This study examines domestic service as an 'industry' in south Wales between 1871 and 1921. The term 'domestic' has been interpreted as a description of duties performed rather than the place in which the tasks were carried out. As a result a broad depiction of the sector has emerged encompassing staff based in private households, businesses and public institutions. This approach has highlighted the importance of the sector in south Wales. It has also revealed significant changes in the nature of domestic service and the character of its workforce during the late-Victorian and Edwardian period. The absence of central regulation, the development of impersonal recruitment methods and the prevalence of traditional gender ideology have all been shown to have had a notable influence on contemporary perceptions of the sector and its function in Welsh society. The research methodology draws on both qualitative and quantitative sources to reveal domestic service as a multifaceted and dynamic economic sector.