• Home
  • Audio/Podcasts
  • Austensites
  • AV/E-Texts
  • History
  • Links
  • Novels
  • Original Sources/19th C. Texts
  • Social Customs During the Regency
  • Teacher/Student
  • Writer/Literature Resources

Jane Austen's World

This Jane Austen blog brings Jane Austen, her novels, and the Regency Period alive through food, dress, social customs, and other 19th C. historical details related to this topic.

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Death Comes to Pemberley and Other Matters Pertaining to Jane Austen Sequels
Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey »

The Green Baize Door: Dividing Line Between Servant and Master

January 27, 2012 by Vic

We’ve heard the term, “Behind the green baize doors”, but what exactly does it mean? You hear this reference most often in regard to servants and in old books.

Baize was a sturdy green cloth attached to a swing door.  The insulating fabric prevented noises from disturbing the individuals on either side:

The ‘Green Baize Door’ was the dividing line between the two domains, and trespassing beyond meant going into foreign territory. The ‘Green Baize Door’ was a feature of almost every substantial house. It was generally an ordinary framed door onto which was tacked a green baize cloth, usually with brass tacks. It was the universal signal of the dividing line between the two halves of the house.The Bull children would not be tolerated by the servants in the domestic part of the house unless they were working under supervision. This was like walking into somebody else’s house. The servants would normally use a different route to get to the various parts of the house, and would aim to be seen as little as possible. This was not because they were considered beneath notice: on the contrary, it was so that they could do their work uninterrupted by the requirement to exchange civilities. Houses evolved so that domestic staff could go about their task without interruption, not to ensure the privacy of the residents. They had none. –Borley Rectory and the Green-Baize Door, Domestic life at Borley Rectory, by Andrew Clarke , copyright 2002

Image @Chest of Books

The brass-headed tacks holding the cloth down could sometimes be arranged in a decorative design. The cloth not only deadened sound but also absorbed kitchen odors. Green baize doors became popular during the mid-Eighteenth century, so Jane Austen must have been aware of the practice, which was more and more used as the 19th century progressed. During Victorian times the practice of sound proofing doors with baize was quite common. The cloth could also be used to insulate nursery room doors, bedroom doors, and doors leading to studies or any place where sound needed to be muffled.

It was a time when housemaids were taught to turn their face to the wall if they should pass their employer on the stairs. For whose protection? one wonders. The era of Squire Allworthy and Sir Roger de Coverley had long passed, when relations between master and man were more informal. – The green baize door: social identity in Wodehouse; Part two – Allan Ramsay 

Early 19th century mahogany desk with baize lining**

Baize (or bayes), also known as a bocking flannel,  was a coarse wool or cotton material, which had a felt-like texture:

“In Europe, baize was used mainly for case, cabinet and closet linings, as well as furniture coverings. Clothing baize was used for monk and nun habits as well as soldier’s uniforms. In the North American Native market, the term baize frequently alludes to inexpensive coarse broadcloth. – Wool Trade Cloth 

Baize dates back to the 16th century, 1525 to be precise. A mid-17th century English ditty about the history of ale and beer brewing, mentions “bays”:

Hops, heresies, bays, and beer;
Came into England all in one year.

“Heresies refers to the Protestant Reformation, while bays is the Elizabethan spelling for baize. – Good English Ale 

Baize scrap from the Titanic. Image @Online Titanic Museum*

Baize was used in a number of ways, including as a protective cover for gaming tables, for the nap of the cloth increased friction, preventing cards from sliding and slowing billiard or snooker balls.  The cloth is available in a variety of naps. Roman Catholic churches used red or green baize for altar cloth protectors, and the cloth was used in museum cases and desks as well.

St. Jerome in his study

As previously mentioned, baize was also used for clothing.

“I would recommend to you the Green Baize Gown, and if that will not answer, You recollect the Bear Skin.” Letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams, 3 December 1788

The site for Knox Family Clothing mentioned mid-18th century receipts for baize and bayes,  as well as rattinet, armozeen, dowles, buff battinet, flannel, linen, silk, and velvet.

In Practical Cooking and Dinner Giving, published in 1876, Mary Foote Henderson recommends:

“Put a thick baize under the table-cloth. This is quite indispensable. It prevents noise, and the finest and handsomest table – linen looks comparatively thin and sleazy on a bare table.”  

The Staircase Hall at Uppark. The red baize door leads to the servants' quarters. ©NTPL/Geoffrey Frosh

Red baize was also used as insulating material, as the decorative door at Uppark (image above) indicated. (National Treasure Hunt, National Trust Collections) In this advertisement for an 1808 Georgian house for sale, a red baize door to the inner lobby is featured. The red baize servant door providing access to the inner lobby and the kitchen, rear reception and breakfast room. 1808 house

More on the topic:

  • Truro Fabrics
  • *Online Titanic Museum
  • **Mahogany desk O’Gallerie

Share with others:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in jane austen, Jane Austen's World, Regency World, Servants | Tagged baize doors, Green baize, servants quarters, Victorian servants | 16 Comments

16 Responses

  1. on January 27, 2012 at 11:01 Jenny

    I think in Mansfield Park, they used Baize for the theatre curtain. I also think I rememebr Mrs. Norris taking it home with her.I hadn’t heard of baize coming in colors other than green before. Interesting post.


    • on January 27, 2012 at 11:08 Vic

      You are absolutely correct, Jenny. I had meant to place these quotes from Mansfield Park in my article, and am glad you mentioned this.

      An enormous roll of green baize had arrived from Northampton, and been cut out by Mrs. Norris, (with a saving, by her good management, of full three quarters of a yard,) and was actually forming into a curtain by the housemaids, and still the play was wanting; and as two or three days passed away in this manner, Edmund began almost to hope that none might ever be found.

      The play was never performed, for Sir Thomas arrived home unexpectedly, and

      Mrs Norris contrived to remove one article from his sight that might have distressed him. The curtain over which she had presided with such talent and such success went off with her to her cottage, where she happened to be particularly in want of green baize.


    • on January 27, 2012 at 14:42 Elizabeth

      I’ve see billiards tables with red baize rather than green.


  2. on January 27, 2012 at 13:46 Martha

    Our house is particularly noisy, and I’d been thinking of ways to dampen sound. Maybe I need to revive green baize! Now where to find some…


  3. on January 27, 2012 at 14:13 Kathryn Kane

    Excellent article! I was thinking the other night, as Branson paused before the green baize door at Downton Abbey, with his soup tureen full of nastiness, that not everyone would understand the significance of the green baize on that door. Now, thanks to your very detailed article, they do.

    Regards,

    Kat


  4. on January 27, 2012 at 20:29 Diane Costanza

    Love your blog. You make the mundane of a household so much more interesting!


  5. on January 27, 2012 at 21:37 Gayle Mills

    Interesting post, as always.


  6. on January 28, 2012 at 10:20 unpub

    I wonder what colour door seperated the male servants from the maids – and who kept the keys?

    Rumour has it that it was not infrequent for the master of the house and older male off-spring to have a copy of all the keys.


  7. on January 28, 2012 at 17:26 Karen

    This was interesting (as usual); the beginning is contrary to everything I’ve ever read about the dividing purpose of the door. It had been my understanding that the door prevented “upstairs” from hearing/seeing the servants and most significantly masked cooking odors and etc. I had read servants were to be not seen and not heard by their “betters”. Thanks as usual for another intriguing and thought-provoking post.


  8. on January 29, 2012 at 10:07 Chris Squire

    There was a green baize door in my family home 60 years ago; the door is still there I think but I can’t remember whether or not the baize is still on it. The servants are long gone!

    OED has:

    ‘baize, n. Etym: < French baies < Latin badius chestnut-coloured . .
    1. a. A coarse woollen stuff, having a long nap, now used chiefly for linings, coverings, curtains, etc., in warmer countries for articles of clothing . . it was formerly, when made of finer and lighter texture, used as a clothing material in Britain also.
    1578 in S. W. Beck Draper's Dict. (1882) 17 Blewe and blacke bayse.
    . . 1667 S. Pepys Diary 24 Feb. (1974) VIII. 79 A cloak of Colchester bayze.
    . . 1882 S. W. Beck Draper's Dict. 14 Bays, bayze, baize‥was first introduced here in 1561.
    b. attrib.
    . . 1853 Dickens Bleak House xli. 405 There is an inner baize door too.’


  9. on January 29, 2012 at 18:15 Cathy Allen

    Very interesting and informative, Vic. I’ve wondered about this for for years; thank you for clearing it up!


  10. on January 30, 2012 at 15:02 Sven Raphael Schneider

    Fantastic article about Highclere Castle. I definitely have to visit it during my next trip to England!
    In case anybody is interested in the clothing men wear at Downton Abbey, you should take a look at Lord Grantham’s clothing as well as the Mess Dress article.


  11. on January 30, 2012 at 18:12 unpub

    An old time crooner called Frankie Vaughn had a big hit in the UK (decades ago) with a record called “Green Door”, and his success was repeated years later by a guy called Shakin’ Stevens.

    Totally irrelevant, but thought I’d share it.


  12. on January 31, 2012 at 00:53 Kevin Graves

    Ralph and Ricki Lauren’s bedroom in their Bedford NY home is covered in deep blue baise and is beautiful.


  13. on February 24, 2012 at 06:07 Bev Watson

    We visited Jane Austen ‘s museum in Bath, England. Interesting wardrobe….


  14. on July 9, 2012 at 19:49 David Rocko

    The 1752 case for the London Communion silver in my church is lined with its original purple baize. Baize came in all colors. Any modern coarse-weave cloth is acceptable.



Comments are closed.

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 6,764 other followers

  • Follow Jane Austen's World on WordPress.com
  • Blog Stats

    • 14,864,306 hits
  • Britain’s Black Past

    For those of us who watched Bridgerton on Netflix, Professor Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina’s BBC 4 Radio discussions on this topic will provide a rich background. The author of Black London has recorded 12 episodes on the topic for BBC 4 radio. Click on this link to view and choose them.

    If you’d like the hear one of her talks, here’s a 15-minute discussion on The Invisible Presence.

    Queen Charlotte by Alan Ramsay, Google Art Project

  • Jane Austen: Myth, Reality and Global Celebrity–Free Online Course

    University of Southampton via Future Learn offers a course described as thus: “Discover the fascinating story of author Jane Austen, from her own life in Hampshire to what she means to a global audience today.”

    Having taken several Future Learn courses, I can attest that they are excellent. Click here to sign up for this 3-week course.

  • The Obituary of Charlotte Collins by Andrew Capes

    Click on image to read the story.

  • Comments

    “My idea of good company…is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation.” – Jane Austen, Persuasion

     

    Gentle readers: Please feel free to post your comments and continue the conversation!

    Regretfully, due to SPAMMERS, we will no longer accept comments on posts that were published over 30 days ago. In some instances, links will be removed from comments as well.

  • Administrators and Contributors

    Vic Sanborn, founder of this blog, is supported by a team of talented and knowledgeable writers about Jane Austen and the Regency era. They are:

    • Tony Grant,
    • Brenda Cox, and
    • Rachel Dodge.

    Click on their names to enter their own blogs.

    In addition, we thank the many experts and authors who frequently contribute their posts and opinions, and who continue to do so freely or at our request.

  • The Anne of Green Gables Devotional by Rachel Dodge, one of this blog’s writers!

    Find a book  description and order information on Rachel Dodge’s website. Click on this link.

    Find a review of the book by Brenda Cox, another JAW author, on her website. Click on this link.

  • Pin It!

    Follow Me on Pinterest
  • Top Posts

    • Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
      Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
    • Social Customs During the Regency
      Social Customs During the Regency
    • The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
      The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
    • You can watch Persuasion 2007 online
      You can watch Persuasion 2007 online
    • Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
      Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
    • Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
      Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
    • Dressing for the Netherfield Ball in Pride and Prejudice: Regency Fashion
      Dressing for the Netherfield Ball in Pride and Prejudice: Regency Fashion
    • Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
      Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
    • Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
      Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
    • The heaving Regency bosom, or was it? Some facts laid bare.
      The heaving Regency bosom, or was it? Some facts laid bare.
  • Recent Posts

    • Turnspit Dogs
    • JANE AUSTEN’S SURREY: The Novels as Inspiration by Tony Grant
    • Captain Wentworth’s Love Letter
    • Twenty Book suggestions with Annotations from the Jane Austen’s World’s Writing Team
    • Jane Austen and Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary
  • Bookmark

    Add to DeliciousAdd to DiggAdd to FaceBookAdd to Google BookmarkAdd to MySpaceAdd to NewsvineAdd to RedditAdd to StumbleUponAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Twitter
  • Links to Jane Austen Blogs

    Click here to enter the page. Topics include Regency fashion, historic foods, Jane Austen societies, British sites, related topics. Click on image.

  • Find Jane Austen on Google

  • This blog has no commercial purpose

    Our team makes no profit off this blog. We may receive books (physical or digitized) and CDs for review.

  • Hello, my name is Vic and I live in Maryland, USA. I have adored Jane Austen almost all of my life. I am a proud lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me and my team. We do not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we do accept and keep books and CDs to review.

    If you would like to share a new site, or point out an error, please email us. (Yes, we are fallible. We'll own up to our mistakes and will make the corrections with a polite smile on our faces.) Write us at

    gmailbw

    Thank you for visiting this blog. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome.

  • Copyright Statement

    © Jane Austen’s World blog, 2010-2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jane Austen’s World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

  • Top Posts & Pages

    • Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
    • Social Customs During the Regency
    • The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
    • You can watch Persuasion 2007 online
    • Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
    • Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
    • Dressing for the Netherfield Ball in Pride and Prejudice: Regency Fashion
    • Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
    • Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
    • The heaving Regency bosom, or was it? Some facts laid bare.
  • Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
    %d bloggers like this: