The WOW Report

  • WOW Report
  • RuPaul’s DragCon
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!
  • WOW Presents Plus
  • What to Watch
    • Backyard Envy
    • Dancing Queen
    • Fashion Photo RuView
    • Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles
    • Ministry of Evil
    • UNHhhh
    • Watch RuPaul’s Drag Race
  • Store
You are here: Home / Misc / On Downton Abbey, Why Are Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore Called “Mrs” If They’ve Never Been Married?

On Downton Abbey, Why Are Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore Called “Mrs” If They’ve Never Been Married?

By James St. James on January 28, 2016 9:46 am

Downton Abbey | Series Six We return to the sumptuous setting of Downton Abbey for the sixth and final season of this internationally acclaimed hit drama series. As our time with the Crawleys begins to draw to a close, we see what will finally become of them all. The family and the servants, who work for them, remain inseparably interlinked as they face new challenges and begin forging different paths in a rapidly changing world. Photographer: Nick Briggs LESLEY NICOL as Mrs Patmore and PHYLLIS LOGAN as Mrs Hughes

#ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmm. Funny that it wasn’t until the middle of the 6th season that this question dawned on me. The soon-to-be-married Mrs Hughes was talking to Mrs Patmore about the turmoil she felt about losing her virginity so late in life, and Mrs Patmore said something to the effect that she will probably never know the thrill of “the maritals” herself…. and a little lightbulb went off in my head. Why are they both referred to as “Mrs” if they’re both (pardon the expression) old maids? Was it a servant thing? An early 20th/late 19th century thing? Turns out, it’s kind of both. From the Downton Abbey Wiki:

It is ultimately unclear whether there ever was a Mr Patmore, as “Mrs” is used as a courtesy for housekeepers and cooks regardless of whether they were or currently are married. However, in Episode 6.01, we witness a strained conversation between Mrs Patmore and Mrs Hughes — presumably another holder of the courtesy title — about Mr Carson’s likely expectations of her as his future bride. In that exchange, Mrs Patmore clearly insinuates that she has had no first-hand experience of married life. In Mistresses and marriage: or, a short history of the Mrs (PDF) (or [1]), Amy Louise Erickson states that “In the middle of the eighteenth century, ‘Mrs’ did not describe a married woman: it described a woman who governed subjects (i.e., employees or servants or apprentices) or a woman who was skilled or who taught”.

So cooks, housekeepers, governesses, and such were referred to as “Mrs” to give them an air of authority and respect. Interesting.

I guess it’s similar to French, where a girl goes from “Mademoiselle” to “Madame” when she marries, but also just as an honorific when she gets older. Is that right?

Show the love:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Filed Under: Misc

More

#QWERRRKOUT Tuesday: Many-Faced Goddess LAUREL CHARLESTON

#QWERRRKOUT Tuesday: Many-Faced Goddess LAUREL CHARLESTON

by Paisley Dalton on January 19, 2021 7:13 am

Sarah Jessica Parker! Nicole Kidman! Kamala Harris! It’s the WOW Report for Radio Andy!

Sarah Jessica Parker! Nicole Kidman! Kamala Harris! It’s the WOW Report for Radio Andy!

by Blake Jacobs on January 15, 2021 4:16 pm

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Trending


Bette Midler Sings “Goodbye, Donnie” to the Tune of “Hello, Dolly” Watch

Bill Maher Writes an Instructional Children’s Book for Trump – “Pack Your Sh*t & Go” Watch

RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Premieres This Year on WOW Presents Plus, Stan, TVNZ OnDemand

Deven Green Shares a Final Goodbye From Last Lady, Mesopotamia Trump. Watch

#LGBTQ: Matthew Camp’s House Completely Torched By Arsonist in an Apparent Hate Crime

About

From the creators of The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Party Monster, Million Dollar Listing, RuPaul's Drag Race, I Am Britney Jean, Big Freedia, and more.

View My Blog Posts
Ultra Naté Re-Releases #1 Smash Hit & Vid “Free (Live Your Life)”…Watch!
Stacey Abrams! Kimye! Chaos at the Capitol! Georgia Goes Blue! It’s the WOW Report for Radio Andy!
The Top Ten Things You May Have Forgotten Happened in 2020!
“Santa Fa La La” from “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special” is a Sexy Xmas R&B Grind. Watch
Tom Cruise! Meryl Streep! James Corden! Ann Reinking! Harry & Meghan! The WOW Report for Radio Andy!

© 2019 World of Wonder Productions, Inc | World of Wonder is a trademark of World of Wonder Productions, Inc | Privacy

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in