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Impoverished relatives as servants in Upper Canada 1850s?

Impoverished relatives as servants in Upper Canada 1850s?

Posted: 5 Mar 2014 9:29PM GMT
Classification: Query
I am looking at a 1851 Census for a part of Howard Country, Upper Canada, and am surprised at how many 'servants' are listed in the census, and a very high percentage of these house helpers have the same last names as the rest of the family!
Does anyone has a more historical perspective on what is happening here?
Are these poor cousins/ nieces and nephews, victims of some family tragedy?
Graeme Thompson, in Guatemala
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