Census Handwriting interpretation please COMPLETED

[buona]

In 1891 Census Annie Fagan, born 1883 in Manchester, is living with the McKenna family in Windmill Lane, Cockermouth.  The transcripts (Ancestry & Find My Past) describe her relationship to the head as “Nurse Child.”  Is there such a term or is it simply a misreading of the word “Niece?”
In the 1901 Census Annie Fagan is with the same family at Simpson’s Court, St. Helen’s St. Cockermouth and her relationship to the head is there described as “Niece”

Many thanks for any help in sorting out this confusion,

buona

[Geoff-E]

Nurse Child was what we would call a Foster Child, usually being looked after for payment of money.

Find various threads on the subject at the bottom of this page http://surname.rootschat.com/lexicon/reflib-lexicon.php?letter=N&lang=%27

[Redroger]

She may of course have also been their neice. My grandfather and his first wife took in children as nurse children over several censuses as they apparently had none of their own. It might be worth checking this family over earlier censuses to see whether this applied in their case.

[danuslave]

H buona

Have a look here (scroll down) for information about Nurse Child

http://surname.rootschat.com/lexicon/reflib-lexicon.php?letter=N&lang=%27

Linda

[Geoff-E]

Of course, in those days there was no formal adoption and children may have been adopted to all intents and purposes but the "parents" were not sure how they should classify the relationship.  ... hence "niece".

[buona]

Thanks everyone for such speedy replies and for all the explanations.  Haven't found a true "niece" connection yet (hence my post question) so maybe she was just a "foster child."  Will keep searching!

Thanks for links to RootsChat Library - Ive learned something new.  I haven't been on the Library before - fab isn't it?  Needn't have posted my question if I had looked there first!  I shall do so in future.
buona