Today I want to continue finding out about medieval jobs, and this time I want to look at the life of the medieval nursemaid. She did not have a powerful position in society, but she played a really important role. A nursemaid was trusted with someone’s precious child.
In medieval England, childcare was very different depending on your social class. Poor mothers usually cared for their own children while also managing to do the cooking, cleaning, spinning, and helping in the fields. In more wealthy households, especially the noble or royal ones, families often employed women to help raise young children. A nursemaid was usually responsible for washing, dressing, comforting, and watching over a child.
Many nursemaids came from working-class backgrounds. Some may have already raised their own children, others were younger women simply looking for employment in service. Experience with babies and small children would have been advantageous obviously. Families wanted someone who was dependable, patient, and gentle, but also able to keep discipline.
A nursemaid’s day would have started very early. If she had a baby to care for she may have been up in the night. In wealthier homes, the child’s clothes could be surprisingly elaborate, with lots of layers of linen, gowns, caps, and blankets.
A nursemaid had very little rest. She was tasked with the care but also entertaining smaller children. She probably did this by telling stories, or encouraging the child to play with toys that were usually made of wood, cloth, or bone. Childhood in medieval times was dangerous, many sadly did not survive infancy. Illness was a constant concern and a nursemaid must have had to live with that fear, trying to keep the children safe and happy.
Many nursemaids formed strong bonds with the children in their care. Edward III’s children had attendants and nurses recorded in their household accounts. A Tudor example of this is Elizabeth I. She was cared for by Katherine Ashley, who later became one of her most trusted attendants, this shows just how close these relationships could become.
These women were in a difficult position. They had to raise children while they had to also remember their place in the household. They were servants, not family.
In noble households, nursemaids also needed to help teach manners and behaviour. They were taught when to eat, how to sit properly, when to pray, and how to behave around adults.
The work could be rewarding, but it must have been quite lonely and tiring. Long hours, little sleep, and the constant responsibility for a child’s safety must have weighed heavily. A mistake, a fall, an illness, or even a child’s bad behaviour could be blamed on her. That pressure must have been enormous.
Do you think medieval and Tudor nursemaids became like family to the children or do you think that social class always got in the way?
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