Fantasy Guide to Governesses
I've covered royal childcare in this post here but I received an ask asking for specifics surrounding the role of Governesses. So what do we need to know? For @princealienelffish22
Who is the Governess?
Governesses are the female private tutors that raise children for royal, noble or affluent families. They aren't quite servants nor are they equal to the family. In all households, the governess is usually unmarried but there have been some examples in royal households where the governess was or had been married such as Kat Ashley or Margaret, Countess of Salisbury. This was mainly to ensure she wouldn't go getting distracted by her own kids and family while she's raising somebody else's kids. If she is not a noble, she will at least be well born, at least middle class. Being a governess wasn't exactly a desired job but it was a respectable way for an unmarried woman to earn herself some cash. She will, of course, be very educated.
What does the Governess do?
A Governess is essentially a tutor. She would been in charge of teaching children the fundamental 'R's, (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic). She would teach all children but when boys reached about age 7 or so, the boys would go on to male tutors for more expansive education. The governess would teach girls up until they came out in society or even until they married, mainly teaching them languages, etiquette and chaperoning the children. She would even teach life skills such as sewing, embroidery and art to the girls in her charge. Whilst the more hands on tasks would fall on nursery staff, the governess probably had a more emotional role in the raising of the children.
Role of the Governess in the family
The thing with hiring a governess didn't mean that the kid's parents hated their babies or didn't feel like raising them. With many noble, upper class and royal families, they simply wouldn't have been able to juggle both their duties and children. This lead to many children forming attachments to their governesses that lasted lifetimes such as Queen Victoria's Baroness Lehzen. This sometimes caused tension between parents and governesses. Tension was also often caused if the governess was too close to certain members of the family like the husband or wife, because the governess was expected to distance herself unless invited. She wouldn't be invited to eat dinner with them, she would eat alone. She would come with them to their summer residence and if they were travelling. She would come and go if she wanted but she was expected to be at their beck and call.
Notable Governesses
Margaretta Eagar (funny story, she's the reason that OTMA had slight Irish accents when speaking English)
Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury
Madame de Maintenon (she ended up marrying the King)
Kat Ashley (stayed with Elizabeth I all her life)
Baroness Louise Lehzen (stayed with Victoria long after her marriage)
Charlotte Percy, Duchess of Northumberland
Anna Leonowens (The King and I - is this Anna)
Louise Élisabeth de Croÿ
Yolande de Polastron, Duchess of Polignac
Caroline Lamb
Edith Cavell
Anne Sullivan
Mary Wollstonecraft (before she became a writer)
Edith Cavell
Anna Whittaker
Anne Sullivan (Helen Keller's governess)
Maria Sklodowska - Curie (before she became a scientist)
Maria von Trapp (Yes, she's real and no, she's not Julie Andrews)
Marion "Crawfie" Crawford
Clara Knight
Charlotte Brontë (before her books)
