Great house
– Definition:
– No precise definition of great house
– Understanding varies between countries
– In England, villages had manor houses
– Stately homes associated with peerage
– Many properties now open to the public
– Management:
– Steward oversees large estates
– House manager is head of household
– Butler in charge of pantry and dining room
– Cook manages the kitchen
– Housekeeper responsible for house appearance
– See also:
– Housing portal
– Real estate
– House society
– Master of the Horse
– Master of the Hounds
– Notes:
– Guinness Book of Records, 1966, p.175
– “The Big House in Ireland” by Valerie Pakenham
– Domestic Servants in Edwardian England by Evangeline Holland
– Bricks & Brass – Staff Roles
– Great Houses (Plantation Houses) by Jamaica National Heritage Trust
A great house is a large house or mansion with luxurious appointments and great retinues of indoor and outdoor staff. The term is used mainly historically, especially of properties at the turn of the 20th century, i.e., the late Victorian or Edwardian era in the United Kingdom and the Gilded Age in the United States.
