Mrs.--"mistress"

Posted by Jessamyn on September 24, 1997 at 21:38:33:

In response to "Mrs.", written by Kathy F. on September 24, 1997 at 07:56:05

] ] Also, housekeepers were always called "Mrs. Whatever" even if they weren't married.

] In Wuthering Heights, the housekeeper (who was in the book as a child) gains a "Mrs." without ever marrying nor changing her last name. I think it is just a title of respect for someone who has reached a certain age. It's not just for servants, though, since one of JA's relatives/ancestors (JA Fam. Record) mentions an unmarried Mrs.

] Kathy

I think that's because Mrs. is really a condensation of "Mistress," which doesn't mean "married woman" so much as "ruler of the household."

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