occupation - nurse

[ju1]

I have come across a few children whose occupation on the census is nurse, they are young children so surely it can't mean nurse in the modern sense?
Can anyone enlighten me?

[Valda]

They are likely to be nurse-children, as in fostered children.

Regards
Valda

[ju1]

Would they be given the same surname as their foster family?

[Valda]

Unless the enumerator made a mistake I wouldn't expect so, or unless the family decided to make the child part of the family (no formal adoption process until 1927).
Have you a particular census entry and individual where the name is the same?

Regards
Valda

[ju1]

Yes one example is 1871 Halifax
Family of Henry and Ellen Shaw living at Murgatroyde Buildings in Midgley. Hannah Shaw age 8, nurse.

[ju1]

Another example is 1871 Slaithwaite, Huddersfield
Alfred and Jane Armitage and family (goes on to two pages) living at Lane Top.

Sarah Jane Armitage age 10 Nurse

[Valda]

I think in the case of Hannah Shaw there is no reason to doubt she is a daughter of the household. Living with the family is their elderly mother-in-law who presumably Hannah is helping to look after and the description is specified as she is no longer at school because she is needed at home.  It doesn't give any indication that their mother-in-law has some long term disability, but it would appear she died in 1884 so she probably was in decreasing poor health.

Regards
Valda

[ju1]

Thanks alot for your advice it certainly makes sense doesn't it .
Although in the armitage example their is no elderly person living there but maybe she is looking after a nieghbough?

Another example where the child has a different surname is -
1851 Bradford, Thornton,
Jane Foster age 2  -  Ast. Nurse
Living with Jonathan Ackroyd on Upper Rd.