What is a Butler?
A butler is a household servant, usually at the head of a large staff of residential workers. In the past, houses of great wealth would designate one butler to each major department of the house. There may have been, for examples, butlers for the stables and carriages as well as butlers to oversee the kitchen and wine cellar. In this type of arrangement, a housekeeper would oversee the staff of butlers. In fact, housekeepers were so central to the staff of a household that they often made recommendations for the hiring of butlers. Just as every household is run in a distinctive way, so as to best serve the needs of the residents, so the tasks assigned to every butler vary. The word butler is a derivation of the Old French bouteillier which means “cup bearer.” The root word bouteille means “bottle.” It is clear, by the history of the word, that the original butlers were individuals whose main purpose was to serve wine at meal time. It is believed that wine was a great sign of wealth in
A Butler is the senior manager of a formal or multi-staffed household, usually in charge of only one residence. A Butler typically has professional training and formal experience in the field. A Butler can be a live-in or live-out employee. What are the responsibilities of a Butler? A Butler’s responsibilities generally cover a variety of tasks essential to the running of a complex or multi-staffed household.
