Florence Hill

In the novel 4.50 from Paddington, Florence “Faithful Florence” Hill is a former maid of Miss Marple. According to Miss Marple, Florence looked after her elderly parents for years, and now that they are both dead, she runs a boardinghouse at 4 Madison Road in Brackhampton.

Florence is described as a "tall, grim-looking woman, dressed in black with a large knob of iron-grey hair". Miss Marple says that Florence always made the most delicious tea cakes, which causes Florence to give a "totally unexpected smile".

She is mentioned in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side. Miss Marple described her as a "grenadier of a parlourmaid". Dr Haydock had said that if Miss Marple did not like Miss Knight, she could get an old servant of hers, someone she liked and who had lived with her before, to come and look after her. Miss Marple wondered if Florence could be persuaded to leave her comfortable small house and come to St Mary Mead to live with her. Miss Marple felt that Florence might do so out of devotion to her, but she also knew that Florence was very attached to her home.

Portrayals
In BBC's 1987 adaptation of 4.50 from Paddington, Florence Hill is not featured. Brackhampton is probably moved nearer to St. Mary Mead in this adaptation, as Lucy Eyelesbarrow is able to cycle out from Rutherford Hall to meet her. Miss Marple stays in St. Mary Mead in the adaptation.

In NHK's anime adaptation 4:50 from Paddington, Miss Marple does go to stay at Florence's house in Brackhampton (it appears to be her house and not a boarding house), and Mabel West does go to meet Miss Marple there. However Florence is never seen on screen.