Reviews for Roberts' Guide for Butlers and Other Household Staff

The average rating for Roberts' Guide for Butlers and Other Household Staff based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-12-29 00:00:00 Daniel Forte I picked up this book as research for a presentation I'll be doing later this year. Written by the author of Robert's Rules of Order, this is basically a "how-to" manual for the below-stairs operations of a household in the early 19th Century. It's written as though the author is speaking to two young men, Jonathan and David, who are entering service. Some of it is as dry as ditch water, as I'm sure you can imagine, but some of it is downright entertaining (in particular, the section on using anthracite coal). The recipes for various items, such as fireplace grate cleaner that uses lead and quicksilver (mercury), demonstrate that service was not only hard work but also dangerous. It's not a book for fun reading, in my opinion, but it is one that authors of historical fiction might do well to include in their research.

Review # 2 was written on 2021-02-26 00:00:00 Your Punisher The House Servant's Directory is the first commercially published book written by a black man in America Roberts (c1780-1860) was a butler for, among others, Christopher Gore (1758-1827), Governor of Massachusetts and a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts This is an historical curiosity and a transparent presentation of the life and outlook of a black butler in 19th century Massachusetts. It could be a useful reference if you need to know how to use oil of vitriol to "take ink stains out of mahogany." Among other activities, Roberts was an outspoken abolitionist. Read more of my book reviews and poems here: www.richardsubber.com