History Main / KindlyHousekeeper

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' has Mila, Tain's gentle and kind housekeeper of thirty years.

* Mrs. Potts in ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast''.
* CompositeCharacter Nanny (a stand-in for the novel '''Literature/TheHundredAndOneDalmatians''' Nanny Cook and Nanny Butler) in Disney's ''Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians''.

Such ladies can be a ParentalSubstitute to the children (if there are any) to substitute for the DisappearedDad (if the housekeeper happens to be a man) or the MissingMom--usually the latter since housekeepers are [[AlwaysFemale traditionally women]] and it's usually TheJeeves who would act as a fatherly figure to the potential children. She will also often play TeamMom to the other servants (assuming she's not the only servant employed). Can be a SupremeChef considering that [[ThinkNothingOfIt it's all part of the job]], or an ApronMatron. In the latter case she may also be a ServileSnarker to verbally whip others.

* Mrs. Hudson in the ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' canon fits this trope. She was actually Holmes' landlady, and didn't really clean up after him too often, but she did prepare his meals and admit clients in to see him. She even assisted directly in one of his cases, for which he complimented her as being "indispensable."

* Mrs. Mullins from ''Jigsaw'' plays with this. She devoted forty years of service to Taylsea Court and "has a heart of gold, [[SugarAndIcePersonality but only one person in a hundred discovers it under the gruff exterior]]." This is especially true for Mona, the protagonist, whom "Mullie" briefly considered a feminine rival.
* ''The Girl Who Chased the Moon'' features one. She helped raise the male lead and she [[ShipperOnDeck supports his budding romance]].

* ''The Girl Who Chased the Moon'' features one. She's a ShipperOnDeck for the male lead.

* One appears in ''Jigsaw,'' by British author Barbara Cartland. She starts off disliking the female protagonist, Mona, because she's a rival feminine influence over the estate, but they bond fairly quickly.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'' have Rosie as their kindly housekeeper--she's a robot-maid (and an outdated model at that), but the Jetson-family loves her far too much to trade her in for a newer model.

* The title character in the comic strip ''Hazel'', as well as the Shirley Booth sitcom adapted from it, is tough-talking but sweet.

* ''NancyDrew'': Hannah Gruen, the live-in housekeeper/cook to the Drew family. She's been working for the family for years, and took it upon herself to act as a maternal figure to Nancy after her mother died (age-10 in the original series but age-3 in the revised series). Nancy and her father, Carson, see Hannah more of as a member of the family than a servant.

* Mrs. Bird from PaddingtonBear.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'' have Rosie as their kindly housekeeper--she's a robot-maid (and an outdated model at that), but the family loves her too much to trade her in a for a newer model.

* Mrs. Beakly from ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales''.

[[folder: Film ]]

Such ladies can be a ParentalSubstitute to the children (if there are any) to substitute for the DisappearedDad (if the housekeeper happens to be a guy) or the MissingMom--usually the latter since housekeepers are [[AlwaysFemale traditionally women]] and it's usually TheJeeves who would act as a fatherly figure to the potential children. She will also often play TeamMom to the other servants (assuming she's not the only servant employed). Can be a SupremeChef considering that [[ThinkNothingOfIt it's all part of the job]], or an ApronMatron. In the latter case she may also be a ServileSnarker to verbally whip others.

** The [[Series/{{Sherlock}} BBC adaptation]] puts her in the same position, with John and Sherlock both very protective of their landlady ([[CatchPhrase not their housekeeper]]). For the offence of laying hands on Mrs Hudson, Sherlock throws a CIA agent out of a window, and at the end of series 2 [[spoiler:Moriarty correctly identifies her as one of the three true friends in his life]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'' have Rosie as their kindly housekeeper.

* ''TheJetsons'' have Rosie as their kindly housekeeper.

Such ladies can be a ParentalSubstitute to the children (if there are any) to substitute for the DisappearedDad or the MissingMom--usually the latter since housekeepers are [[AlwaysFemale traditionally women]]. She will also often play TeamMom to the other servants (assuming she's not the only servant employed). Can be a SupremeChef considering that [[ThinkNothingOfIt it's all part of the job]], or an ApronMatron. In the latter case she may also be a ServileSnarker to verbally whip others.

* CompositeCharacter Nanny (a stand-in for the novel ''Literature/TheHundredAndOneDalmatians''' Nanny Cook and Nanny Butler) in Disney's ''Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians''.

* ''NancyDrew'': Hannah Gruen, the live-in housekeeper/cook to the Drew family. She had been working for the family since Mrs. Drew, Nancy's mother, passed away when Nancy was only three years old. Nancy and her father, Carson, see Hannah more of as a member of the family than a servant, especially considering Hannah and Nancy have a very close mother/daughter-type of relationship.

* Mrs. Bridges is the Kindly Queen of Kitchen in ''Series/UpstairsDownstairs''. She does have something of a temper, but is a caring mother to the servant folks.

* Mrs. Bridges is the Kindly Queen of Kitchen in ''UpstairsDownstairs''. She does have something of a temper, but is a caring mother to the servant folks.
* Alice from ''TheBradyBunch'' is portrayed this way.

* Mrs. Garrett, Edna, and Pearl from ''DiffrentStrokes''.
* Carla, the Drapers' black "girl" on ''MadMen'', who is widely criticized for being confined to this trope and SatelliteCharacter status in a show that has plenty of time to examine the problems of comparatively much more privileged (read: white) people in TheSixties. The only time she broke out of the role at all was during the scene when she was [[PutOnABus being fired]]. It's worse with Betty's childhood nanny/maid Viola, who is downright Mammy-like.
* Mrs Elsie Hughes of ''DowntonAbbey''.

Such ladies can be a ParentalSubstitute to the children (if there are any) to substitute for the DisappearedDad or the MissingMom--usually the latter since housekeepers are [[AlwaysFemale traditionally women]]. She will also often play TeamMom to the other servants (if there are any). Can be a SupremeChef considering that [[ThinkNothingOfIt it's all part of the job]], or an ApronMatron. In the latter case she may also be a ServileSnarker to verbally whip others.

* Chessy in ''Film/TheParentTrap'' (new version)

* Jack from ''Literature/AlexRider''. Although she's younger than most of the examples, she still serves as a Parental Substitute for Alex.

* Mrs. Hudson in the ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' canon fits this trope. She was actually Holmes' landlady, and didn't really clean up after him too often, but she did prepare his meals and admit clients in to see him. She even assisted directly in one of his cases, for which he complimented her as being "indispensable".

You know this [[AlwaysFemale lady]]. She's portly or HollywoodPudgy, [[PerpetualSmiler perpetually smiling]] and always ready to do what you need her to do---she's always there should you need someone to take out the trash, [[TextileWorkIsFeminine do the laundry]], or be a shoulder to cry on. She'll always have [[FeminineWomenCanCook a nice breakfast]] for you ready in the morning, and will take your coat for you once you come back home. She's the Kindly Housekeeper.

Such ladies can be a ParentalSubstitute to the children--if there are any--to substitute for the DisappearedDad or the MissingMom (usually the latter since housekeepers are [[AlwaysFemale traditionally women]]). She will also often play TeamMom to the other servants. Can be a SupremeChef considering that [[ThinkNothingOfIt it's all part of the job]], or an ApronMatron. In the latter case she may also be a ServileSnarker to verbally whip others.

Probably not an OldRetainer, since she usually does not have a high regard for doing things the Proper Way.

* Mrs. Hudson in the SherlockHolmes canon fits this trope. She was actually Holmes' landlady, and didn't really clean up after him too often, but she did prepare his meals and admit clients in to see him. She even assisted directly in one of his cases, for which he complimented her as being "indispensable."

* As noted in the Literature section, Mrs. Hudson. The Granada television adaptation of the SherlockHolmes canon puts her even more squarely into this trope than the novels themselves, as it illustrates the mother-son type of attachment she shares with her eccentric boarder. This is most clearly seen in the episode in which Holmes returns after being believed dead for three years - he ''hugs'' her.
** The [[{{Sherlock}} BBC adaptation]] puts her in the same position, with John and Sherlock both very protective of their landlady ([[CatchPhrase not their housekeeper]]). For the offence of laying hands on Mrs Hudson, Sherlock throws a CIA agent out of a window, and at the end of series 2 [[spoiler:Moriarty correctly identifies her as one of the three true friends in his life]].

* Mrs. [=McGregor=] from ''Literature/TheBoxcarChildren'': She works for Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny's paternal grandfather, James Henry Alden, as a [[wikipedia:Houskeeper (dosmetic worker)#Today's cook-housekeeper housekeeper/cook]], but they see her more as a member of the family than a servant.

Such ladies can be a ParentalSubstitute to the children--if there are any--to substitute for the DisappearedDad or the MissingMom (usually the latter since housekeepers are [[AlwaysFemale almost always women]]). She will also often play TeamMom to the other servants. Can be a SupremeChef considering that [[ThinkNothingOfIt it's all part of the job]], or an ApronMatron. In the latter case she may also be a ServileSnarker to verbally whip others.

* Mrs. Mcgregor from ''Literature/TheBoxcarChildren'': She works for Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny's paternal grandfather, James Alden, as a housekeeper/cook, but they see her more as a member of the family than a servant.