Domestic Labor in 19th-Century Philadelphia
Confidants and Carers for Francis A. Drexel’s Daughters: Mary Bernadette Cassidy and Johanna Ryan
It was extremely common at the time for wealthy and middle-class families to hire Irish women as maids. These women were part of the mass migration of Irish people to the United States during the mid-19th century as a direct consequence of the Great Famine.
Treatment of servants would have varied widely, dependent on skills, the nature of the work, the personality of the worker, and the temperament of the employer. There is much evidence to show that Anthony’s brother Francis A. Drexel, and his second wife, Emma Bouvier Drexel, were fair and even warmly familiar with at least some of their staff. That said, in a journal entry dated March 27, 1877, Emma wrote of her frustrations:
“Witness the indifference and incompetence of servants. In them, the fault lies not so much in inherent bad will and natural antagonism to their employers, as in their lack of early training, their ignorance of the value of time, their early neglect of the habit of thrift and the practice of forethought, their unconsciousness of non-principle in the slighting of fixed duties, and their magnificent contempt of the fact that that which is ill-done is a dereliction of duty.”
We know of two domestic workers who formed lasting attachments to Francis A. Drexel’s family and were treated as close companions. Francis and Emma employed Irish immigrants Mary Bernadette Cassidy as tutor and Johanna Ryan as nursemaid for their daughters, Elizabeth, Katharine, and Louise.
Johanna Ryan (1831–1906)—often referred to as “Joe” in the sisters’ correspondence—maintained close ties with the sisters into their adulthood and was frequently mentioned in Katharine’s correspondence. Though the family was known to joke about her dialect and mannerisms, the sisters expressed extreme fondness for “Joe.”
One of these letters recounted Johanna’s experience during the family’s first audience with Pope Pius IX during their tour of Europe from 1874 to 1875. Johanna considered this moment a highlight as she was a devoted Catholic—who had once dreamed of becoming a nun—and in later years recounted, “and sure I’ve had a wonderful life; travels to Europe and everywhere, and didn’t I see the Holy Father himself—two of them—and knelt to kiss his feet and be blessed by him.”
Mary Bernadette Cassidy (1834–d. ?)—called Miss Cassidy or “Bern” by her charges—came to the United States from County Kerry with her parents and sister. Her family was not working class in their home country, but here in America she was the primary breadwinner. “Bern” was quite devoted to the girls—though more formal with her young students—and earned the respect of parents Francis and Emma. Miss Cassidy did not live with the family; either commuting during the week when the Drexels were in residence at 1503 Walnut Street or staying Monday through Friday when the family was at their country home. While she did not travel with the family, she assigned composition practice and studies for the sisters to complete while away. For a brief look into Cassidy's relationship with the family, see the letter on the left where Francis A. Drexel expressed his condolences to Mary Bernadette Cassidy upon the death of Cassidy's mother.
Both women to varying degrees would have been seen as guides and chaperones as well as moral compasses for the young Drexel ladies. No doubt their Catholic faith was considered by Francis and Emma when evaluating Cassidy and Ryan’s appropriateness for their close contact positions.
Learn about Drexel family staff in the early 20th century:
Service in a Private Home: William Quirk and Mary McFadden
Who Lived at Anthony J. Drexel’s West Philadelphia Home?
While Anthony and Ellen had eight children, six of whom survived to adulthood, the members of their large nuclear family were not the only occupants of the Drexel mansion at 39th and Walnut. Domestic employees cared for the home, coaches, horses, and the Drexels themselves, allowing them to maintain their privileged lifestyle. Herein lies a vacancy in the archival record. Who were the members of this support team and what were their lives like? While the lives of the wealthy and powerful have long been documented and preserved, the experiences of the working classes have been preserved to a much lesser degree or overlooked completely.
Anthony and Ellen often hired domestic workers born in Ireland and Germany. The largest period of German immigration to the United States began in the 1820s and steadily grew to a peak in the 1840s and 50s.
According to an 1870 census record, when the eldest child, Emilie, was 18 and the youngest, George, was 2, nine people lived and worked at the home. The record does not list individual occupations, but these domestic workers likely fulfilled the roles of cook, nurse, maid, butler, and valet.
A few scant details are revealed:
John Ballard, 40, and Charles Wilson, 20, were Black men born in Pennsylvania and South Carolina, respectively. Silas Maurur and Ferdin Seutner were both 30 years old at the time and born in Württemberg, Germany. Mary Colflesh was a white woman of 45 born in Pennsylvania, while Mary Dufoor and Elice Durand were born in Hungary and Switzerland, respectively. Margaret Clay and Mary Duffee, both around 60 years old, were born in Ireland.