A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence. The term is almost exclusively applied to females; males are generally referred to as housecleaners, head of household staff, or, under the old British Commonwealth system as houseboys (regardless of age). Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent sovereign states, most of which are former colonies once governed by the United Kingdom as part of the British Empire. ... Houseboy, a term not in widespread use today due to a pejorative connotation, is a male servant who performs domestic or personal chores, as in: Houseboy, an American slang term that originated in WWII describing a native boy who helped a soldier preform basic responsibilites like cleaning, laundry, ironing, shoe...

Head housekeeper

In the great houses of yesteryear the housekeeper could be a woman of considerable power in the domestic arena. The housekeeper of times past had her room or rooms cleaned by junior staff, her meals prepared and laundry taken care of, and with the butler presided over dinner in the Servants' Hall. Unlike other servants, she was addressed as Mrs. Last Name. A great house is a large and stately residence; the term encompasses different styles of dwelling in different countries. ...

Today's head of household staff in a great house lives in much the same manner, although fewer households can afford large retinues of servants with an elaborate hierarchy.

The housekeeper is generally hired by and reports to the lady of the house. The extent to which the housekeeper supervises other staff varies from household to household. In general, the staff of a grand dwelling is divided into departments, with the housekeeper in charge of all the female staff with the possible exception of the kitchen staff, who report to the cook, and the between staff, who may report to the butler; in these cases the cook and butler reported directly to the lady of the house. A lady is a woman who is the counterpart of a lord; or, the counterpart of a gentleman. ... A kitchen is a room used for food preparation. ... For other uses see Butler (disambiguation) The butler is a senior servant in a large household. ...

In other households, particularly those of the very wealthy who maintain several residences, the housekeeper is the ultimate head of household staff and may hire and fire junior staff, subject to the approval of the lady of the house, and make recommendations for senior staff. In this case, the cook and butler report to the lady of the house through the housekeeper.

Today's cook-housekeeper

In developed countries most families can no longer afford live-in help. In nations where there is still a ready supply of labour the middle classes may still be able to afford one or two servants. For all these households, the remnant of the once grand position of head housekeeper is the cook-housekeeper, a considerably more lowly employment. The modern cook-housekeeper performs cooking and cleaning duties by herself, and though modern conveniences have made the physical work easier, the position is harder, pays less and carries a social stigma it would not have in the past. The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ...