What do you make of this?

[daisydaisy]

A couple of days ago, willow kindly helped me out by looking up some information on my 'Normans'.  I have just been putting the information from that into my database, and noticed that in 1871, they had a Mary Tomkins, aged 88, boarding with them.  Her status was listed as 'formerly servant', is it likely that she was servant in their household?  The address is not listed on the census, just the area, Waddon, Portisham.  It just seems strange to me that a working class family have a retired servant lodging with them!  What are your thoughts?

[casalguidi]

Hi Daisydaisy

Willow has noted that her relationship to the family is "boarder" so it's probably unlikely that she was a servant to them .............. more likely that she needed somewhere to live, they perhaps had a little room and got a little income for her board and lodging

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,140084.msg630675.html#msg630675

Casalguidi