

butler putting other spoons for serving the fruits, jellies, &c. The

butler takes his place behind his master’s chair, at the foot of the

table, and the lady’s footman, behind his lady’s chair at the head, to

hand the wines, &c. and all the other servants leave the room, taking

with them all the things that have been used.

The footman, as soon as all the things are carried down, repairs

to the drawing-room, makes up the fire, sweeps up the hearth, and

otherwise prepares that room. The butler also taking occasion to see

that the lamps and candles are lighted, and the card tables set out,

with candles and two packs of cards on each, and the chairs and sofas

properly arranged by the footman.

The butler and footman then retire to their several avocations in the

butler’s pantry, where the footman is employed in washing and wiping

the glasses, and the under butler cleaning the plate, (which the

kitchen maid generally washes.) When the ladies have retired from the

dining-room, and the drawing-room bell rings for coffee, the footman

enters with the tray, the coffee being made below stairs, and the bread

and butter, cakes, toast, &c. the under butler, or some other servant

following, to take away the empty cups and saucers on a waiter or

tray. At tea time, the butler carries up the tea-tray, and the footman

the toast, muffins, &c. (which are prepared by the kitchen maid). Tea

is announced to the gentlemen by the footman, and the gentlemen having

joined the ladies, the tea and coffee is handed round by the butler,

bread and butter, toast, &c. by the footman, the under butler following

to take away the cups and saucers.

If there be no supper, the wine, when ordered, is carried in by the

butler, and the glasses, &c. on a tray, by the footman; if sandwiches

are introduced, they are carried up on a tray, covered with a clean

cloth, by the footman, the butler attending in the room to hand the

wines, &c.

The company being gone, the bed-room candlesticks are brought by the

footman, and are handed to each person respectively as he wishes to

retire to bed.

The footman then shuts up all the lower part of the house, if not

before done, and retires to bed himself. The butler follows last, sees

all safe, and retires also.

In going out with the carriage, the footman should be dressed in his

best livery, his shoes and stockings being very clean, and his hat,

great coat, &c. being well brushed; nothing being so disgraceful as a

slovenly exterior. He should be ready at receiving directions at the

carriage door, and accurate in delivering them to the coachman, and

though he may indicate the importance of his family by his style of

knocking at a door, he ought to have some regard to the nerves of the

family and the peace of the neighbourhood. When the carriage waits at

routs or public places, he should abstain from drinking with other

servants, and take care to be within call when wanted. His expertness

in letting down the steps and putting them up again, and his caution in

shutting the door, so as not to injure any one, or the dresses of the

ladies, are expected.

When he walks out behind his mistress, he should preserve a modest

demeanour, and protect her, if necessary, from intrusion or insult;

and on this duty he is expected to be particularly attentive to every

part of his dress. In answering the door it is his duty to behave

respectfully to all enquirers after his master or mistress, and never

to presume on his knowledge of persons whom they ought to see or ought

not to see, except in obedience to positive instructions.

The Footman’s wages are from 20 to 30 guineas, with two suits of

livery, and two undress suits.

LIQUID FOR CLEANSING BOOT TOPS, &c.

Mix in a phial, one drachm of oxy-muriate of potass, with two ounces

of distilled water; and when the salt is dissolved, add two ounces

of muriatic acid. Then shake well together, mix in another phial,

three ounces of rectified spirit of wine with half an ounce of the

essential oil of lemon, unite the contents of the two phials, and

keep the liquid thus prepared, closely corked for use. This chemical

liquid should be applied with a clean sponge, and dried in a gentle

heat; after which, the boot-tops may be polished with a proper brush,

so as to appear like new leather.

_Another Method of Cleaning Boot-Tops._

Take of white vitriol, powdered, one ounce,

acid of sugar one ounce,

water, one quart.

Mix together.

Put a label on it, “Rank Poison.”

Sponge the tops with water first: then mix with the liquid,

and then with water again.