A charlay or sometimes charwoman was an English house cleaner. The term is derivative of "chore woman," one hired to do odd chores around the house. The term origionated in the late sixteenth century, but developed it's modern usage around the mid-19th Century, often appearing as an occupation in the English census of 1841. Unlike a maid or housekeeper, typically live-in positions, the charlady worked for weekly wages and usually came and went on a daily basis.