A Study of the Servant Class in South Ayrshire, 1750-1914

The laws which have regulated the master-servant relationship in Scotland and the part played by the Church in giving moral guidance on such matters, provided the background to the way the master-servant relationships were conducted in South Ayrshire. The manner in which servants were engaged and discharged was examined, also the conditions under which they served. Wages, duties, accommodation, food and clothing were dealt with, followed by an attempt to account for the movement of the servant population into, out of, and within the area. Some attention was paid to the subject of servants' health and of the savings schemes available to them. The hazards and consequences of impoverishment were examined, together with the types of crime with which some of the servant class might have become involved. Finally, their opportunities for leisure activities and of acquiring literacy skills were studied