"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.
Then she beats said surrogate kids up herself! And when your surrogate kids are two of the most brilliant combat alchemists in the world, that's saying something.
Miyabi Kagurazaka from Ai Yori Aoshi is a somewhat younger version.
Martha from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. 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.
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.
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.
Lady Sybil, also from Discworld, who has had several Crowning Moments of Awesome in recent appearances, and was pretty formidable to start with — all you need to know about her is that she's happily married to Sam friggingVimes.
It runs in the family. Her Great Aunt once sent a bandit who tried to rob her coach crying for his mother.
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 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?
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.
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.
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.
