Footman's uniform, Wilkinson & Son, London, late 1800s - early 1900s
Footmen were expensive servants at grand houses. Employing footmen was a way of showing your wealth. Their uniform, or livery, was very showy. Their employers liked them to be seen and to look decorative.
This uniform was probably made in the early 1900s, but its style is very old-fashioned. Footmenâs livery was usually in the style of a gentlemanâs costume from the previous century. This was so they would look smart but not be mistaken for guests in the house.
This uniform, with its fancy silver braid decoration, would have been a footmanâs very best clothes. Footmen had two other grades of outfit, depending on what job they were doing. This outfit would have been worn when the footman was on show to house guests.
Footmen were status symbols because they were expensive to employ. Male servants had to be paid more than female servants. Maintaining footmenâs smart appearance was also expensive. For example, in the 1700s they wore wigs covered with hair powder. A special tax had to be paid on the hair powder.
From the late 1700s onwards, footmen were employed to do physical tasks like carrying visitorsâ bags. They had varied duties, including cleaning lamps or even pulling their drunken master from under the table.
In earlier years footmen were employed as runners. They would run alongside their mastersâ carriages and run with messages. They often covered huge distances in a day. Traditionally they carried a large staff, both as an aid and as protection. They would sometimes carry a boiled egg and some wine in the head of the staff for sustenance.
Many traditions were associated with footmen. Even when their job was no longer as a runner, they were often selected for the quality of their calf muscles. Some London footmen even wore false calf muscles inside their stockings. Footmen were usually called John or John Thomas, despite what their real names were.
Today only a few households still have footmen, including the Royal Family.
