#governess

Let’s compile the suspect assholes:

Doflamingo (ft Cora)

Sommers

Shamrock

Garling (ha HA)

Sabo

Loki

Vinsmoke boys

Cora

Katakuri

Ceaser

Lucci

Akainu

Mihawk

Who Else????

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

Faversham Nightingales:

An Academic Exploration by Petunia Heartsease Mannerwell.

In "Faversham Nightingales," author P.H. Mannerwell offers a profound examination of social dynamics at the turn of the century, focusing on orphan girls and illegitimate daughters compelled into roles as maids, housekeepers, and governesses. This scholarly work delves into the intricate web of secrecy and societal pressures surrounding the illegitimate offspring of the elite—figures whose very existence was often cloaked in mystery to protect the reputations of their influential progenitors.

Set against the backdrop of the notorious Faversham Academy in Riverdale County, Mannerwell critically analyzes the intersection of gender, class, and power. The book sheds light on the systemic marginalization of these young women and the pervasive culture of silence that sought to contain their stories of identity and resilience.

If everyone who can join this please as soon as possible and blow up the Q&A chat. The regular chat was turned off cause they know people would fight against this.