About Butlers
Children now don't dream of growing up and becoming butlers. It seems an unappealing occupation, spending all day on your feet with a tray in your hands, getting bossed around, and only once a day getting to ring the gong for dinner. Once upon a time, however, many children did aspire to a butler's life, which was not actually such a bad one. To be a butler was often to be freed from a life of drudgery. Butlers were, in a way, middle management, negotiating between the worlds of the servants and the served. When good at their complex jobs they were invaluable. Though less keen than it once was, even today there is a need for butlers.
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History
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The word "butler" derives from the Anglo-French term buteillier, or bottle-bearer, one in charge of the wine of the household. By the 15th century, then, butlers were wine stewards, a role of crucial importance when wine, a more trusted beverage than potentially tainted water, was essential to the maintenance of all large households. Another early responsibility of the butler was the brewing of beer for the other members of the staff. The butler, therefore, was entrusted with duties that required exceptional discipline and good judgment. By the 18th century, the trust invested in a butler's skill extended to the management of the household and its servants as a whole.
Function
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The butler is in charge of all aspects of service within an establishment. He is the majordomo of the household, and all matters bearing on the care and feeding of his employers come under his purview. The butler may be responsible for hiring other servants. Having assembled a staff, he delegates its tasks and acts as supervisor. As the highest-ranking servant the butler executes certain prestigious duties of his own, as, for instance, the carving of meat at the table, and he often retains his position as manager of the wine cellar. The butler may also act as valet, attending to the wardrobe of his employer. Excluded from the butler's control is the care of the house beyond its walls: He has little to do with the gardener, for instance.
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Benefits
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The position of butler was always the most desirable of service jobs within a large house. Butlers were trusted by their employers, respected by their fellow servants and received relatively good wages. While the number of houses that require servants has dwindled since the early 20th century, jobs for butlers still exist and confer similar benefits. A trained and talented butler, who may answer to the more contemporary title of household or estate manager, can earn a competitive salary, one reaching into the low six figures.
Misconceptions
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Not all butlers conform to the traditional image of an imposing man in waistcoat and tails. While some butlers still wear livery, not all do. For many butlers, a business suit is the most unobtrusive day-to-day uniform, and to remain unobtrusive as he goes about his business remains key to a butler's function. Some butlers will don livery solely for special occasions, such as formal dinners. Further, though they are far less commonly found than male butlers, female butlers exist, as well. They are of particular use in cultures where a male butler's proximity to his female employer may be seen as inappropriate.
Types
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Since the early 20th century, the number of houses with extensive staff that require the management of a butler has dwindled. Yet, beyond those few private residences that still rely upon them, there are a number of other avenues open to butlers. A number of schools for butlers operate worldwide, and prepare their students for service in a range of environments, from the domestic to the corporate. Hotels and cruise ships often seek butlers to ensure a polished presentation of staff. Even for those individuals who no longer require a butler daily, part-time butlers can be useful. A host may hire a butler on a temporary basis while entertaining guests or to manage the service at an important meal.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Butler: Bernard Higham, 1893.
