Interior. First floor, servants' stair, view from S. Digital image of D/23841/cn

Description Interior. First floor, servants' stair, view from S. Digital image of D/23841/cn

Date 9/2/1998

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number SC 765865

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of D 23841 CN

Scope and Content Servants' stair at first-floor level, Paxton House, Scottish Borders This shows the servants' spiral staircase that leads from the basement to the first floor. The stair has stone treads and metal uprights that support a timber handrail. The stencilling on the walls is late 20th century decoration. The purpose of this stair was to keep servants away from the view of the family and guests. The housemaids would have used this staircase daily as they went about their chores overseen by the housekeeper. The maids opened shutters, cleaned grates and swept and dusted rooms. The maids were also expected to change and make beds, and empty chamberpots and basins from the bedrooms. Paxton House was built in the late 1750s by Patrick Home of Billie for his intended bride Charlotte de Brandt, daughter of King Frederick the Great of Prussia. Patrick Home never married Charlotte de Brandt and she died c.1770. The house was probably designed by John Adam (1721-92) and James Adam (1732-94) and has c.1773 interior work by Robert Adam (1728-92). Ninian Home, Patrick's cousin, bought Paxton in 1773 and his brother George inherited the property in 1795. George fell heir to Patrick Home's picture collection in 1808 and commissioned Robert Reid (1774-1856) to construct the picture gallery and library, built 1811-14. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/765865

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap