What is the difference between a footman and a butler?

What is the difference between a footman and a butler?

A butler is a servant who actually has a job to do – to answer the door and to deal with guests. We still have butlers today. A footman is a servant who’s basic job was to look good, and to accompany the master or mistress of the house when they left the house, by following (often on foot) their carriage.

What was the hierarchy of servants?

The butler, or the house steward, supervised the male servants such as the footmen and valets, while the housekeeper supervised the maids. Under her, the cook was in charge of a brigade of kitchen maids, scullery maids, and stillroom maids.

Who is higher butler or housekeeper?

A butler is usually male, and in charge of male servants, while a housekeeper is usually a woman, and in charge of female servants. The butler, as the senior male servant, has the highest servant status.

What rank is a footman?

The first footman was the designation given to the highest-ranking servant of this class in a given household. The first footman would serve as deputy butler and act as butler in the latter’s absence, although some larger houses also had an under-butler above the first footman.

What does an English footman do?

A footman is a servant who works in a large, wealthy home. There aren’t many footmen left these days, although you can still find some working for the British royal family. These footmen, usually young men, served food at the dinner table, filled in for absent butlers, carried heavy things, and opened and closed doors.

What’s the difference between a footman and a valet?

As nouns the difference between footman and valet is that footman is (label) a soldier who marches and fights on foot; a foot soldier while valet is a man’s personal male attendant, responsible for his clothes and appearance.

What do maids call their master’s daughter?

The Master and Mistress of the House should be addressed as “Sir” and “My Lady” respectively. The eldest son should be addressed as “Mister Jonathan” and the youngest son as “Master Guy”.

What do butlers call their masters?

The Butler should be given the title of “Mr. ~”, and addressed as such. The Housekeeper is given the title of “Missus ~”, and should be addressed as such, regardless of her marital status. The Chef de Cuisine should always be addressed as “Sir” or “Monsieur ~”.

Why do footmen wear gloves?

Footmen in gloves You will have noticed that Alfred and Jimmy wear white gloves when serving at table, whereas Carson the butler does not. Wearing gloves marked you out to be a footman. One school of thought was that your hands were considered not as clean as your senior Butler and so gloves were needed.

How does the family in Downton Abbey make money?

The Estate as Business Venture – In Life and in Death Downton Abbey is a vast English estate with parcels of land and buildings it rents to farmers. For 2 decades, Downton has been funded in large part by Lady Grantham’s American inheritance.

When does the head footman assume the duties of the Butler?

When one footman is employed, the butler assists in his duties. When two footmen are kept in lieu of a butler and footman, the head footman assumes the duties of the butler. When two or three footmen are kept with a butler, the head footman is called an under-butler, although he remains in livery.

What was the role of the footman in the butlers pantry?

Footman. Part of the ‘butler’s pantry’ department, the footman’s duties were deliberately light on labour – laying the table, answering the door, waiting at table and accompanying family when travelling on foot and by carriage.

Who is at the top of the hierarchy in Downton Abbey?

Top on the Hierarchy list as far as staff. -addressed by her surname by her employer and Miss by junior servants. (i.e. O’Brien, Miss O’Brien, Braithwaite on Downton Abbey. Anna is a Lady’s Maid but her husband, Bates is the valet.

What are the duties and hierarchy of servants?

Servants: Their Hierarchy and Duties. Upper ranks were entitled to respect and deference from the under staff. Upper rank servants would take the head places at dinner, unless they ate separately in the Steward’s or Housekeeper’s rooms. Visiting servants were seated according to the ranks of their master or mistress.