Settlement Examinations

Perhaps the most important concept that any family historians trying to trace their poor ancestors need to understand is that of ‘settlement’. The 1662 Poor Relief Act (also known as the Settlement Act) laid down that overseers of the Poor Law were only to provide poor relief to paupers who were ‘settled’ in their parish. Anyone else could be ‘removed’ to the parish where they were ‘settled’. Those deemed to be ‘settled’ in a parish included those born there, those who had paid rates, those who had served an apprenticeship in the parish, those who had been in service, and those who fulfilled a number of other criteria (some of which changed over time). The first task of the overseer when faced with a claim to poor relief was to determine where the pauper was settled. In case of doubt, that meant recourse to a justice of the peace, who would conduct a settlement examination.

1

Claimant’s Details

The first sentence tells you her name, Martha, and the name of her husband Samuel Stretch, and that she now lives in East Stower (Stour), Dorset.

2 Age

Martha swears on oath that she is “about 27” and believes her place of birth to be Broad Chalk in Wiltshire.

3

Samuel’s Details

Martha married Samuel in 1781 who was “settled” in Swallowcliffe (Wiltshire) and worked for William Chubb.

4 Removal

He left her “the Christmas after their marriage”. Presumably she was pregnant, because she was “removed” from Broad Chalk (where she may have been staying with relatives) to Swallowcliffe (her official settlement) and that parish now supports her child, suggesting the child was born there.

5 Mark

It looks like Martha was illiterate, since she made her mark on the examination.