Servants were employed in Elizabeth Gaskell’s time by almost everyone except the very poor.  And almost everyone grumbled about them.  One book about the servant problem was called The Greatest Plague of Life.  At least many of the grumbles took the form of (rather bad) jokes: this talk may make you smile. This talk is given by Anthony Burton and is included in admission. Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is run by Manchester Historic Buildings Trust (charity no. 1080606) and all money gained … Continue reading FREE TALK: The Servant Problem: the Employers’ View