I came to work for Master Cooper 8 years ago. My husband, Thomas died suddenly, and I was so worried. I didn't know how I was going to support myself. Life's hard for a widow. But then Master Cooper heard of my loss, and he gave me a job. Without him, I don't know where I'd be now. As housekeeper, I'm in charge of master's house from day to day.

That's why I've got all these keys. They open nearly every lock in the house. I don't wash the sheets or sweep the floor myself.

We have several girls to do that, but they all take their orders from me, and I go round and make sure they've done their jobs properly. I'm training them all up so they can be housekeepers too one day, just as I was trained up when I was young.

Running a big mansion like this is hard work.

I get up every morning at dawn just as the birds begin to sing, and then I wake up the girls. We hardly stop throughout the day, and still the work never seems to be done. I get paid £1.06 shillings and 8 pence a year.

The girls get less, of course, but we all get the protection of living under the master's roof. We get our clothes and our meals, and as housekeeper, I even get my own room.

The girls have to share rooms. But the master's just had all the servants' rooms done up like his own.

That shows what a good man he is. Saint Catharine's has changed so much over the last few years, it's hard to remember what it used to be like.

Anyway, I can't stand around here all day chattering. There's work to be done.