YOU may have heard stories about the people who lived at Tredegar House, whether it’s Sir Charles Morgan and the Newport Rising, or Evan Morgan’s extravagant parties – but you may not have heard much about the people who worked for them. 

January saw one of the most exciting events for staff– the Servant’s Ball.

The Servant’s Ball seems to have been the social occasion of the year for staff at Tredegar House, with maids, butlers, gardeners and many others attending the raucous party.

South Wales Argus: Getting ready for a servant's ball at Tredegar House

Getting ready for a servant's ball at Tredegar House

Traditionally, the event began with a grand entrance from the Morgan family to the song The Roast Beef of Old England, before the current Lord Tredegar and the housekeeper started the dancing.

Other members of the family would also join in, before leaving their staff to enjoy themselves.

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Up to 200 guests would attend the party in the Servant’s Hall, while a large buffet was set out in the Great Kitchen for attendees to help themselves. Professional bands or well-known musicians would be hired for entertainment, so that guests could dance the night away.

South Wales Argus: A dance card from a servant's ball at Tredegar House.

A dance card from a servant's ball at Tredegar House

Although our records show this became an annual event, it seems that the theme of the night would regularly change. Fancy dress was often worn, with one servant recalling winning a prize for her Little Bo Peep costume in 1918 - although some of the luckier (and more favoured) servants borrowed ball gowns and suits from members of the family.

One photograph even shows some staff members still dressed for work – perhaps ‘on call’ for the family or maybe in preparation to start their shift when the party ended at 5.30am.

South Wales Argus: A servant's ball at Tredegar House

A servant's ball at Tredegar House

Of course, the Morgan family couldn’t let their staff have all the fun in January.

They had their own special event on the twelfth night after Christmas to mark the end of the holiday season.

Twelfth Day celebrations would begin with an exciting horse race, held in what is now the parkland around the mansion house. Family and guests entered horses and riders, including Charles Morgan’s well-known steed, Sir Briggs.

South Wales Argus: The Servants' Hall at Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales.

The Servants' Hall at Tredegar House

In the evening, the family and their guests would sit down for an extravagant dinner, followed by a masquerade ball for 200 of the most noble in local society.

These balls, too, would often be held in fancy dress – with Sir Charles Morgan once appearing in a housemaid’s outfit, and other guests dressing as Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon.

South Wales Argus: The Great Kitchen at Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales.

The Great Kitchen at Tredegar House

Colourful and excessive outfits were the norm on the twelfth night, and accounts recall guests dressing in bohemian and exotic costumes from all over the world. Entertainment included amateur dramatics and music, with the cast and musicians being drawn from the family and their guests.

Perhaps spurred on by the cold winter season, January was by no means a quiet month at Tredegar House. It was a time for spectacular parties, decadent food and enjoyment, where servants and the Morgan family alike would celebrate the new year in style.