A governess is a woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny (formerly called a nurse) or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not their physical needs. Her charges are of school age, not babies.[1]
The position is rare now, except within large and wealthy households such as those of the Saudi royal family[2] and in remote regions such as outback Australia.[3] It was common in well-off European families before World War I, especially in the countryside where no suitable school existed nearby. Parents' preference to educate their children at home—rather than send them away to boarding school for months at a time—varied across time and countries. Governesses were usually in charge of girls and younger boys; when a boy was old enough, he left his governess for a tutor or a school.
Governesses taught "The three Rs"[4] to young children. They also taught the "accomplishments" expected of middle class women to the young ladies under their care, such as French or another language, the piano or another musical instrument, and often painting (usually the more ladylike watercolours rather than oils) or poetry. It was also possible for other teachers (usually male) with specialist knowledge and skills to be brought in, for example, a drawing master.
A governess was in an awkward position in the Victorian household, neither quite a servant nor a member of the family. As a sign of this social limbo, she often ate in isolation. She had a middle class background and education, but she was paid and not really part of the family. Being a governess was one of the few legitimate ways an unmarried middle class woman could support herself in that society. Her position was often depicted as one to be pitied, and the only likely way out of it was to marry. Once her charges grew up, she had to seek a new position, or, exceptionally, might be retained by the grown-up daughter as a paid companion.
Several well-known works of fiction, particularly in the nineteenth century, have focused on governesses.[5]
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. The governess is seated on the right with the child she looks after. She is dressed simply so that she does not look as important as the members of the family.]]
A governess is a lady who works for a family, teaching the children in their home. She is not like a nanny who looks after them all day, dressing them etc. The governess's job is to be their teacher. She saw to their discipline and early education. Often girls received all their education from their governess (or sometimes a tutor), though boys usually went away to boarding school before their teen years, and then some went on to college.
Very few children nowadays have a governess, but it was quite common in the families of rich people until around the beginning of the 20th century. In England quite a lot of young children who lived in the country, a long way from good schools, had a governess. When the boys were old enough they were sent away to a boarding school.
Governesses taught basic skills such as Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. They may also have taught other skills such as French, piano playing and drawing or painting. Sometimes other teachers might be
A governess was not a servant, but she was not treated like a member of the family either. This meant that they were often quite lonely, and they usually ate their meals alone. For girls from a middle class background who were not married it was one of the only ways of earning a living. When the children she taught (her "charges") grew up, she would have to find a new job.
Novels of the time were usually about rich families, and a governess often comes into the story, e.g. in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre or Anne Brontë's Agnes Grey. Maria, the main character in The Sound of Music, leaves the convent and becomes a governess to the children of the von Trapp family.
   | The Victorian Governess, a bibliography, at Victorian Web - The Victorian Governess: A Bibliography |
| | The Victorian Governess Novel - The Victorian Governess Novel |
| | A Governess's Duties - Outback House: A Governess's Duties (23/05/2005) |
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