History Main / ApronMatron

* Nanny from '[[WesternAnimation/CountDuckula]]''.

* A character in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': 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.

* Chizuru Naba in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' 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.

* A character in Franchise/{{Pokemon}}: 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 ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes''. 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."

* Miss Hart, Midvale Orphanage's headmistress from the ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'' comics, was a very plump, doting and headstrong middle-aged woman.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Aunt Nina of ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}''.
* In ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'', [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/001007c George's mother.]]
* Nana, of ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}''. Complete with broom that she practices martial arts with and flies on.

** Molly Weasley from [[MamaBear stern, happy homemaker]] or [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Ass kicking witch]]? How about both?

* Martha [=McCandle=] in ''Film/BigJake'' .

* Ms. Beakley from ''[[WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales2017}}]]''

* Ms. Beakley from [[WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017]]

* Ms. Beakley from [[WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales2017}}]]

* Mitsuko the Boar of ''VideoGame/BloodyRoar''.
* Toriel from ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}''.

* Abuelita Elena, the daughter of the eponymous character in [[WesternAnimation/Coco]], is the tough matron of the Rivera family, still faithful to their ban on music until her change of heart.

Can overlap with MamaBear, and must be written carefully to avoid {{Flanderization}} into MyBelovedSmother. Compare ThePatriarch, whom she may be married to. See also the {{Mammy}} and the AlmightyMom.

* Despite having appeared in a grand total of ''[[OneSceneWonder three]]'' strips, {{Fanon}} has ascribed these traits to [[http://www.misfile.com/?page=1255 Doris]] in ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}''. She's also something of a MemeticBadAss too.

* Many characters from the British film series ''Film/{{Carry On|Series}}''. Notably whenever Hattie Jacques is playing a part of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Matron]] in ''Film/CarryOnNurse'', ''Film/CarryOnDoctor'', ''Film/CarryOnCamping'', ''Film/CarryOnAgainDoctor'', and in the movie ''Film/CarryOnMatron''.

* T'Pau, a ferocious old Vulcan tribal elder in ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}'''s "Amok Time".

When it comes to how the relates to her kin, she is usually a clan's diplomat (especially if she's a {{Yakuza}} leader's consort or TheDon's wife) or a ReasonableAuthorityFigure. While she will encourage her sons to go out and become [[IWantToBeARealMan real men]] like their father, her daughters will often be held to a very high moral standard when it comes [[MyGirlIsNotASlut to their virginity]] and will be thoroughly taught domesticity and keeping the clan's social bonds tight.

Expect her to be motherly, caring, strict, and kind. Also, probably [[StoutStrength "plump" yet strong]]. If married, she's likely to have a HenpeckedHusband, though she's usually single either from outliving her husband or never marrying.

* ''Series/{{Merlin}}'' has RecurringCharacter Audrey, the head cook of Camelot who isn't beyond physical violence if someone steals from her kitchen.

* As quoted above, Úrsula Iguaran-Buendia from ''Literature/OneHundredYearsOfSolitude''. At least until she was confined to her bed due to old age.

* The archetype of The Virtuous Woman in [[Literature/TheBible Proverbs]].

* Marya Akhrosimova in ''Literature/WarAndPeace''. She's the sort who speaks her mind, and to hell with [[BlueBlood aristocratic]] pleasantries.
* [[Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath Ma Joad]]. Even the characters acknowledge she's the one that holds the "fambly" together.
* In ''[[Literature/SuiteFrancaise 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.

* Rachel of ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn''. Her strictness earns her the nickname "the Dragon".
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** Molly Weasley from [[MamaBear stern, happy homemaker]] or [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Ass kicking witch]]? How about both?
** 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 ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' generally fit this, with Bella of Brockhall probably the most so.
* Gytha "Nanny" Ogg from the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels. Her daughters-in-law might have [[EvilMatriarch a wholly different view of her]], though.

-->'''Cain''': "Holy water, Mother?"\\
'''MSMF''': "No. Gasoline."

* Razo and Rin's mother in Shannon Hale's ''Literature/BooksOfBayern'' 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?
* Mama Thames in ''Literature/RiversOfLondon'', do not get on her bad side.
* Sarah Heap becomes this in ''[[Literature/SeptimusHeap Darke]]'', keeping the peace between Septimus and Simon in the Heap home and keeping the place in order.
* Abound in the ''Literature/VillageTales'' series, at all levels. The Duke of Taunton's sister-in-law Lady Crispin is on the ProperLady / IronLady / GrandeDame side of this; as of ''Literature/TheDayThouGavest'', [[spoiler: retired, working-class footballer Edmond's tough, Yorkshire mum, due to remove to the Woolfonts as the new Health Visitor and midwife]], is arriving to bring a touch of no-nonsense to the District. And the working-class Rector's mum and formidable, house-proud gran (and for that matter his late wife's mum) are avatars of the trope. Do Not Mess With Them.
* Doug's grandmother and great-grandmother in Creator/RayBradbury's ''Literature/DandelionWine''.
* The ideal Barrayaran woman in Literature/VorkosiganSaga was this. Cordelia played along but did not necessarily just StayInTheKitchen.
* "The Gordon Women", in the ''Literature/McAuslan'' short story collection by [[Creator/GeorgeMacDonaldFraser George MacDonald Fraser]], is dedicated to this trope (along with a mixture of the ProperLady and IronLady 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 ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'', 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.
* Chenaol of ''Literature/DaughterOfTheLioness'' rules her kitchen with a firm hand. She is also the armsmistress for the raka rebellion, because a chef has many legitimate reasons to be handling lots of sharp metal objects.
* Lerna in ''Literature/RogueSorcerer'' proves herself to be a defender of young women when she bullies Aiden out of bed and berates him in the mistaken assumption that he and Claron are lovers and that she refused to sleep with him because he had offended her in some way. She's plenty tough as well, not even flinching when she hears that one of her patrons has recently killed someone.
* Mrs. Brown ("Brownie" to most of the characters) in the ''Billabong Books'' by Creator/MaryGrantBruce borders on this. Most of the time, she's just a comforting, motherly type who stays in the kitchen by choice because it's where she's most useful, but when the house catches fire and there is a Bucket Brigade trying to extinguish the fire, Mrs. Brown pumps the manual pump for them until her hands are almost being burned by the metal handle which is being heated by the nearby house fire and refuses to stop because, once again, it's the job she can do best. Other examples of her courage include:
** Standing up to the petty, mean, lazy, just-been-fired station hand who ended up starting the above fire.
** Standing up to a bullying character who thought he could order her around just because there were (he thought) no men around.

* Gertrude Morel from ''Literature/SonsAndLovers''. She's a force to be reckoned with.