Mervyn Bunter

Mervyn Bunter
Peter Jones played Bunter on BBC Radio from 1973 to 1983.
First appearance	Whose Body? (1923)
Portrayed by	Aubrey Mather (1937), The Silent Passenger Seymour Hicks (1940), "Busman's Honeymoon" Glyn Houston/Derek Newark (BBC Television, 1972-1975) Richard Morant (BBC Television, 1987) Peter Jones (BBC Radio)
Information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Valet, Assistant amateur detective, former WW1 NCO
Spouse(s)	Hope Fanshaw
Nationality	British

Mervyn Bunter is a fictional character in Dorothy L. Sayers' novels and short stories featuring Lord Peter Wimsey.

Dorothy L. Sayers (1893–1957) wrote a number of novels and short stories concerning the adventures of a fictional private detective called Lord Peter Wimsey who had his genesis in a Sexton Blake story Sayers wrote in 1920.

The first Wimsey story was published in 1923, and the last by Sayers alone in 1937. Other stories based on original material were published under the authorship of Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh, the last appearing in 2013.

The action of the original stories takes place between 1921 and 1937; the books in co-authorship extend this period through the Second World War and into the 1950s. During this whole period, Lord Peter has a manservant called Mervyn Bunter, and in him Sayers created a fictional persona that is fascinating and enigmatic. Sayers admitted having partially based Bunter's character on P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves, although Wimsey and Bunter are quite distinct from Wooster and Jeeves. He is the ultimate "Gentleman's Gentleman".

Bunter ensures that his master is perfectly dressed, he cooks excellent meals, he is knowledgeable regarding spirits, wines and cigars and is faultless when dealing with social etiquette, whether concerning dukes or tramps.

Bunter conveys an air of awesome solemn dignity lightened at rare intervals by an icy sarcasm and an understated but biting criticism. He uses carefully correct and sometimes stilted English (in Five Red Herrings he talks of having "attended the cinematograph" rather than "gone to the cinema"). He has an unexpected talent for music-hall mimicry (The Nine Tailors), and assists Lord Peter in the purchase of rare books and the solving of crimes.

If Lord Peter is in the top rank of society, being a friend of the Prince of Wales (Clouds of Witness and Thrones, Dominations), then Bunter is a prince among domestic staff. As a gentleman's gentleman, or valet, he is the functional equivalent of a butler and his rank reflects that of his master. He insists on being called "Mr Bunter" by all other servants and tradesmen (for example Frank Crutchley in Busman's Honeymoon).