What is governess literature?

The governess was one of the most familiar figures in mid-Victorian life and literature. The 1851 Census revealed that 25,000 women earned their living teaching and caring for other women’s children. Most governesses lived with their employers and were paid a small salary on top of their board and lodging.

What did governesses do?

The role of the Governess was to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as teaching French conversation, history, and geography.

What did Victorian governesses teach?

Traditionally, governesses taught “the three Rs” (reading, writing, and arithmetic) to young children.

Who is a governess person?

A governess is a female person 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.

What governess means?

Definition of governess 1 : a woman who governs. 2 : a woman who cares for and supervises a child especially in a private household.

What did governesses wear?

Governesses typically wore simple clothing in a limited range of colors (think functional colors like greys and dark blues and greens) and with few embellishments. She would have had a few dresses including her “best” dress that would have been worn to church or on special occasions.

What is another name for governess?

In this page you can discover 16 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for governess, like: tutor, duenna, nanny, tutoress, teacher, mistress, housekeeper, guardian, nursemaid, housemaid and schoolmistress.

Are there still governesses?

The last decades have seen a resurgence of the British governess in Russia and the international Russian diaspora, as well as in the Middle East. Another common place to find the governess role is the Australian outback. The role is also no longer the reserve of British candidates only.

What is the opposite of governess?

Opposite of a person who teaches or educates, especially in a school. student. pupil. scholar. apprentice.