Hi Alan, This is not an uncommon description. In my early genealogy days I had assumed this was a child put out to be "nursed" ie breast fed when perhaps the natural mother was unable to feed the child herself. After coming across a nurse child aged 14 years, I realised that the term was probably more equivalent to our modern-day term of "fostered child". This seems more fitting when a child was both a grandchild and a nursechild as in your case - a 65 year old wouldnt be able to fulfill the breastfeeding role! There was no legal adoption until the 1920's so it could also be considered a form of adoption. Hope this helps Sandra Alan Siddorn wrote: >Not exactly a location specific census topic but I think the question could apply to any part of the country so I will go ahead and ask. I am looking at a page from the 1871 census and am slightly puzzled. On the census form (RG10/3714 page 37) in Bunbury, Cheshire are Samuel SIDDORNS age 75, his wife Ellen SIDDORNS age 65 and William SIDDORNS age 3 who in the column for Relation to Head of Family appears to have G Child and Nurse Child both entered against his name. I have never seen Nurse Child on a census form before and wondered if anyone had any ideas or information about the meaning of it. >Also at the same address is a William CLARK who rather unfortunately for him is described as 'Ruptured'. >Cheers, >Alan Siddorn > > >============================== >Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more. >Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx > > > >