Mrs Kidder

In the novel 4.50 from Paddington, Mrs Kidder is a daily woman at Rutherford Hall. She works there in the mornings. She is described as a "small spare woman with a sharp eye and tight lips".

When Lucy Eyelesbarrow first arrives at Rutherford Hall, Mrs Kidder gives her some background on the Crackenthorpe family. She describes Luther Crackenthorpe as a regular "old skinflint", but says that Emma is not down-trodden, and can stand up to him when she has to. She also describes the other members of the family, Edmund who was killed in the war, Cedric who is a painter, Harold who works in the city, and Alfred who is the black sheep of the family. She also tells Lucy that Edith died some years ago, but her husband Bryan Eastley has always stayed one of the family, and that her son, Alexander Eastley, always comes to Rutherford Hall during the school holidays.

After the discovery of a woman's body in the Long Barn at Rutherford Hall, and the death of Alfred Crackenthorpe, Mrs Kidder's husband does not want her to continue working there, as he thinks it is unlucky. However, Mrs Kidder says that she has known Emma a long time, and she knows that Emma depends on her. She also does not want to leave Lucy to do all the work on her own.

Portrayals

 * In the 1961 film Murder, She Said Mrs Kidder is portrayed by actress Joan Hickson, who later portrayed Miss Marple.
 * In 1987 BBC adaptation, the character is given the name Mrs Amy Kidder and is portrayed by actress Pamela Pitchford. She lives near St. Mary Mead.
 * In the NHK anime adaptation 4:50 from Paddington, Mrs Kidder is considerably younger and more capable than in the other portrayals. This is to accommodate the fact that Mabel West is in the role played by Lucy Eyelesbarrow elsewhere. Mabel would be too young to be housekeeper, so when she comes into Rutherford Hall undercover, she is subordinate to Mrs Kidder.
 * Mrs Kidder doesn’t appear in the 2004 adaptation.
 * In Le Crime est notre affaire the 2008 French adaptation by Pascal Thomas, the parallel character is Madame Clairin.