Genealogy Chat

hi before i go ahead with the davis family could anyone help with a dilemma, would a nurse child be handed back or is the child sometimes kept by the family, a bit thick on this issue. kind regards jackie.

It depends if the parents survived. I have a child that was a nurse child on then 1861 census. She remained with that family all her life. Her birth mother died shortly after her birth and her father a couple of years after that. Margaret

I think it depends. I have one example of a nurse child in my gg grandparents in 1891, Elsie Smith, aged 8. On the 1901 census she's down as Elsie Perren aged 18, daughter to the head of household. They either adopted her unofficially or it was a mistake on part of the enumerator. But she lived with this family for a long time. Still haven't been able to trace her. Also on the 1901, this family have a nurse child with them, Muriel Lawler, aged 7 months. No idea what happened to her in relation to the family. Even though this is my main paternal line, we know very little about them!

hi thanks for the replies i cannot find james davies/davis before 1881, on the 1861 on ancestry i have found a john davies in stoddeston no james as son but a james jones nurse child, i was wondering if they gave them back or adopted them, i cannot find james davis birth anywhere, my james always stated on each of the census he was born stoddeston this james jones was born stoddeston or am i clutching at straws. kind regards jackie.

Jackie, Depends on how big Stottesdon is! And whether there were many Joneses/Davies there .... ... you really need to identify a potential birth, I know that's not going to be easy. But afterwards, you can backtrack on the parents! I would have thought that a nurse child stayed put with the foster family - not an expert view, but I've seen a few. Other thought, have you got James' marriage cert/details - usually you get a father's name on the cert .. if he puts John, that adds fuel to the fire without landing you with an irrelevant cert. This isn't a precise science, sometimes you have to make assumptions based on evidence available and follow them until proved wrong! Good luck, Jane

Please excuse me butting. a Question. On an 1851 I have a child in the occupation it has nurse. Does this mean she wasn't actually one of their children even though her surname was the same? Just thought it must have been some sort of mistake. Could she actually have been doing some sort of job at 9/10 year old? Thanks Germaine

hi all thanks for the interest, i was told that a nurse child is a child who looks after children but this one is only 9 months old so presuming the family were looking after it, as far as james marriage cert says it does say john davis father that is what my dilemma was, now woopeee shrop 1861 0n ancestry have found another possible, thankyou all this brickwall will fall someday. kind regards jackie.