Has anyone any idea what this would be?

I seen a couple of people (male and female) described as this in a parish register from the early part of the 1800s.

Dear British Genealogy/Occupations General Forum

Our ancestor Priscilla May Pope born 1840 married Robert Thrasher/Thresher born 1826/1831 (marriage date unknown but may have been abroad as we are unable to find Robert in the 1851 census and 1861 census and Priscilla in the 1861 census).

Priscilla came from Hartest, Suffolk and we believe that Priscilla emigrated to escape severe poverty in East Anglia due to the rural depression at this time (in 1850 Hartest had 832 residents, in 1901 Hartest had 537 residents) - her father had died and her mother was a pauper laundress, so we believe that is how Priscilla met Robert - somewhere in the Empire!
http://www.foxearth.org.uk/Emigration2.html

Robert was born in Southampton - on his daughters' birth certificates and wedding certificates he is shown as solicitor's clerk, process server, messenger, secretary and private secretary - we believe that Robert may have been in an administrative role in the army, navy or merchant and then settled in London from at least 1868 (we are currently trying to research Robert). The only Robert Thrasher we can find dying is in 1879 London and he is a fireman, so we believe that our Robert may have died working abroad.

We next find Priscilla and her daughters living in a lodging house - and Priscilla is a domestic servant, working as a cook. However, her daughter Louisa is at a boarding school. Could a domestic servant, working as a cook afford to send a child to boarding school, or had the family saved enough when Robert was alive, or is Priscilla receiving her husband's pension?

Thank you for your help with this.

1881 CENSUS
PRISCILLA THRASHER & DAUGHTERS & BROTHER - LODGING HOUSE
Name: Priscilla Thrasher
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Relation: Lodger (Head) (Lodger)
Gender: Female
Where born: Hartest Green, Suffolk, England
Civil parish: St George
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street Address: 1 Kinnerton Place S
Condition as to marriage: Windower (Widower)
Occupation: Cook Domestic Serv
Registration district: Chelsea
Sub-registration district: Belgrave
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Piece: 98
Folio: 60
Page Number: 25
Household Members:
Name Age
Priscilla Thrasher 40
Eliza Thrasher 12
Alice Thrasher 9
Ruth Thrasher 1
Alfred Pope 45

1881 CENSUS
LOUISA THRASHER - BOARDING SCHOOL
Name: Louisa Thrasher
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1873
Relation: Boarder
Gender: Female
Where born: St Georges, Middlesex, England
Civil parish: St George
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street Address: 2 Market Mews
Occupation: Scholar
Registration district: Chelsea
Sub-registration district: Mayfair
ED, institution, or vessel: 13
Piece: 97
Folio: 29
Page Number: 24
Household Members:
Name Age
Catherine Poetl 59
Maria Manley 16
Elizabeth Albany 14
Bridget Haston 14
Susannah West 12
Emma West 10
Rosa Gegan 10
Ellen Gegan 8
Ada Brown 9
Emma Singleton 13
Ellen Singleton 12
Louisa Thrasher 8
Mary Jane Denford 11