Ayah

Ayahs worked as domestic servants or nursemaids, while lascars worked as sailors. Their welfare could depend heavily on employers. Some ayahs were transferred to other households or abandoned when their employers no longer needed them.

An ayah was an Indian nursemaid or nanny. British families in India employed ayahs to care for their children, and returning families sometimes brought them to Britain. Other families hired experienced travelling ayahs specifically for the voyage.

An ayah was an Indian female servant who cared for children. Families could bring an ayah to England to look after their children during the voyage and after arrival. This explains the connection between her occupation and her migration: the family’s journey also became her journey.