All too often, servants are accorded limited space in country house studies: rarely allowed to venture beyond the kitchen and service rooms, either in academic studies or interpretations for visitors. They are defined by their work not their lives and are seen as serving the physical rather than social or emotional needs of the owner. This paper challenges this viewpoint by exploring the relationship between George Lucy, owner of Charlecote Park in Warwickshire and his housekeeper, Mrs Phillipa Hayes. Drawing on their mutual correspondence, on other letters to and from Mrs Hayes, and on her Household Book, I construct a richer and more nuanced picture of the multiple roles that could be played by a senior servant. She was a housekeeper, but also a correspondent, confidante and hostess, who offered comfort and pleasure to her employer as well as sound economic and social management of his household. Although in some ways unusual, this case study illustrates the importance of placing senior servants more centrally when exploring the country house.

中文翻译：

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管家、通讯员和红颜知己：查理科特公园的海耶斯夫人的鲜为人知的故事，1744–73 年

很多时候，仆人在乡间别墅研究中被给予有限的空间：很少允许在厨房和服务室之外冒险，无论是在学术研究还是为游客解释。他们被他们的工作而不是他们的生活所定义，并且被视为满足主人的身体需求而不是社会或情感需求。本文通过探索沃里克郡查理科特公园的所有者乔治·露西和他的管家菲利普·海耶斯夫人之间的关系来挑战这一观点。借鉴他们的相互通信、海耶斯夫人的其他来信以及她的家庭书籍，我构建了一幅更丰富、更细致的图景，描绘了一位高级仆人可以扮演的多重角色。她是一名管家，同时也是一名记者、红颜知己和女主人，她为她的雇主提供了舒适和快乐，并为他的家庭提供了良好的经济和社会管理。尽管在某些方面不寻常，但本案例研究说明了在探索乡间别墅时将高级仆人置于更集中的重要性。