Butler vs. gentleman's gentleman

[Justin Thyme]

I think I've just heard Michael Bentine say that a butler is also known
as a gentleman's gentleman. I think not; a gentleman's gentleman is a
valet.

--
I do not believe in revealed religion — I will have nothing to do
with your immortality; we are miserable enough in this life, without
speculating on another.
Lord Byron, 1778-1824, letter to Rev. Francis Hodgson, 1811

[Madrigal Gurneyhalt]

On Mon, 06 Apr 2015 19:43:22 +0100, Justin Thyme wrote:

> I think I've just heard Michael Bentine say that a butler is also known
> as a gentleman's gentleman. I think not; a gentleman's gentleman is a
> valet.

Not so, strictly speaking. A butler is indeed a gentleman's gentleman if
he is the sole attendant upon a bachelor, widower or divorced male
personage. Jeeves is most certainly a butler and the very epitome of a
gentleman's gentleman. Valets are rather lesser beings.

[Davey]

On 06 Apr 2015 22:10:22 GMT

There is a point at which Jeeves' services are required to help out at
a dinner, and when offering Jeeves' help, Bertie says that "he can
butle with the best of them", but that is not his usual job, more a
part of it.

--
Davey.

[Robert Carnegie]

On Monday, 6 April 2015 19:43:25 UTC+1, Justin Thyme wrote:
> I think I've just heard Michael Bentine say that a butler is also known
> as a gentleman's gentleman. I think not; a gentleman's gentleman is a
> valet.

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17520807> (2012),
related to the Royal household, also confuses
the terms. Apparently you start as a footman
and work upwards... but "butler" and "valet"
usually are different roles; one is the senior
servent, one is a personal servant.

But it seems to me that if a chap only has one
chap, then a chap's butler and a chap's chaps's
chap are the same feller, if you see what I mean.