Lucy Maud Montgomery (named after the famous Canadian author) was born in Toronto, Canada. A very bright and imaginative young lady, she found herself at odds with her conservative parents often. Despite this, she grew into a respectful young woman who is admired by all who meet her. She was educated at the Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, completing a two year teacher training program in just one year to earn her license.
Lucy has held several teaching positions with well-to-do Toronto families, leaving once the children outgrew needing a governess or young ladies who went off to marry (which she, herself, has never but has not ruled it out if the right sort of man came along). Lucy has an impeccable reputation and comes with the highest recommendations.
In Victorian times, "high references" meant top-tier written or personal recommendations required for securing respectable employment, particularly for domestic service, governesses, and professional posts. These testimonials vouched for an applicant's moral character, sobriety, industry, and skill.
Governesses occupied a fascinating space as educated, well-bred ladies who earned a wage but weren't servants. That status on the fringes of society makes them very interesting indeed! A governess is a private educator employed by a household to teach, guide, and train school-aged children. Unlike nannies who focus on physical care and babies, governesses focus on core academics, foreign languages, and social etiquette.
If you’re only vaguely familiar with who governesses were in Victorian times and what they did, here’s a primer. They were often educated, respectable women who’d fallen on hard times, the daughters of parents who couldn’t afford to keep them at home until they married, or other down-on-their-luck widows armed with a good reputation. These women could make an income by educating the girls of a well-to-do middle- or upper-class families until their charges were married and became the mistresses of their own households. (From "The Governess Problem" by Julia Kelly.).
The family (especially Rosemary) are looking forward to welcoming Lucy into their home and have high hopes for Rosemary's education. As Lucy and Rosemary will be spending a lot of time together, they're likely to become the best of companions.
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