Court Officials & Household Servants

Court officials or office-bearers derived their positions and retained their titles from their original duties within the courtly household. Court Officials
and household servants may vary from court to court and household to household due to its size. Below are examples that may be used to enhance
your game.

Almoner (directly report Chaplain)

An almoner is a chaplain or church officer who is in charge of distributing money to the deserving poor.

Butler (directly report Chamberlain)

A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of
the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlor floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its
appearance. A butler is usually male, and in charge of male servants, while a housekeeper is usually a woman, and in charge of female servants.
Traditionally, male servants (such as footmen) were rarer and therefore better paid and of higher status than female servants. The butler, as the senior
male servant, has the highest servant status.

Chamberlain (directly report Steward)

A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household.

Chancellor (directly report Steward)

Chancellor (Latin: cancellarius) is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii
of Roman courts of justice - ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from
the audience. A chancellor's office is called a chancellery or chancery.

Kapellmeister ([kaˈpɛl.ˌmaɪstɐ]) (directly report Chaplain)

Chapelmaster is the person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle (“choir”, “orchestra”, or originally,
“chapel”) and Meister (“master”). The Kapellmeister is in charge of the music in a chapel.

Chaplain (directly reports to the Steward)

A chaplain is the head minister, such as a priest or representative of a religious tradition.

Cofferer
In the history of the royal household of England, a cofferer was a principal officer in the court, next under the Comptroller of the Household. In the
counting-house, and elsewhere at other times, he had a special charge and oversight of other officers of the house, for their good demeanor and
carriage in their offices — all whom he paid the wages.

Comptroller
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's
department, and often a government whip. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the
local government licensing in 2004. The Comptroller had a white staff of office, usually seen in portraits–and so was a counterpart to Black Rod.

Confessor
It can also be used as the title of the head of a religious society.

Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different
jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police.
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different
jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police.

Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.[1] The modern use of the
term for a prostitute or mistress of a man of rank[2] belies a much more complex heritage.

Cup-bearer
A cup-bearer was an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty it was to serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots
and intrigues, a person must be regarded as thoroughly trustworthy to hold this position. He must guard against poison in the king's cup, and was
sometimes required to swallow some of the wine before serving it. His confidential relations with the king often gave him a position of great influence.
The position of cup bearer is greatly valued and given to only a select few throughout history. Qualifications for the job were not held lightly but of high
esteem valued for their beauty and even more for their modesty, industriousness and courage.

Dapifer
A steward is an official who is appointed by the legal ruling monarch to represent them in a country, and may have a mandate to govern it in their name;
in the latter case, it roughly corresponds with the position of viceroy (for Romance languages), governor, or deputy (the Roman rector, praefectus or
vicarius). It was also a term used to refer to the chief servant of a landed estate.

Doorward
The Hostarius (alternatively, Usher, Doorward or Durward) was an office in medieval Scotland whose holders, eventually hereditary, had the theoretical
responsibility of being warden of the king's door, i.e. protecting the king's property.

Falconer
Bird trainer, falcons, etc.

Gentleman of the Bedchamber > Kammerjunker

The duties of the office involved waiting on the king when he ate in private, helping him to dress, guarding the bedchamber and water closet, and
providing companionship.

Gentleman Usher >

He was also responsible for overseeing other miscellaneous service, such as the care of the nobleman's chapel and bed-chambers.

Grandmaster Großmeister
Grand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and civil orders

Grand Master of the Hunt > Großmeister der Jagd

The Grand Veneur was responsible for the royal hunt.
The Grand Veneur took care of the king's hunting dogs (roughly 100 hounds) for the stag hunt.
Under Charles VIII, he oversaw nine squires ("écuyer"), nine huntsmen ("veneur"), two aides, six valets for the hounds ("valet de limiers") and one dog
handler for the foxhounds.

Great officers > Große Offiziere

The military titles – such as the Marshals of France, the Grand Master of Artillery, or the Colonel Generals – were offices granted to individuals and not
military ranks.

Groom of the Stool > Brautigam des Schemels

The appellation "Groom of the Stool" derived from the item of furniture now known as a commode or portable lavatory was in the earliest times a male
servant in the household of an English monarch who was in charge of providing facilities for the monarch's defecation, and assisted in his cleansing or
washing thereafter.

Herald > Herold

A herald, or, more correctly, a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more
broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to convey messages or proclamations—in this sense being the predecessors of the
modern diplomats

Jester = fool > Narr or Dummkpf

A jester (or fool) was a historical person employed to entertain a ruler in medieval times and can also be a modern entertainer who performs at mostly
medieval themed events. Jesters in medieval times are often thought to have worn brightly coloured clothes and eccentric hats in a motley pattern and
their modern counterparts usually mimic this costume. As performers, jesters have used acrobatics, storytelling, juggling, music, and other skills to
entertain their audiences.

Keeper of the seal > Keeper der Dichtung

The title Keeper of the Seals or equivalent is used in several contexts, denoting the person entitled to keep and authorize use of the Great Seal of a given
country. The title may or may not be linked to a particular cabinet or ministerial office.

King of arms > Konig oder Arme

King of Arms is the senior rank of an officer of arms. In many heraldic traditions, only a king of arms has the authority to grant armorial bearings. In
other traditions, the power has been delegated to other officers of similar rank.

Knight / Earl Marshal > Herr /

Lady-in-waiting > Dame in Warte
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a court, royal or feudal, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically,
in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman whom she
attended. Although she may or may not have received compensation for the service she rendered, she was considered more of a companion than a
servant to her mistress.

Maid of Honour > Ehrendame

Traditionally, a queen regnant had eight maids of honour, while a queen consort had four; Queen Anne Boleyn, however, had over 60.

A maid of honour was a maiden, meaning that she was unmarried, and was usually young. Maids of honour should not be confused with maids of the
court. Maids of honour were almost always in their sixteenth year or older. maids of honour were at court as a kind of finishing school, with the hope of
making a good marriage. The term lady-in-waiting describes a woman who attends a female member of the Royal Family other than the queen regnant
or queen consort. An attendant upon one of the latter is a lady of the bedchamber or woman of the bedchamber, and the senior lady-in-waiting is the
mistress of the robes. The women of the bedchamber are in regular attendance, but the mistress of the robes and the ladies of the bedchamber are
normally only required for ceremonial occasions.

Majordomo
A majordomo is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, the term refers to the highest (major) person of a
household (domūs or domicile) staff, who acts on behalf of the (often absent) owner of a (typically) large or significant residence. Similar terms include
castellan, concierge, chamberlain, seneschal, Mayor of the Palace, maître d'hôtel, butler and steward. The term also refers, more informally, to someone
who oversees the day-to-day responsibilities of a business enterprise.

Master of the Horse

All matters connected with the horses and formerly also the hounds of the sovereign, as well as the stables and coachhouses, the stud, mews and
previously the kennels, are within his jurisdiction. The practical management of the Royal Stables and stud devolves on the chief or Crown Equerry,
formerly called the Gentleman of the Horse, whose appointment was always permanent.

Page
a page is a comparatively low-ranking servant

Panter or pantler
A keeper of the pantry; a pantler

Secretary
Royal Secretary (Basilikos Grammateus, Secretarius Regius) is a position at the court of a monarch generally responsible for communicating the
sovereign's wishes to the other members of government. At times and places it may have a number of other duties. In most cases the royal secretary is
a close adviser of the monarch. In some cases the office of Royal Secretary evolved into the Secretary of State.

Pursuivant
A pursuivant or, more correctly, pursuivant of arms, is a junior officer of arms. Most pursuivants are attached to official heraldic authorities, such as the
College of Arms

Seneschal
In a medieval noble household a seneschal was in charge of domestic arrangements and the administration of servants.

Stolnik
Wizard of Oz Guard

Standard bearer
A standard-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears an emblem called an ensign or standard, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile
image, which is used (and often honored) as a formal, visual symbol of a state, prince, military unit, etc.

This can either be an occasional duty, often seen as an honor (especially on parade), or a permanent charge (also on the battlefield); the second type
has even led in certain cases to this task being reflected in official rank titles such as Ensign and Cornet.

Steward /The Hand

A steward is an official who is appointed by the legal ruling monarch to represent them in a country, and may have a mandate to govern it in their name;
in the latter case, it roughly corresponds with the position of viceroy (for Romance languages), governor, or deputy (the Roman rector, praefectus or
vicarius). It was also a term used to refer to the chief servant of a landed estate.

The chart that follows shows the hierarchy of the servants of a major manor house in 1890. Such an estate would consist of a family headed by a
gentleman of titled nobility, such as a duke, or an extremely wealthy business man, such as the president of Lloyds of London or the Bank of England.
Men of this level would have incomes of at least 10,000 pounds sterling a year, equivalent today after adjusting for the 1890 exchange rate of $4.87 US
dollars per pound and a century of inflation to $1,200,000 per year. If this amount seems too small to support at large household of servants (around
1890 the Duke of Westminster had a staff of 50 indoor and another 50 outdoor servants) it has to be acknowledged that the disparity between the rich
and the poor was much greater than now. The average servant earned a mere 25 pounds a year or $2,700 in today's economy. Cheap labor is what
made large staffs possible.
It was impossible to categorize every type of servant at the turn of the century. Many great houses had specialty niches into which they placed a servant
that might not fit in any other house. While the basic structure of the servant hierarchy was similar from house to house, the complexity of the great
houses was such that a one-size-fits-all approach was not possible. The following chart focuses only on the principle servants.
Two salaries are listed for each position. The first is what the position paid in 1890 pounds, the second is what that salary would equal today after
adjusting for the 1890 exchange rate and inflation to 2005. These values are based on the averages cited in several different references and should only
be considered as approximations. Individual salaries varied significantly depending on the servant's appearance, attitude, capabilities and the size of the
house in which they worked.

Domestic Servant Hierarchy

Land Steward
Responsible for managing the farms, collecting rents and undertaking all those activities associated with making the estate profitable. This would be a
highly- educated gentleman who was regarded not as a servant but a professional employee with a status higher than the family lawyer. In addition to
an annual salary of 100-300 pounds ($11,000-$33,000) he would have a private house on the estate.

House Steward
Responsible for all purchasing, hiring, firing and paying the servant staff. He would not be considered a servant but a professional man like a lawyer. Fifty
to 100 pounds
($5,500-$11,000) per year.

Upper Staff

Butler
The highest ranking official servant. Responsible for running the house. Forty to 60 pounds ($4,300-$6,400) per year. He also received considerable
"gratuity" money from venders selling goods to maintain the house. In smaller estates the butler assumed the house steward's responsibilities.
Housekeeper Responsible for the female staff and maintaining the house's furnishings. Her salary was usually 5 to 10 pounds less than the butler's
($3,700-$5,400) per year.

Cook or Chef
In charge of the kitchen staff and responsible for preparing the family's meals. (An under cook would prepare meals for him and the staff.) Because food
quality was an important method for impressing guests, chefs often earned more than butlers even though they ranked below them. A cook for a
modest house might only make 30 pounds ($3,200) a year while a famous chef for a royal family might earn as much as 300 ($32,000.)

Lady's Maid and Valet

Their main job was to be a private servant for the lady or master of the house: assisting them with dressing, caring for their cloths, being a general
companion and even performing secretarial duties. They were hired by the Lady and Master of the house rather than by the butler, housekeeper or
house steward. Typical salaries were 20-30 pounds ($2,100-3,200) per year.

Lower Staff

First Footman
Next in line to replace the butler. His main job was to be tall, handsome and represent the estate's grandeur. He accompanied the lady of the house on
shopping expeditions, served the family meals and assisted the butler in his duties. Oddly, his responsibility did not include heavy work such as carrying
coal or water. These were left the female staff. His salary was around 30 pounds ($3,200) a year. Many footman's salaries were based one how tall they
were rather than how well they did their work.
The taller and more impressive they were the more they received. Their income was supplemented by 5-15 pounds ($500-$1,500) a year in tips and
other gifts from lady of the house.

Second Footman
Similar to the first footman but in more of an apprenticeship status. Twenty-five pound ($2,700) per year. Premium salaries were paid to a pair of first
and second footman whose size and appearance made them look like twins. The idea was that they were most impressive if, like book ends, they
matched.

Head Nurse
In charge of the nursing staff in houses with several nurses. Many of these nurses, charged with watching over young children, were themselves only 12-
14 years old. Head nurses earned 25 pounds
($2,700) per year.

Footman
Additional male staff for opening doors, waiting at table, assisting gentleman or accompanying ladies as needed. Twenty pounds ($2,100) per year.

Chamber Maids
Responsible for cleaning bedrooms. Twenty pounds ($2,100) per year. I imagine they were slightly higher than parlour maids because chamber maids
were in more intimate contact with the family, or at least the remnants of their presence.

Parlour Maids
Responsible for cleaning and maintaining the sitting rooms, drawing rooms, etc. of the house. Twenty pounds ($2,100) per year.

House Maid
General purpose worker. Sixteen pounds ($1,700) a year

Between Maid
Worked in either the house or the kitchen as needed. Fifteen pounds ($1,600) a year.

Nurse
Responsible for raising the babies and young children of the house. Ten to 15 pounds ($1,100-$1,600) per year depending on age and ability.

Under Cook
Apprentice to the chef. Prepares meals for the staff. Worked for low wages to work his way up to a full chef's job. Fifteen pounds ($1,600) per year.

Kitchen Maid
Assists in kitchen work. Fifteen pounds ($1,600) a year.

Scullery Maid
Dish washer. Thirteen pounds ($1,300) per year

Laundry Maid
Washing and ironing. Thirteen pounds ($1,300) a year.

Page or Tea Boy

Apprentice footman. Typically 10 to 16 years old. Eight to 16 pounds ($860-$1,700) per year depending on age, height, appearance and abilities.

Head Groom or Stable Master

Responsible for running the stables. Positionally he might rank as upper staff but because he wasn't part of the inside staff he didn't have their
privileges. However, as master of his own staff he undoubtedly occupied a similar status. Thirty to 50 pounds ($3,100- $5,300) a year.

Groom
Cared for horses: grooming, saddling, etc. fifteen pounds ($1,600) per year.

Stable Boy
Cleaned stables and etc. Six to 12 pounds ($640-$1,300) per year depending on age and ability. Many times they started when they were only 10.

Head Gardener
Like the head groom the head gardener was management and therefor upper staff, yet his position outside the house prohibited him from occupying a
position in the house's upper servant's. Also like the stable master his position of authority had its compensations. Because a grand estate's grounds
were as important to impressing guests as the chef's skill, the head gardener could earn a very high wage, as much as 120 pounds ($12,800) per year.

Game Keeper
Responsible for maintaining the bird population of the estate so that the Master and guests would have game birds, such as pheasant, to hunt. Thirty to
50 pounds ($3,100-$5,400) per year.

Grounds Keepers
The general laborers under the head gardener. They'd do everything from planting trees to cutting grass. Eight to 16 pounds ($850-$1,700) per year
depending on age and ability.

Governess
I'm listing governesses as a separate category because they existed in a kind of social limbo. Typically they were unmarried daughters of gentlemen who
for one reason or another had to go into service to support themselves. Because they officially belonged to the genteel class it would be unspeakable
for them to accept service as a maid. As a governess they were able to make use of their education and in theory retain a little of their dignity. In reality
their lives were miserable. They were looked down on by the house's family as being from a failed family. Equally, the staff looked down on them
because they represented hypocrisy: they worked for wages like any servant yet were supposed to be genteel. Their job was to care for the family's
teenage girls. (Teenage males were sent off to boarding school.) Their salaries were 25 pounds ($2,700) per year. I found no references that clearly
stated whether they were considered upper or lower staff. Movies that show governesses walking through the front door and assuming a status high
above that of house servants are not consistent with the lives described in my references.

Gate Keeper
This is another servant hard to categorize. His job was to guard the main entrance to the estate and often lived in a small house attached to the gate. Yet
he would be classed as unskilled labor and as such would occupy a low position on the servant's hierarchy and receive a commensurately low salary,
perhaps as little as 10 pounds ($1,100) per year.

One might wonder how people could live on such small incomes. Even when the value of room, board and clothes were added in these salaries still
represent a poverty existence by today's standards. Part of the reason they were able to survive is because their lives were so simple (no car to pay off,
no insurance, no phone bills, no electric bills, no water, waste and property tax bills, etc.) that they didn't require as much. Additionally, with the typical
work schedule being 16-hours a day, 7-days a week they didn't have much time to spend their income on entertainment... of which there wasn't much.
Such conditions seem horrendous to us today, but it needs to be remembered that the work ethic was completely different 100 years ago. Today we
work with the mindset that we do so mainly to get ahead in the world and pay for possessions and activities that bring us pleasure or satisfaction. Back
then people worked to survive. Without any form of social security if you didn't earn a salary you starved to death, or froze to death in winter, or died of
disease. There were no societal safety nets to catch you if you lost your job and nor unions to fund your retirement.
While the life of a servant was unbelievably hard, many nonetheless considered themselves lucky to have food to eat and a roof over their heads
regardless of the pay. They had a perspective born from a desperate need for survival and this went a long way toward sustaining them. Additionally,
many began service at very young ages and were conditioned to accept it as a natural lifestyle.