The House Servant's Directory: An African American Butler's 1827 Guide

by Robert Roberts

"In order to get through your work in proper time, you should make it your chief study to rise early in the morning; for an hour before the family rises is worth more to you than two after they are up."
So begins Robert Roberts' The House Servant's Directory , first published in 1827 and the standard for household management for decades afterward. A classic survey of work, home life, and race relations in early America, the book was the result of many years of Roberts' personal and professional experiences. One of the first books written by an African-American and published by a commercial press, this manual for butlers and waiters offers keen insight into the social milieu, hierarchy, and maintenance of the antebellum manor.
As a servant to a prominent New England family, Roberts provided valuable insights into what was expected of domestic servants. His book contains an abundance of instructions for successfully completing household chores as well as suggestions for properly cleaning furniture and clothing; and for buying, preparing, and serving food and drink for dinner parties of all sizes (much of which is still useful information today). The text also contains suggestions for arranging servants' work routines, and advice to heads of families on how best to manage their domestic help -- extraordinary recommendations for master-servant relationships and highly unusual for the time.
Among the most famous of etiquette books to provide instruction on proper behavior for domestic servants in the early nineteenth century, Roberts' Directory remains a critical primary source in sociology and African-American history.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Cookbooks, Reference, Classics, American History

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1827

Reviews

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book was published in 1827 by an African American butler living in the New England area. This book became a bit of a primer for domestic servants and enslaved people who managed and worked in large formal homes. Roberts writes to two young men, Joseph and David, who will follow him in the service profession. These are his meticulous notes on handling a household. Topics include setting a table and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, how to serve tea, how to carve meats, and how to behave toward employers and fellow servants. Roberts also includes receipts (recipes) for many household cleaning substances and details how they should be applied to furniture, tools, and clothing. Roberts also discusses how to shop for grocery items at the market, detailing how different foods should look and smell and how to tell if they are fresh or close to spoiling. The author wraps up by discussing how to store foods and how to build coal fires.

A lot of historical information is included in 140ish pages. The information is reminiscent of European households. Roberts did do some training in England and France and brought his knowledge to America.

[Ian Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing glimpse into the far-gone world of a servant in the 1800's! I might be a little biased because I live in Waltham but the man's "Jumble Beer" recipe is 2nd to none. 🍻

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book as research for a presentation I'll be doing later this year. Written by the author of Robert's Rules of Order, this is basically a "how-to" manual for the below-stairs operations of a household in the early 19th Century.

It's written as though the author is speaking to two young men, Jonathan and David, who are entering service. Some of it is as dry as ditch water, as I'm sure you can imagine, but some of it is downright entertaining (in particular, the section on using anthracite coal). The recipes for various items, such as fireplace grate cleaner that uses lead and quicksilver (mercury), demonstrate that service was not only hard work but also dangerous.

It's not a book for fun reading, in my opinion, but it is one that authors of historical fiction might do well to include in their research.

[Richard Subber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The House Servant’s Directory is the first commercially published book written by a black man in America

Roberts (c1780-1860) was a butler for, among others, Christopher Gore (1758-1827), Governor of Massachusetts and a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts

This is an historical curiosity and a transparent presentation of the life and outlook of a black butler in 19th century Massachusetts. It could be a useful reference if you need to know how to use oil of vitriol to “take ink stains out of mahogany.”

Among other activities, Roberts was an outspoken abolitionist.

Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complete and well-organized description of what it meant to give good service as a butler or upper male house servant in the early 18th c. Written by a Black butler who was at the apex of his very successful career. Aside from being very interesting in itself, it would be a wonderful reference for anyone writing about an elite household in the time period.

(For those in the metro Boston area, one of Roberts' most significant employments was at the Gore Mansion in Waltham.)

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 1827 the work gives instructions on how to be a good house and/or personal servant in that timeframe in America. Many different skills and tasks are covered. The work presents a vview on the domestic life in an affluent household.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent resource for anyone interested in domestic service in the 19th century. It also contains methods for cleaning, choosing meats and fish when shopping, carving techniques, and other interesting and useful advice.

[Amelia in PDX · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting writtings from 1827 to potential household servants, with how to clean things & recipes for both cleaning & food preps.

[Amanda Bradburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and practical book for anyone in the service industry. It was written in 1827 by a black house servant and honestly he's the ideal person for anything in the service industry. I loved this book and even pulled some ideas from it to teach my waitstaff.

[Cindy Anstey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great reference material.