The Butler and his PantryThe butler was a senior servant in every wealthy household, a man who was completely trustworthy. He had to be on call at all times, and was in charge of the work and behaviour of the male staff. The butler’s pantry provides us with clues to what his job involved. There would be many cupboards lining the pantry’s walls. Here would be stored cutlery, drinking glasses and table linen. A wooden sink, knife cleaner, wall clock, linen press and a set of house bells were all part of the fixtures and fittings. The butler’s duties varied with the size and status of each household. He would collect and hand out the cash for the staff’s wages. He would carry breakfast into the dining room, announce “dinner is served”, lift the covers off the food dishes and serve the wine. He was responsible for locking all doors and windows, checking the fires and lights, and answering the door. He would brush the servants’ liveries, press the table linen and polish the silver. The wine cellar was often his special area– he bottled the wine from casks, kept a cellar book and recorded the number of bottles given out each day. A strong room for the silver plates and cutlery was found in the butler’s pantry, and he would have to account for each item. His day often ended late, and so his bedroom was often near the pantry and strong room. The butler was provided with full board and lodgings, formal dress and occasionally a small pension in addition to his wage. Permission to sell off the candle ends and the empty wine bottles for an extra shilling or two, were some of the perks.
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The butler’s day was very long; he would often be on duty for more than 15 hours. His duties would include household jobs and making sure the other servants said their prayers last thing at night. He would have half a day off a week and usually little or no annual holidays, apart from public holidays and feast days. What do you think a butler would do on his half a day off? |
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