Furiously embroidering

Mon., May 11, 1936 - Clear and warm today.  Herbert Temme and Howard weren't at school.  I don't suppose they'll come until Friday.  Embroidered after supper on pillowcases.
Tues., May 12, 1936 - We worked on fair work most of the day.  Embroidered tonite.
Wed., May 13, 1936 - More fair work.  Earl took exams in town.  Mrs. Nieman to Altona this afternoon.  I was chief cook and bottle washer again.

Other than my John, I have not heard anyone use the phrase "chief cook and bottle washer" -- in fact, John says "head cook and bottle washer".  Since I have only heard it from John, I assumed the phrase had a military origin.  I found this on a webpage with a lively discussion re this topic:

     "The main sense of the phrase I'm familiar with is: someone who is in charge of most all matters in an organization, both the important and menial.

     I found a reference to the phrase in Early American Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases by Bartlett Jere Whiting which lists two citations:

     1809 Linsley Love 40: I acts cook, steward, cabin boy, sailor, mate, and bottle washer.

     1844 Hone Diary 2.705: Gen. Jackson’s chief cook and bottle washer, Col. Polk.

     I also found an interesting reference from 1835 which referred to the Devil as being the "chief cook and bottle-washer of the slave-trade."

     The earliest citation refers to "cook" and "bottle washer" as being just two of the many tasks the narrator needs to perform on board a ship.

     Since the earliest citation refers to life at sea, I have a strong suspicion that the phrase originated in the sailing/naval sense. I haven't done any research in 18-19th century naval life, but I imagine that "bottle washing" was a task often performed on sailing vessels. I have to presume that bottles of rum, messages in a bottle, ships in a bottle — all these bottle-related naval tropes have some basis in history. Certainly a bottle-shaped receptacle for drinking is more practical on rough seas than water/grog/rum sloshing over the rim of a mug or cup." (from english.stackexchange.com)

Another person wondered if it was more correctly "chief, cook, and bottle washer."  Food for thought.

Photo borrowed from navyhistory.org.