It also happens that a male child would be sent to live with a childless family as their SON , thereby avoiding the draft...early 1800s. So I am told with various family examples. Often on the Polish or Lithuanian Jewish Gen lists we see a "servant" with a Jewish sounding surname , often a very young teenager, living with a family. Exactly what that "servant" meant is not necessarily the same in every case. Might be really a "mother's help" a relative or a future bride of one of the sons. Why didn't we ask questions when we could? Ros ----- Original Message ----- From: "Debbie Bozkurt" <debbieinscotland@googlemail.com> To: <british-jewry@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 11:32 PM Subject: [BRITISH-JEWRY] Childless couples and 'adopted' Nieces > Has anybody else came across this or knows if this is often a pattern? > > In this instance I have a niece that from at least the age of 12, > lives with her aunt and uncle who are childless, until her marriage. I > have had some young females living with elderly grandmother maybe to > look after them. The niece I have just found, parents were alive and > well and the remainder of her siblings lived with the parents. > > Can anyone throw some light, was this acceptable pattern of behavior > in the families of the time. The family she came from were not poor so > I think they could afford to 'feed' another child. > > Thanks > > Debbie Bozkurt Outer Hebrides - Snow all day now rapid melt down yuk! > Our website is at > www.british-jewry.org.uk > We update regularly. Let us know if you have ideas to offer. > > British-Jewry-admin@rootsweb.com is the address to use for help. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BRITISH-JEWRY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >