A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its appearance. A butler is usually male and in charge of male servants while a housekeeper is usually a woman and in charge of female servants. The butler, as the senior male servant, has the highest servant status.
Details[]
In older houses where the butler is the most senior worker, titles such as majordomo, butler administrator, house manager, staff manager, chief of staff, staff captain, estate manager, and head of household staff are sometimes given. In smaller settings they may just be given the title manservant. The precise duties of the employee will vary to some extent in line with the title given but, perhaps more importantly, in line with the requirements of the individual employer. In the grandest homes or when the employer owns more than one residence, there is sometimes an estate manager of higher rank than the butler. The butler can also be assisted by a head footman or footboy called the under-butler.
Traditionally, male servants (such as footmen) were better paid and of higher status than female servants, so similarly the butler was usually paid more than the housekeeper. A butler can also sometimes function as a chauffeur.
In Britain, the butler was originally a middle-ranking member of the staff of a grand household. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the butler gradually became the senior, usually male, member of a household's staff in the very grandest households. However, there was sometimes a steward who ran the outside estate and financial affairs, rather than just the household, and who was senior to the butler in social status into the 19th century. Butlers used always to be attired in a special uniform, distinct from the livery of junior servants, but today a butler is more likely to wear a business suit or business casual clothing and appear in uniform only on special occasions.
A silverman or silver butler has expertise and professional knowledge of the management, secure storage, use and cleaning of all silverware, associated tableware and other paraphernalia for use at military and other special functions.
Origin of name[]
The word butler comes from Anglo-Norman buteler, a variant form of Old Norman butelier, corresponding to Old French botellier (officer in charge of the king's wine bottles), derived from boteille ('bottle'; Modern French bouteille), itself from Gallo-Romance BUTICULA ('bottle'). For centuries, the butler has been the attendant entrusted with the care and serving of wine and other bottled beverages, which in ancient times might have represented a considerable portion of the household's assets and led to the position becoming chief steward of a household.
Butlers in Downton Abbey[]
- Mr Carson (Charles Carson) - Downton Abbey and the Crawley family's butler
- Mr Barrow (Thomas Barrow) - briefly butler to Sir Mark Stiles and butler of Downton Abbey after Carson retired
- Mr McCree - butler at Duneagle Castle for Lord Flintshire
- Mr Stowell - the butler in Canningford Grange serving Lord and Lady Sinderby
- Mr Wilson - the king's butler, also known as the Royal Page of the Backstairs
- Mead - Lady Rosamund Painswick's butler at her 35 Belgrave Square
- Mr Spratt (Septimus Spratt) - butler to the Dowager Countess of Grantham at the Dower House
- Mr Molesley (Joseph Molesley) - briefly butler of Crawley House
- Alfred Beet - mentor to Mr Carson and butler of Thrushcross Grange near Ripon
- Brancaster butler - butler of Brancaster Castle serving the Marquess of Hexham
- Mr Moore - butler at Rothwell Manor who interviewed Barrow
See also[]
- Housekeeper
- Under-butler
- Footman
- Hall boy
- Kitchen boy
- Spitboy
