A Townhouse in 1878
Curated with Dr Arunima Datta
Located on Oakfield Street in Chelsea, this terraced house is a typical home built to accommodate London’s fast-growing middle classes. Spread across four floors, the rooms have high ceilings and large bay windows to create bright spaces. It would have been home to the family and their servants, who would have slept in the attic.
Background
British settlement in Bengal
European powers established colonies on the Indian subcontinent as early as the 1400s, seeking to exploit its enormous wealth of natural resources. In 1757, the British East India Company gained a stronghold over the east region of Bengal, eventually extending its rule over present day India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Who were travelling ayahs?
The women who chose the profession of travelling ayah came from all over India and across its various ethno-religious groups. Most of their journeys started from Calcutta, the capital of India under the British Raj, and most of the women were Christian, possibly as a cultural preference for colonial families.
Ayahs’ Home for nannies and nursemaids from Asia
Although some ayahs were lucky to find reliable long-term employers, most contracts would finish within days after their arrival in Britain. The Ayahs’ Home in the City of London, and later in Hackney, was a place for ayahs to stay and socialise between employments.
Absence from records
Like most working-class migrants from British colonies, very few official records were kept about ayahs. However, recent historical research has uncovered mentions of ayahs in British legal cases, providing fascinating insights into these women’s identities and stories of hard work and resilience.
Personal stories
Jonana, 1730
The earliest found record of an Indian travelling domestic worker is Jonana’s who arrived in London from Bengal. It is impossible to know how many global majority workers provided care in British homes, as many of their stories were not recorded.
Nasiban, 1899
Arriving in London on the understanding that her employers would arrange her return journey to India, Nasiban was forced to leave her employers’ house without notice or wages. She was found wandering the streets of West London by a police officer. Some cases of abandonment highlight the insecurity of this work.
The stories in this room are based on Dr. Arunima Datta's book Waiting on Empire: A History of Indian Travelling Ayahs in Britain. Copyright © 2023 by Oxford University Press and published by Oxford University Press.
What's happening
Bunoo is packing up her things this morning. Bunoo is an ayah, employed by the Stevenson family to look after their children Mary, Thomas and Beatrice during the three-week long journey between Calcutta (Kolkata), India, and London.
On the voyage Bunoo took care of the children’s health, education and play, but now the Stevensons have settled into their Chelsea home, she and the children will have to say goodbye. Bunoo will have to find work with a new family to travel back to India.
To make some extra money, Bunoo has also brought a trunk full of Indian textiles and souvenirs to sell. Indian products and art have become very popular in Britain, particularly with families who lived in British India.
Things to look out for
Cousin Johnny and his Indian Maid
Charlotte O’Brien
Groombridge and Son, about 1855
Illustrated by Edward Whymper, this children’s book shows the complex bond between ayahs and the children they looked after. Although her services are appreciated, the ayah is constantly reminded of her marginalised place in British society through differences in her race and class.
Pashmina Shawls
Although they originated as male garments in India, shawls gained popularity among European women from the 1750s to the 1870s. Some travelling ayahs traded Indian commodities in the UK such as jewels and fabrics and would return with European objects to sell in India. Travelling ayahs often showed entrepreneurship, making the most of their situation.
Toys
Children are very much at the centre of this home, sharing the parlour with their parents and using the space to learn and play with their toys. By the 1870s attitudes towards childhood were idealised; it was seen as a joyous time of life to be cherished.
A Young Teacher
Rebecca Solomon
1863
Solomon depicts a poignant moment between an ayah and the two young children in her care. The model for the ayah, Fanny Eaton, was born in Jamaica and often modelled for the Pre-Raphaelite artists when she set up home in London. Her depiction challenges traditional representations of Britain in the 1800s, but also raises questions about how people of colour were viewed, as she is being represented as ethnically Asian in this painting.
Solomon’s paintings often explored themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of daily life. Through her art, Solomon explored stereotypes and asserted her presence in an often-marginalising society.
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