Who was Miss Betsey?

Miss Betsey Trotwood, to give her full name, is David Copperfield's great-aunt. She's one of the most sympathetic characters in the book, and makes a refreshing change from the many cruel, unscrupulous, and just plain nasty characters around. This is a lady who really is full of the milk of human kindness. She takes in David after he runs away from his unhappy home; she takes good care of him, providing her great-nephew with a good education, and a warm, loving home. But her kindness doesn't stop at David; Betsey also opens her modest home to the poor, unfortunate Mr. Dick, a man who's seriously down on his luck. She also gives money to her estranged husband, a degenerate gambler who turns up on her doorstep every now and again, looking for hand-outs.
Miss Betsey is by no means perfect; she wouldn't be half as interesting a character if she were. For one thing, she's rather quick to judge other people. This leads her to refuse to become David's godmother because she disapproves of David Copperfield Sr.'s wife. Yet the most important thing about Betsey is that she always learns from her mistakes, and it's this wisdom, combined with her great kindness and generosity, that makes her the perfect surrogate mother for young David.