Hatfield House's Servants

By Charlotte Jordan

Hatfield House
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies
This photograph of the domestic staff at Hatfield House in the 1890s was rescued from the dustbin of a local house a few years ago. The names of the 24 staff are not known but it includes the butler, housekeeper, cooks, footmen, valets, personal maids and parlour-maids.
Hatfield - A Pictorial History

Hospitality at Hatfield was a year-round affair. When Lord Cranborne came of age in 1882, dinner was served to more than 350 guests. There were “modern” comforts at Hatfield and it was the first private house in the country to use electricity. In 1841 the Marquis of Salisbury had a handful of servants and ten years later, the staff had almost doubled.

This page was added on 31/08/2011.

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  • My parents worked in fore Street.in1959 at butler’s the butchers shop .My mum was shop assistant and my father was a Butcher. there.they had a room above the shop .It was in that shop where my brother Ian had his accident and left him autistic.i was conceived there by my mother.and into they did a fare bit of business with Hatfield house,Soon after that parents moved to south hatfield,my dad kept working for butler’s which at that time had shop at the he hilltop shopping centre.My father to make ends meet took a job at at Alban’s post office night shifts and finished night by doing post round first thing in the morning. So there you go

    By Susan Bartholomew (01/03/2023)
  • My Grandmother was a cook there and my Grandfather a garden boy or man,at the same time in the 1800,s I think. Beatrice Gusterson and William Bracey.

    By Pat Ardener (09/11/2021)
  • Is Cuzner a familiar name for a Butler or other servant at Hatfield House, late 1800s? My grandfather, John Henry Cuzner claimed he had been a Butler at a house in England and he often talked about Hatfield House as a favorite of his. He also grew up fairly close by. I still have cousins and family in England, but I am now too old for such travel. I made it to England 6 or 7 times and my heart remains there.

    By Martha Aldrich Mitchell (13/10/2021)
  • David Hookham… Henry Linkin is my great great great grand father. I would be very interested in hearing from you about family trees 😊

    By Maxine Burch (19/01/2018)
  • David Hookham, my family is also related to Henry Linkin and we may be able to share some info with you!

    By Claire Laws (16/01/2018)
  • We have always been told that my wifes grandmother,(Lillian Arscott ) was a governess at Hatfield House around the 1890s approx.Can anyone help with this.
    A Bowen,(07/05/2017 )

    By A Bowen (07/05/2017)
  • My Grandmother,Henrietta Pheat (or possibly Pate,Phate or Pheate,) was a servant Companion to the Lady of the house,at Hatfied.This was at some time probably between 1860 and 1900. I am trying to trace my ancestry on my Mother’s side,so far without much luck! Can anyone please help me with this?
    Best wishes, Ariane MacLaren.

    By Ariane MacLaren (02/04/2017)
  • I am helping a new found relative with his family tree and his great grandfather Henry Linkin was gamekeeper at Hatfield House at this time and also his family worked at the House. Has anyone any information about the Linkins at Hatfield House?

    By David Hookham (02/01/2016)
  • What an interesting photo, a real slice of history, lets hope someone recognises their relatives from it. I am desperately searching for any info on CLOTILDE ALEXANDRINE DUVAL who was governess to Lord Salisburys children.In 1875 he brought her as an orphan from France at the age of 15 yrs.IT Is beleived she married the piano teacher, a man by the name of BENSON possibly EDWARD and had a child in 1877 CHARLES & ARNOLD in 1882. Arnold was my grandfather, I am desperate for any info on my greatgrandparents if anyone can help I would be delighted. Regards J.Benson

    By Janet Benson (24/09/2011)