What is a Butler?

I once told a young man that I was a butler. His response still makes me laugh today. He said “Oh, that’s awesome, you just sit around in a big house and wait for someone to ask you for a drink. I’d like to do that.” While that may have been the case at some point in history, it’s certainly not so today.

The profession of Butler has been around for centuries. The word butler means “a male servant or head of the household,” and comes from the Roman word “buticula” meaning bottle. After countless bacchanalian orgies, the bottle became synonymous with the person carrying it around to the average partygoer. The word evolved from Latin, through French into its current form of “butler,” but the idea has essentially remained the same: to cater to the needs and pleasures of the wealthy. (Thank you to my friend Steven M. Ferry for his research and insights in his book Butlers & Household Managers: 21^st Century Professionals.)

The butler has evolved from the era of castles with staffs of 300-400, in which the butler was in charge of the table and the wine, to times of improved technology (from refrigeration to irons, dishwashers, etc.) where smaller staffs were needed. The butler, still being a valued member of the staff, became the head of the household. Today, in the United States, the title Butler is used interchangeably with House Manager, Major Domo or Butler Administrator.

I feel that when a family is looking for a butler, they are seeking a refined and sophisticated individual who can comfortably interact with them and their guests. My employer had an English butler for a long time, so they wanted someone with the same tact and skill to interact with them and their many high level guests. The butler is essentially the intermediary between the principals and their staff, and often the houseguests.

In my case, I am charged with running the staff (of 15), overall maintenance of the residence (including managing construction projects and maintenance of all systems in the house, audio/visual, HVAC, electrical, pool, computer systems, etc.), directing and overseeing the service to the principals and their guests, and planning and managing events. This is the formal job description, but I am often called upon to do much more than these tasks. In previous positions I’ve also been the cook, housekeeper, and maintenance man, among other things!

Today’s butlers are called upon to be the one steady and consistent navigator in an ever-changing home and world. We are the person that the family has entrusted with the management of some of their most precious possessions, and, more importantly, their family and guests. We know the most intimate details of the family, but we never tell. We are trusted with the family’s money, and we don’t waste it. I am honored to have been invited into the homes of some of the wealthiest families in the world. It’s a challenge, it’s fun, and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else!