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Archiver > SOG-UK > 2003-05 > 1053456781


From: "Pickard - Hunimex" <>
Subject: Re: [SoG] Nurse Child
Date: Tue, 20 May 2003 20:53:01 +0200
References: <000201c326cf$f43c8ac0$7d12bd50@oemcomputer>


Hi David,

I asked the same question, when I found a 9 year old 'Nurse Child', (in
Warwickshire), a few years ago in my One Name Study. It appears that
children were sent to another home for 'nursing' - i.e. looking after, which
means from any age between birth and about 15, not just 'wet nursing'.

The reasons could be several-fold, illegitimacy, poverty, or the inability
of the real parents to support that child were frequent, as were the desire
of relatives and friends to have an additional (or first) child for equally
numerous excuses. As with any genealogical event, there is always a reason
that we cannot instantly guess - an outbreak of war, plague, famine, or
other rules, regulations, or whims of those responsible..

The new parents may have been relatives, friends, or just those in need of,
or able to support a child. There may have been a sort of adoption, though
that term is actually quite recent. More likely, the child kept his or her
name, and just grew up with another family.

If a search is made of the 1851 tri-county census CD, there are 38 instances
of the phrase "Nurse Child", with several families having more than one, in
addition to their own children. I even found one instance of nurse children
staying at the home of two 'paupers', which makes it unlikely that they paid
for the children, but perhaps were paid to take care of them.

As far as I know it was not a regional expression, though there is always
the likelihood that Scotland, Ireland and Wales have their own term for
these events.

I am sure there are several definitions I have left out, someone may care to
add to these.

Happy Hunting

Pickard Trepess
Nagykanizsa, Hungary



----- Original Message -----
From: "David Binns" <>


> In the 1881 Census for the area around Moulton, near Northwich, Cheshire,
several children with the same or different surname to the 'head are
recorded as 'nurse child'.
> I have not come across this description before and would be interested to
hear if somebody has a reliable definition.
> Also is this a regional expression since I have not seen it before in
Yorkshire or Staffordshire?


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