Editing Jeeves (section)

== Fictional biography ==

=== Early life and family ===
Wodehouse disclosed little about Jeeves's early life. According to the character, he was privately educated,<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1960], ''Jeeves in the Offing'', chapter 2, p. 19.</ref> and his mother thought him intelligent.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1930], ''Very Good, Jeeves'', chapter 5, p. 128.</ref>

Jeeves has an uncle, [[List of Jeeves characters#Charlie Silversmith|Charlie Silversmith]], who is butler at [[P. G. Wodehouse locations#Deverill Hall|Deverill Hall]]. Silversmith dandled Jeeves on his knee frequently when Jeeves was very young and, when Jeeves is an adult, they write regularly to each other.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1949], ''The Mating Season'', chapter 8, p. 86.</ref><ref>Wodehouse (2008) (1971), ''Much Obliged, Jeeves'', chapter 1, p. 10 and chapter 15, p. 161.</ref> Charlie Silversmith's daughter Queenie Silversmith is Jeeves's cousin. Jeeves also mentions his late uncle Cyril in ''[[Right Ho, Jeeves]]''. His niece Mabel is engaged to Bertie Wooster's friend [[List of Jeeves characters#Charles "Biffy" Biffen|Charles "Biffy" Biffen]]. His cousin Egbert is a constable and plays a role in the short story "[[Without the Option]]".<ref name=garrison96>Garrison (1991), pp. 96–98.</ref>

Jeeves has three placid aunts, in contrast to Bertie Wooster's aunts.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) (1971), ''Much Obliged, Jeeves'', chapter 12, p. 126.</ref> Aunt Emily is interested in psychical research, and another aunt, Mrs. Pigott, owns a cat in Maiden Eggesford; this cat plays a major role in ''[[Aunts Aren't Gentlemen]]''. Jeeves occasionally refers to an aunt without naming her, including one who read [[Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.|Oliver Wendell Holmes]] to him when he was young.<ref>Ring & Jaggard (1999), p. 131.</ref> In ''[[Right Ho, Jeeves]]'', he mentions his Aunt Annie, though she was widely disliked.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1934], ''Right Ho, Jeeves'', chapter 23, p. 288.</ref>

=== Employment history ===

In his youth, Jeeves worked as a [[page (servant)|page boy]] at a girls' school. He apparently served in the military to some extent in [[World War I]].<ref>Cawthorne (2013), pp. 170–173. When asked by Lord Rowcester if he was in the First World War, Jeeves claims he "dabbled in it to a certain extent".</ref> In the play ''[[Come On, Jeeves]]'', Jeeves states that he was a [[Batman (military)|batman]].

Shortly before entering Bertie's service, Jeeves was employed by Lord Frederick Ranelagh, who was swindled in [[Monte Carlo]].<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1923], ''The Inimitable Jeeves'', chapter 4, p. 46.</ref> Jeeves previously worked for [[Lord Worplesdon]], resigning after nearly a year because of Worplesdon's eccentric choice of evening dress.<ref name="auto">Wodehouse (2008) [1925], ''Carry On, Jeeves'', chapter 1, p. 13.</ref> Jeeves later helps Lord Worplesdon in ''[[Joy in the Morning (Wodehouse novel)|Joy in the Morning]]''. Other former employers include Mr. Digby Thistleton (later Lord Bridgnorth), who sold hair tonic;<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1925], ''Carry On, Jeeves'', chapter 2, pp. 56–57 and chapter 4, p. 93.</ref> Mr. Montague-Todd, a financier who is in the second year of a [[prison]] term when Jeeves mentions him;<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1925], ''Carry On, Jeeves'', chapter 10, p. 268.</ref> and Lord Brancaster, who gave [[port wine|port]]-soaked seedcake to his pet parrot.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1934], ''Right Ho, Jeeves'', chapter 14, pp. 153–154.</ref>

Jeeves becomes Bertie Wooster's valet. However, his tenure with Bertie Wooster has occasional lapses during the stories; at these times, Jeeves finds work elsewhere. Jeeves works for Lord Chuffnell for a week in ''[[Thank You, Jeeves]]'', after giving notice because of Bertie Wooster's unwillingness to give up the [[banjolele]], and is briefly employed by J. Washburn Stoker in the same novel. In ''[[Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves]]'', he serves as substitute butler for Bertie's [[Aunt Dahlia]], and later enters Sir [[Watkyn Bassett]]'s employment for a short time as part of a scheme to help Bertie. Jeeves is Lord Rowcester's butler for the length of ''[[Ring for Jeeves]]''.<ref>Cawthorne (2013), pp. 173–174.</ref>

While working for Bertie Wooster, he occasionally pretends to be the valet of one of Bertie's friends as part of some scheme, though he is still actually Bertie's valet. He pretends to be the valet of Bicky Bickersteth in "[[Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg]]", [[List of Jeeves characters#Rockmetteller "Rocky" Todd|Rocky Todd]] in "[[The Aunt and the Sluggard]]", and [[Gussie Fink-Nottle]] when Gussie masquerades as Bertie Wooster in ''[[The Mating Season (novel)|The Mating Season]]''.<ref>Cawthorne (2013), p. 174.</ref> Jeeves acts as a bookmaker's clerk in ''[[Ring for Jeeves]]'', disguising himself for the role with a check suit and walrus moustache.<ref>Ring & Jaggard (1999), p. 137.</ref> In the play ''[[Come On, Jeeves]]'', which has mostly the same plot as ''Ring for Jeeves'', it is mentioned that Jeeves changed his appearance as a bookmaker's clerk, though in the play, Jeeves also impersonates a medieval ghost named Lady Agatha, wearing makeup and women's medieval clothing to complete the disguise. He pretends to be a broker's man in "[[Jeeves and the Greasy Bird]]" and Bertie's [[solicitor]] in ''[[Aunts Aren't Gentlemen]]''. In one instance, he pretends to be Bertie Wooster in a telephone conversation with playwright Percy Gorringe.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1954], ''Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit'', chapter 3, pp. 36–37.</ref> In ''[[Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves]]'', he assumes an alias, calling himself Chief Inspector Witherspoon of [[Scotland Yard]]. This alias is also mentioned in ''[[Aunts Aren't Gentlemen]]''.

Jeeves is a member of the [[Junior Ganymede Club]], a London club for butlers and valets.

=== The stories ===

Jeeves is first hired by Bertie in "[[Jeeves Takes Charge]]" to replace a valet whom Bertie had fired for stealing from him. In this short story, Bertie briefly fires Jeeves after Jeeves, who believes that Bertie would not be happy with his fiancée [[Florence Craye]], takes steps to end Bertie's engagement to her. Bertie quickly rehires Jeeves after realizing that Jeeves was right. Thereafter, Jeeves lives with Bertie, usually in their London residence at [[P. G. Wodehouse locations#Berkeley Mansions|Berkeley Mansions]]. Over the course of the short stories and novels, Jeeves helps Bertie, frequently extricating him from unwanted engagements, and also assists Bertie's friends and relatives with various dilemmas. Jeeves often has another motive, such as disposing of an item recently acquired by Bertie that Jeeves does not like, for example a bright scarlet [[cummerbund]]. He sometimes receives a monetary reward from Bertie and other people he helps in early stories, though this does not occur in later stories.

Bertie and Jeeves experience a variety of adventures in numerous short stories and novels. Aside from changes in his employment status, some events occur that are particularly noteworthy for Jeeves. Jeeves gets engaged twice in "[[Jeeves in the Springtime]]", though he never talks about these fiancées afterwards, and it appears that he does not become engaged again.<ref>Usborne (2003), p. 91.</ref> In the only story Jeeves narrates, "[[Bertie Changes His Mind]]", he opposes Bertie's decision to live with his nieces. Jeeves and Bertie visit [[P. G. Wodehouse locations#Deverill Hall|Deverill Hall]], where Jeeves's Uncle Charlie is employed as butler, in ''[[The Mating Season (novel)|The Mating Season]]''.

In the novel ''[[Ring for Jeeves]]'', which is set after World War II, Jeeves temporarily works as Lord Rowcester's butler while Bertie is sent to a school where the idle rich learn to fend for themselves. This is the only story in which Jeeves appears without Bertie Wooster. The novel was adapted from the play ''[[Come On, Jeeves]]''.

Jeeves's first name was not revealed until the penultimate novel, ''[[Much Obliged, Jeeves]]''. Bertie Wooster learns Jeeves's name when he hears another valet greet Jeeves with "Hullo, Reggie." The readers may have been surprised to learn Jeeves's first name, but Bertie was stunned by the revelation "that he had a first name" in the first place.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1971], ''Much Obliged, Jeeves'', chapter 4, p. 38. "'Hullo, Reggie,' he said, and I froze in my chair, stunned by the revelation that Jeeves's first name was Reginald. It had never occurred to me before that he had a first name" (Bertie about Bingley greeting Jeeves).</ref><ref>In the 1937 film ''Step Lively, Jeeves'', Jeeves, portrayed by [[Arthur Treacher]], states his first name to be Rupert.  However, Wodehouse had nothing to do with the script of that film, and Treacher's Jeeves character is so unlike Wodehouse's Jeeves that the viewer could easily believe him to be a different Jeeves altogether.</ref> In the club book of Jeeves's club, the Junior Ganymede, all members must record the foibles of their employers to forewarn other butlers and valets. Bertie wants Jeeves to destroy his section. Jeeves is initially reluctant to defy his club's rules, but he eventually does destroy the pages for Bertie by the end of ''Much Obliged, Jeeves''.

Jeeves last appears in ''[[Aunts Aren't Gentlemen]]'', in which Jeeves and Bertie head to the rural village of Maiden Eggesford, though Jeeves wants to go to New York. He and Bertie visit New York at the end of the story.