"But don't forget that as long as God gives you life we will still be mothers and no matter how revolutionary you may be, we have the right to pull down your pants and give you a whipping at the first sign of disrespect."
Not all Matriarchs are malicious, and not all Mama Bears are young. These grand dames are the grandmothers, aunts, and headmistresses who care for their children, students, or even employees with an iron discipline the army would envy. The Apron Matron has a larger than life, imposing presence and leads with a personality more forceful than a wrecking ball.
If there's combat to be had, she can take on a brigade on her own, even chasing out ninjas armed with naught but a broom. (Sadly, she'll often be captured and bound).
Expect her to be motherly, caring, strict, and kind. Also, probably "plump" yet strong. If married, she's likely to have a Henpecked Husband, though she's usually single either from outliving her husband or never marrying.
Can overlap with Mama Bear, and must be written carefully to avoid Flanderization into My Beloved Smother. Compare The Patriarch, whom she may be married to. See also the Mammy.
If an Apron Matron has enough prestige, she will likely become a Grande Dame.
Chizuru Naba in Mahou Sensei Negima! is basically an Apron Matron in self-training. Given that she's only 14/15 now, she'll have the part nailed by the next twenty or thirty years.
And from the Magic World, we have Mama, who takes the Mama Bear trope literally, being a giant teddy bear of a woman who will beat up anyone who abuses the slave girls under her care.
Miyabi Kagurazaka from Ai Yori Aoshi is a somewhat younger version.
Martha from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds. She's such an overbearing Mama Bear that the two main characters, Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlas, are reduced to trouble-making ten year olds in her presence. And only she's got the guts to pinch Yusei by the ear.
A character in Pokémon: Lenora, the Nacrene City Gym Leader, seems to be borderline this, though she isn't shown to have children (she is in charge of the museum, though). The apron, though, only appears on her in the Japanese verison of the anime and her video game sprite, as the animators feared US viewers would see her as a 'mammy' stereotype, since she's of African descent.
Monstress from the Postboot Legion Of Super-Heroes. She wasn't any older than the others, but she was a lot bigger, and had a motherly attitude towards her teammates, often calling them "dear."
Thorn's grandmother, Gran'ma Ben, from Bone. Of course, she is a Queen.
Maw Broon, from the Sunday Post comic strip The Broons, is probably the example that every Scot will recognise immediately. She has eight kids and her own publishedcookbook.
Film
Ma Bell in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, who is also a Mama Bear. On two occasions she singlehandedly takes on several evil henchman at once.
As quoted above, Úrsula Iguaran-Buendia from One Hundred Years Of Solitude. At least until she was confined to her bed due to old age.
Marya Akhrosimova in War and Peace. She's the sort who speaks her mind, and to hell with aristocratic pleasantries.
Ma Joad. Even the characters acknowledge she's the one that holds the "fambly" together.
In Suite Française, Charlotte Péricand. She runs her household with great efficiency, and when fleeing from enemy bombing she acts to save her children with ruthless decisiveness (as long as the family's alive, nothing else matters). However, she usually fails to match the "caring" and "kind" part of the trope description by her lack of real empathy, even though she conscientiously tries to carry out the duty of being good-hearted and generous.
Amelia Peabody Emerson. Her parasol is a weapon feared throughout Egypt (before her husband gave her a sword-cane version), and senior British officials cringe at the thought of her tongue-lashings.
Augusta Longbottom also qualifies, although she's less kindly and there's no way anyone could capture her.
Minerva McGonagall. Yes, she's strict. Yes, she cares for the kids under her care. And yes... she will curse the living daylights out of you if you hurt her students.
The Badger Mothers in Redwall generally fit this, with Bella of Brockhall probably the most so.
Mother Superior Mary Francis in James Byron Huggins' novel Cain. Frail, aged nun vs. demon-possessed assassin/cyborg/vampire?
Cain: "Holy water, Mother?"
MSMF: "No. Gasoline."
Somewhat later, she goes out with a literal bang, taking out an army of minions with a bandolier of grenades. (No, she's not the protagonist.)
Razo and Rin's mother in Shannon Hale's Books Of Bayern series, the matriarch of a large and unruly family. Five of her seven children are bigger than she is, but guess who's unquestionably in charge?
"The Gordon Women", in the Mc Auslan short story collection by George Mac Donald Fraser, is dedicated to this trope (along with a mixture of the Proper Lady and Iron Lady tropes). The star of the show is his Aunt Alison, who manages to defuse a potential crisis through acting and sheer steel nerves, much to her nephew's amazement.
Here was this good, respected widow lady of advancing years, who had guided my infant steps, heard my prayers at night, and read to me from the Billy and Bunny Book, sitting there looking like the matriarch of some soap-opera family of Texas tycoons, and apparently concealing the combined talents of the Scarlet Pimpernel and a Mafia godmother. I didn’t know where to begin.
In A Brothers Price, the first daughter to be born to a group of sisters is given the title/name Eldest. When she and her sisters marry and have daughters of their own, she becomes known as Mother Eldest, and she's the head of the family. The family's husband, if they're lucky enough to have one, takes on the softer and more nurturing aspects of childrearing, helped somewhat by Eldest's younger siblings. Eldest's role is more disciplinary, but in the case of the Whistlers at least, not without affection.
Madea from the Tyler Perry plays/films/television shows etc.
Jeeves and Wooster: Bertie Wooster's Aunt Dahlia is an upper-crust version of this, probably a Grande Dame from the point of view of her family. His Aunt Agatha, on the other hand, is more of an Evil Matriarch.
Last of the Summer Wine is just crawling with 'em, although Nora Batty is probably the chief harridan among them. Many of them had a Henpecked Husband earlier in the series but are by now widowed.
Glenda was introduced as a contrast. A mid-30s newlywed with different attitudes. After more than twenty years in the show she was clearly being assimilated by the others.
On No Reservations, they are a frequent and reliable source of a good meal in Bourdain's travels.
Michael Westen's mother in Burn Notice. Even Michael is slightly afraid of her.
Merlin has Recurring Character Audrey, the head cook of Camelot who isn't beyond physical violence if someone steals from her kitchen.
Video Games
Plum Kitaki from Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney fits most of the details in the original post to a T. Especially the bit about being armed with a broom that is, in fact, a katana.
Mitsuko the Boar of Bloody Roar.
Web Comics
Despite having appeared in a grand total of three strips, Fanon has ascribed these traits to Doris in Misfile. She's also something of a Memetic Bad Ass too.
John Stewart's landlady in an episode of Justice League, who attacks The Flash with her broom after mistaking him for a supervillain when he comes looking for the missing GL.
