This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the bottler,' i.e. bottle-maker; v. Bottlemaker. The 'pouche makers, hoteliers, and capmakers' acted together in the York Plays (p. xxii). These bottles were evidently of leather, (a) Offic. 'the bottler,' i.e. butler, one who looked after the bottles. The forms of entry are endless.

'Botler schalle sett for each a messe, A pot, a lofe, withouten distresse.': Boke of Curtasye. 'The furst yere, my son, thou shalt be pantere, or buttilare.': Boke of Nurture.

Katerina la Butelere, Norfolk, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Adam le Buteler. Herefordshire, ibid.

Clement le Butiller, Norfolk, ibid.

Faukes le Buteller, Lincolnshire, ibid.

Richard le Botiler, Buckinghamshire, ibid.

William le Botilier, Nottinghamshire, ibid.

Hugo le Botyler, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

1635. Baptised — Tomas Bottler, son of William Bottler: St. Michael, Cornhill.

Originally the servant in charge of the butts or casks of wine, OF. bouteillier, in Latin documents rendered pincerna. Some of the name in later times may derive from hoteller, maker of leather bottles, specimens of which are in Scottish museums. Hugo, pincerna, witnessed charters by Richard, bishop of St. Andrews, a. 1173 (RPSA., p. 134—136,138, 139), and c. 1200—1207 Petrus, pincerna, appears as a witness (LAC., p. 81). Warinus, pincerna of the bishop of Glasgow, witnessed confirmation of the sale of land of Scrogges to the church of Glasgow, 1208—13 (REG., p. 76). Malcolm, pincerna, witnessed a confirmation charter by Alexander 11 of his father's grant of the right of a fair, etc., to the bishop of Glasgow, c. 1225 (ibid., p. 113). Sir John le Botiler swore fealty in 1291, and in 1296 Johan le Botillier of Cramond, Johan le Botiler of Perthshire, and Sir John called le Botillier all rendered homage. Alisaundre de la Butelerie (= butlery) of Ayrshire also rendered homage in the same year (Bain, II, p. 205). The name in Scotland appears to have been ousted by Spence.

See under Botiler. The origin of the great Irish family of Butler is a vexed question. They have been variously deduced-from Herveius, a companion of William the Conqueror-from the illustrious De Clares-and from a brother of Thomas a Becket. Certain it is that they went over to Ireland, temp. Henry II., and that the name is derived from the office of King's Butler, which was conferred upon Theobald surnamed le Boteler by that monarch in 1177, and remained hereditary in his descendants for many generations. The head of the family claimed prisage and butlerage for all wines imported into Ireland, and it was not until 1810 that the claim was finally surrendered, for the valuable consideration of £216,000.

This family derive their origin from the old Counts of Briony or Biony, in Normandy, a descendant of whom, Herveius Fitz Walter, accompanied the Conqueror into England. His son, Theobold, went with Henry II. into Ireland, where, having greatly assisted in the reduction of the kingdom, he was rewarded with large possessions there, and made it the place of his residence. The king afterward conferred on him the office of chief Butler of Ireland, whence his descendants, the Earls of Ormond and others, took the surname of Be Boteler or Butler.

BOTILER: In ordinary life a wine-merchant or butler. The king's botiler, or ' Pincerna regis,' was an officer of considerable importance, answering to the collectors of customs in modem ports. In virtue of his office he was empowered to seize for the king's use, from every ship laden with wine, one cask from the prow and one from the poop, paying for each twenty shillings. Jacob's Law Dict. Le Boteler, le Botiller, H.R.

Butler. —This name is widely scattered, but its principal home is in the south of England in the adjacent counties of Wilts, Hants, and Berks.