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:
“Then, though I prize my friends, I cannot afford to talk with them and study their visions, lest I lose my own. It would indeed give me a certain household joy to quit this lofty seeking, this spiritual astronomy, or search of stars, and come down to warm sympathies with you; but then I know well I shall mourn always the vanishing of my mighty gods.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
—Bible: Hebrew Psalms, 23:4.