The term "bedder" is short for "bedmaker" and is the official term for a housekeeper in a college of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. The equivalent at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

is known as a "scout". The equivalent at

Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

was known as a "skip", until the practice was abandoned in the early 1970s. The colleges of the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...

have also replicated the

Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most famous universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collectively, in contrast to other British universities, and more broadly to de ...

model and refer to housekeeping staff as bedders. There is no equivalent at the vast majority of other British or American universities, though the universities of

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

, and

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...

have previously offered similar positions to care for their students' needs.

History

In early times, bedders were often employed directly by students and fellows rather than the college, but they are now part-time college employees. An edict of the University of Cambridge issued in 1635 banned bedders aged under fifty, although this policy has long since been abandoned. Until the late Victorian age, women could not become undergraduates, and there were even regulations preventing

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

s from marrying, so the edict may have been intended to leave bedders beyond suspicion of any impropriety. Rumours persist that there was once a broader "Bedder Test",I'm a bedder, not a servant
''

The Cambridge Student ''The Cambridge Student'', commonly known as TCS, is one of Cambridge University's student newspapers ('' Varsity'' and ''The Tab'' are the others). The now online only newspaper is owned and published by the Cambridge University Students' Unio ...

'', 21 February 2008 but there is no evidence that colleges ever preferred women of unappealing mien. Historically, a gyp (undergraduate's manservant) supplemented the role of the bedder at Cambridge, Durham, and other institutes of education.

Development

Even in the early 20th century, before modern utilities were installed in the colleges, the role required heavier labour, cleaning coal fires and carrying water for washing. Nowadays, bedders often change bed linen, vacuum the rooms, empty bins and perform other domestic services, although their role varies from college to college. Some do not make beds at all, but others go so far as to take care of their students' washing up.

Conditions

The job earns more than the minimum wage, but it is sometimes hard to fill vacancies as the role appears demeaning to modern British women, and staff from other countries are also recruited. The role requires a high degree of trust.Bedder -the devil you know?
'' Varsity'', 6 October 2007 Some bedders see their role as including a

pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depicts ...

element, looking out for the needs of young people far from home. Perks of the job include discount cards (at Cambridge), Christmas presents from students, and occasional more generous gifts from delegates staying in the rooms for corporate conferences in between University terms.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Cleaning and maintenance occupations Domestic work Terminology of the University of Cambridge Terminology of the University of Oxford Durham University