The Butler Society

The Butler Society is a one-name society. The name Butler is an occupational name, but it used to have a slightly different meaning. In large medieval households the Butler was the person in charge of the wine. Since many powerful nobles lived in fear of being poisoned, this was a position of considerable trust. There are a number of different families called Butler, some of which can be traced back to origins in different medieval households in the British Isles. On starting research, few will know from which group of Butler families their own particular family originates. For this reason, The Butler Society deliberately sets out to be a one-name society.