House Servant aged 11 - how come?

[conahy calling]

http://www.pobronson.com/factbook/pages/204.html

More about children working on this link

[Rena]

I too have a girl of 11 in North Yorkshire in my tree working away from home as a "nurse".  Years ago my aunt said she'd visited her father's family in Norfolk and remembered one of his cousins was a teacher - I found her aged 12 in the Norfolk census noted as a "pupil teacher".   

[Jomot]

Thank you all for your replies.  I have come across children being apprenticed at very young ages before but only before the wider introduction of the workhouse - 1860's just seemed quite late for it still to be the case, but perhaps not.   

I know James was deceased by the time Ann married in 1868 so finding out what happened to him & Margaret is the next job on the list. 

Nothing like getting ahead of yourself when you're excited after a long-awaited 'find' 

[Ruskie]

Does James' occupation on Ann's marriage certificate tie in with him being a Collier (pauper) in 1851?

Just asking as I noticed when I looked briefly at likely families in 1851 that there was more than one with similar names, dates and places of birth. (Another way to confirm family of course is by the twins - if you know that your Ann had twin sisters).

By rights James should also be around for the 1861 - have you found him in 1861?

[Jomot]

On Ann's marriage certificate in 1868 her father is stated as James Davies (Deceased), Collier.  The witnesses are Henry's father and someone called David Williams. Ann was 8 months pregnant at the time and given that Henry deserted her not that many years later I don't think he was a happy participant!   I haven't yet found either James or Margaret in 1861.

Unfortunately I cant say 100% that the twins are her sisters but after Ann moved to England she had a 'lodger' called Edwin Howell living with her from at least 1881 until his death in 1893.  I know its tenuous, but in 1861 Ruth was a general servant to the Howells family in Hengoed.  In the same year Edwin Howell is found with his parents & siblings in Aberdare (he was originally from Haverfordwest) so I was also going to see if I could find a link between the two Howells families.

Also tenuous I know, but Ann went on to name two of her children James and Margaret, and another two were named Elizabeth & David (the same names as the two eldest Davies children in the 1851 household).

UPDATE: I've also amended the original post as the family Rhoda was living with was called Morgan (not Marsh), and to add to the coincidences Ann's future husband was a Morgan.