Household Staff
Practices vary depending on the size of the household and the preference of the employers, but in general the staff is divided into departments run by the:
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Butler | the head of household staff in most homes; in charge of the pantry, wine cellar and dining room. In a small house the butler also valets for the master of the house. Male staff report to him. The butler is often engaged by the master of the house but usually reports to the lady of the house or sometimes to the housekeeper. |
| Cook | in charge of the kitchen and kitchen staff. Sometimes a chef is employed with several subordinate cooks. The cook usually reports directly to the lady of the house but sometimes to the housekeeper. If the cook is female, she is always addressed as Mrs regardless of marital status. |
| Housekeeper | responsible for the house and its appearance; in charge of all female servants. In grand homes the butler and cook sometimes report to the housekeeper. The housekeeper is always addressed as Mrs regardless of marital status. |
Read more about this topic: Great House
Famous quotes containing the words household and/or staff:
“Except that household virtue, most uncommon,
Of constancy to a bad, ugly woman.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“... all my letters are read. I like that. I usually put something in there that I would like the staff to see. If some of the staff are lazy and choose not to read the mail, I usually write on the envelope “Legal Mail.” This way it will surely be read. It’s important that we educate everybody as we go along.”
—Jean Gump, U.S. pacifist. As quoted in The Great Divide, book 2, section 10, by Studs Terkel (1988)