How interesting Merv! I think I had better try and find this family that boarded my gggrandmother in an earlier census. Heather Canada Mervnovel@aol.com wrote: > I found the "Fostering" subject from others here, and now the message from > Heather in Canada on the subject of "fostering" or child "boarders" > interesting. Although I cannot answer questions on the subject I thought I would add > the following; > > My great great grandmother Mary Ann had a "boarder" in her home at Saint > Owens Street, Hereford in 1871. The boarder was a baby girl aged 3 months at > time of census so I doubt any chance of cheap labour in this case. It seems > that Mary Ann worked as a nurse, according to census. The birth certificate of > the child "boarder" reveals she was born illegitimate, so perhaps my grt grt > grandmother was in attendance when this child was born and was asked by the > mother if she might find a way of caring for her. (? ) > > In researching the baby's mother it seems she remained unmarried and worked > as a domestic servant throughout her working life in Herefordshire. The father > of the child ( a farmers son) married another and moved from Hereford to > Gloucestershire where he became a farmer and had a family. (Hmm how many > stories have we read on this?) When my grt grt grandmother Mary Ann and family > moved from Hereford to Monmouth a few years later the child "boarder" moved > with them and was with them in 1881 when she was aged 10, a scholar and still > shown as "boarder." Although a "boarder" on census I think this child was > being cared for by the family, at least until she had finished school or of an > age to care for her self. Or was the child's "board" taken care of by her > absent father? Either way, surely there was an attachment between my ancestors > family and the child they had raised since a baby. > > Incidentally, the child's birth certificate does include the name of her > father, hence my tracing his movements. I would think it likely he was held > accountable and ordered to pay maintenance. (Does anyone know if such documents > for 1870's are accessible in Hereford records office please?) > > Further research reveals that the child "boarder" later moved to > Shropshire, got married and by 1901 was settled near Shrewsbury with the start of > her own family. Upon her marriage certificate where Name and Profession of > Father should be, is her mothers name. > > Merv, Devon. > > > > > ---- ENG-HEREFORD Mailing List ---- > A genealogy and local history list covering the County of Hereford > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-HEREFORD-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >