Estate staff

The history of Buckinghamshire has long been dominated by its rural character. This, combined with the county’s proximity to London, has made it a perfect base for the country’s wealthier classes to establish estates. The estates brought employment to many as maids, butlers, footmen and various other domestic servants as well as tradesmen like gardeners and carpenters. Generally less visible in the records than their wealthier peers, these lower classes of society have nonetheless left their mark in the manuscript collections left by Bucks estates. These records form a valuable resource for family and social historians alike.

The guide provides researchers with a general introduction to finding staff in the records held by the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies. It also gives a rundown of which estates have left potentially useful sources and the periods covered by those sources.

Download a copy of the estate staff research guide (PDF, opens in a new window)

Printed copies are also available at the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies.