governesss

Governess is a woman employed in a private household to educate and supervise children. Unlike a nanny, who primarily cares for children, or a tutor, who usually teaches privately or remotely, the governess typically provides formal instruction and moral guidance within the home. The term is most associated with 18th through 19th century Europe and colonial societies, especially Britain, where middle- and upper-class families hired governesses to educate daughters and sometimes sons when mothers were unavailable, lacking formal schooling, or balancing other duties. While some families offered comfortable salaries and relative social status, governesses often occupied an uneasy social position, being neither servants nor family members and having limited prospects for advancement.

Duties commonly included teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, languages, music, drawing, and needlework, as well as supervising daily routines, manners, and social comportment. They might coordinate with a family’s other staff, chaperone outings, and tailor lessons to the children’s ages and future prospects. Training varied widely; some governesses were educated ladies with formal schooling, while others were accomplished teachers or former governesses themselves. Wages varied by locality, reputation, and the family’s means, and contract terms could be strict.

In literature and popular culture, governesses are central figures in many period works, notably in novels such as Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, which helped shape enduring stereotypes of independence and moral authority associated with the role.

The spelling "governesss" is not standard; it is generally considered a misspelling or typographical error. The singular is "governess," and the plural is "governesses." In modern usage, the term is primarily historical or literary.