Gertrude Broadbelt, the 11 year old Nurse?

[lennon2011]

I've found a 1891 Census for someone in my tree who would be 11 having been born in 1879, Great Ouseburn so can anyone explain why an 11 year old would have been put down as a Nurse please?

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=uki1891&h=5624443&ti=5538&indiv=try&gss=pt&ssrc=gr_t45725931_p24061364299_ktidz0q3d45725931z0q26pidz0q3d24061364299z0q26hidz0q3d52191000038z0q26dbidz0q3d6598z0q26rpidz0q3d5624443z0q26hfz0q3dRecordz0q26pnz0q3d1z0q26hsz0q3drecentz0q26ssrcz0q3dgrz0q26pgz0q3d32880z0q26pgplz0q3dtidz0q257cpidz0q257chidz0q257cdbidz0q257crpidz0q257chfz0q257cpnz0q257chsz0q257cssrcz0q26pgpsz0q3d24061364299_h52191000038

I know that the image of the Census says Nurse (Domestic) but it must be wrong surely?
I only know of 2 Nurses. The medical version and the baby wet nurse version.

Please please help my baffled mind

[JudithM]

Probably a nursemaid, helping with the care of Walter and Minnie's little 4 year old sister Mabel.

[lennon2011]

I didn't think that an 11 year could be a Nursemaid but obviously wrong, then again they probably didn't understand the word babysitter in those days did they?

Thanks Judith.

[margaretmarch]

I didn't think that an 11 year could be a Nursemaid but obviously wrong, then again they probably didn't understand the word babysitter in those days did they?

Thanks Judith.

Children were put to work very young in those days so it would not be unusual to see an 11 year old doing a proper job of work such as nursemaid.

Margaret

[lennon2011]

I've not had someone that young yet, 14/15 at most but not 11, that's why I thought it was odd.

[margaretmarch]

Perhaps her parents were particularly poor so had to let her work sooner than they would have liked or others in your tree have been able to do.
Perhaps she was an orphan or one parent dead so little money to support her.
Margaret

[Janet in Yorkshire]

I have a 7 yr old working in an outlying farmhouse in the 1841 census return - she's also recorded in the parental home in the village. I'm not sure how much work she would have been able to do, thinking about the size of her hands and general physique, strength.

In 1891 the leaving age for elementary school pupils was 10. It went up to 11 and then 13 after the 1893 education act.
I too think she would have been a nursemaid - employed to assist with the children.

Jay

[Olde Crone Holden]

Another point about a child working that young is that she got her board and keep and a bed, which would have been a big consideration to a very poor family.

Another possibility was that she was a workhouse child.

OC

[margaretmarch]

I have a 7 yr old working in an outlying farmhouse in the 1841 census return - she's also recorded in the parental home in the village. I'm not sure how much work she would have been able to do, thinking about the size of her hands and general physique, strength.

In 1891 the leaving age for elementary school pupils was 10. It went up to 11 and then 13 after the 1893 education act.
I too think she would have been a nursemaid - employed to assist with the children.

Jay

Feed the chickens, collect the eggs, feed the pigs maybe. Pick fruit and veg.
Margaret

[BoJaLu]

With parents consent the legal age for marriage was 12 yearsfor females and 14 years for males this was as recent as 1929 when the lawchanged.
Therefore, quitefeasible that an 11 year old female is a nurse maid.