Governess

The reasons for this include personal security, the benefits of a tailored education, and the flexibility to travel or live in multiple locations.

They also taught the "accomplishments" expected of upper-class and middle-class women to the young girls 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.

As a result of these various restrictions, the lifestyle of the typical Victorian governess was often one of social isolation and solitude, without the opportunity to make friends.

[citation needed] However, being a governess was one of the few legitimate ways by which an unmarried, middle-class woman could support herself in Victorian society.

[6] The majority of governesses were women whose fortunes had drastically declined (e.g. Sarah Bennett[6]), due to perhaps the death of their father or both of their parents, or the failure of the family business, and had no relatives willing to take them in.

[citation needed] Once a governess's charges grew up, she had to seek a new position, or, exceptionally, might be retained by a grown daughter as a paid companion.

[11] The term "governess" is an archaic gendered job title for a politician; now the word "governor" is used for men or women.