Lucretia Pope

Lucretia Pope was a servant in the home of a merchant named Nathan Appleton, and a trusted member of the family’s staff. As a servant in a wealthy household, she would have a very long and busy day, starting work before her employers woke up, lighting fires in the fireplaces and bringing breakfast upstairs. During the day she had a variety of tasks – cleaning fireplaces of ash, sweeping carpets, making beds, and serving supper and dinner. She would also have helped take care of the family’s clothes and shoes, washed dishes for the cook, and prepared candles for lighting in the evening. A servant was one of the lower-paying jobs in Boston. Even the others who worked in the same house (the cook, nursemaid, and coachman) would have earned a higher rate of pay.