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Archiver > SOG-UK > 2003-05 > 1053382354


From: "Caroline Gurney" <>
Subject: Re: [SoG] Nurse Child
Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 23:13:15 +0100
References: <000201c326cf$f43c8ac0$7d12bd50@oemcomputer> <00d901c31e33$adb6f580$6141c050@ronan>


Christopher Richards wrote:

> How old are the children. Could they be there to be wetnursed?
> Alternatively is this actually an early nursery?

A Google search on "nurse child" turned up quite a few census entries of
"nurse children" well beyond the age for wet-nursing, as in this example
from the 1851 Census for Sydenham:

Hanover Terrace John REDWARD head mar 50 sexton Somerset Odcom
Elizabeth REDWARD wife mar 50 Dorset Aller
Sarah BLEEZE servant unm 13 servant Surrey Croydon
Rose LAWLEY visitor unm 10 scholar
Louis CHAVE nurse child 9
Susan CHAVE nurse child 6
Elizabeth CHAVE nurse child 5
Emily SPREECHLY nurse child 4
Mary Jane SPREECHLY nurse child 2


I also found a couple of threads discussing this question on the Rootsweb
Census Helpers List. The best answer seems to be found at:

http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/UK-CENSUS-HELPERS/2003-03/1047251998
which says:

"In most cases a 'nurse child' was a waif taken in and cared for by a family
under some form of Community or Church support.....of any age up to about
13, can be several in a single household, and quite common in the 1891."

Caroline Gurney
Portsmouth



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