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From: Eve McLaughlin <>
Subject: Re: Occupation - BUTLER
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 22:59:12 +0100


In article <>, Iona97
<> writes
>Two G G Uncles in our family were butlers in the 1880's,
>William worked for Baronett John James Ennis MP for
>Athlone and High Sheriff of Co Westmeath 1866. G G
>Uncle Henry worked at Dulas Court in Ewyas Harold in
>Pontrilus, Herefordshire where he died in 1906.
>
>What age would a young boy begin work in service in
>those days, and how many years would it take to rise
>to become a butler? Were butlers back then like the
>'Jeeves' Mr.Stevens (Remains of the Day) type of
>people we think of today as butlers?

probably the lad would begin as a page boy at c 12/13, then move up to
footman. The progress towards butler would include a stage learning
about wines, food and drink ordering, table management and organisation
of rotas of duties, handling of guests etc presumably as an underbutler,
if the establishment was large enough. If the establishment was very
large (ducal or some lesser peers) there would be a steward in charge
and the butler's duties would be more limited than in an establishment
where he was the senior male servant.
Although you would expect a man not to become a butler till he was in
his 40s, I have found men from about 28 as butlers - if the previous man
died and he seemed competent, he got promoted.
Jeeves was a single handed 'gentleman's gentleman' -mixture of valet
and footman, with some of the buttling duties, to a bachelor in a small
flat.. Much better as an example of what butlers did in smallish
households (about 12 servants) is Upstairs Downstairs. I am not
familiar with Mr Stevens at all.
>
>Does anyone know anything about Dulas Court in
>Herefordshire, who owned it and so on ?
Appears to be a James Hopton
>
>One other ancestor worked as a waiter in the St.George
>Hanover Square census district. Anyone know what
>families lived in Hanover Square London in the 1880's ?
well to do on the whole, with some large hotels (where he was
presumably employed, or possibly in a gentlemen's club.
>
>Any comments much appreciated
>Regards
>Iris.

--
Eve McLaughlin

Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians
Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society

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