Transcript LEWES HISTORY GROUP October 2009

LEWES HISTORY GROUP
21 February 2011
Lewes History Group
Settlement Records in Lewes Parish Chests
John Kay
21 February 2011
Everyone had a settlement
Your parish of settlement determined which parish was responsible
for your care if you needed help.
You started with your father’s settlement (if legitimate), and you
kept that unless you acquired a new one.
You acquired a new settlement by:
• owning or leasing real estate above a specified value;
• serving a parish office, such as churchwarden or overseer;
• joining a new family, as an apprentice, or by living as an
unmarried resident servant for a year.
A woman (but not any children she already had) acquired her
husband’s settlement on marriage.
Any other parish could deport you back to your ‘home’ parish if it
suspected you might need support, and they normally would do so
if you became ill, or fell on hard times
Common types of settlement records
• Removal orders to and from the parish –
outgoing and incoming
• Settlement certificates
• Settlement examinations
• Apprenticeship indentures
• Illegitimacy records
Warrants to arrest putative fathers
Maintenance orders
Bonds to reimburse parish expenses
Settlement records in Lewes parish chests
St Anne St Michael St John-s-C Cliffe
Removal orders
outgoing
incoming
33
25
100
89
19
10
158
66
Settlement certificates
1
94
47
139
Settlement examinations
3
18
2
32
Apprenticeship indentures
2
84
17
70
30
55
16
58
Illegitimacy records
No settlement records at all survive in the parish records
of All Saints, Southover or South Malling
Dates of surviving Lewes settlement records
<1750 1751-1800
Removal orders
outgoing
incoming
Settlement certificates
Settlement examinations
Apprenticeship indentures
Illegitimacy records
1801-1834
>1834
36
13
96
53
162
113
16
8
148
132
1
0
9
31
11
3
100
35
36
1
28
45
59
2
Which other parishes were involved?
Data for Lewes St Michael’s parish
Other
Lewes
Nearby
parish
Other
Sussex
Out of
county
Removal orders
outgoing
incoming
36
35
14
16
26
20
15
14
Settlement certificates
41
17
26
7
So over 40% were with other Lewes parishes
About 45% with other Sussex parishes
Just over 10% were out-county,
mainly with neighbouring counties and London
Parish apprenticeships
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/1
7 Jun 1652
Margrett Stearnes apprenticed to William Ockenden of Barcombe, tailor
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/7
15 Aug 1672
Mary Devall, daughter of Robert Devall, late of Lewes St Michael, victualler,
deceased, apprenticed to William Jackson of Southwark St Thomas, weaver, and his
wife Anne
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/9
25 Nov 1672
Elizabeth Devall, daughter of Robert Devall, late of Lewes, deceased, to Thomas
Fitzharbert of Ringmer, yeoman
Apprenticeships were generally to a master in another parish, and
transferred settlement to the new master’s parish.
The parish paid a premium, typically £10.
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/20
9 Jun 1704
Ralph Eager, son of Stephen Eager, late of Cliffe, St Thomas, deceased, bargeman,
apprenticed to Thomas Faulkener of Lewes St Peter and St Mary Westout,
blacksmith
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/21
30 Apr 1705
Walter Apted apprenticed to Thomas Harman of Lewes St Peter and St Mary
Westout, pipemaker
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/22
14 Feb 1706/7
Gervase Murray apprenticed to Richard Langridge of Fletching, carpenter
Typical examples. Stephen Eager lived in Cliffe, but by a settlement
certificate from St Michael’s.
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/12
John Brinkhurst, apprenticed to Henry Paine of Streat, yeoman
19 Sep 1683
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/13
Ann Brinkhurst, apprenticed to Henry Paine of Streat, yeoman
19 Sep 1683
In this unusual case two children, probably from the same family, were
apprenticed together. Ann the daughter of John & Sara Brinkhurst had been
baptised at Lewes St Michael on 11 Apr 1669, so she was about 14.
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/59
29 Apr 1761
George Watson (aged 9) apprenticed to John Watson the elder of Maresfield,
husbandman & farmer
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/60
13 Jun 1761
Thomas Watson (aged 7) apprenticed to Henry Watson of Newick, husbandman
Probably “apprenticeships” within a family.
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/36
6 Feb 1741/2
Sarah Breach (aged 9) apprenticed to John Edwards of Cuckfield, husbandman
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/37
3 May 1741
John Gilmore (aged 12) apprenticed to William Headley of Newhaven, mariner
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/38
22 Aug 1741
John Breach (aged 12) apprenticed to John Hemsley of Westmeston, yeoman
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/39
24 Aug 1741
Lucy Denman (aged 12) apprenticed to Jared Denman of Lewes St Mary & St Peter
Westout, carpenter, to be taught housewifery
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/41
71 Sep 1743
Thomas Breach (aged 13) apprenticed to George Gibson of Middlesex, cook
Apprenticeships were typically young teenagers, but could be under 10
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Apprenticeship indenture
William Petow
PAR414/33/56
8 Feb 1758
Apprenticeship indenture
Sarah Tanner
PAR414/33/57
20 May 1758
Apprenticeship indenture
James Percell (aged 16)
PAR414/33/58
15 Sep 1760
Apprenticeship indenture
Hannah Shelton (aged 10)
PAR414/33/61
226 Apr 1762
Were all apprenticed to the same man:
Thomas Harding of London, St Andrew Hubbard, feltmaker.
An example, from St John-sub-Castro
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR412/33/7
3 Jun 1721
Thomas Blaber was apprenticed to Benjamin Mott of Ringmer, flax-dresser
Benjamin Mott will have received a premium of about £10 to instruct
Thomas Blaber in his craft, the first step in linen manufacture, then a
rural craft.
While Thomas Blaber may have proved an exemplary employee,
Benjamin Mott’s decision cost Ringmer parish hundreds, if not
thousands, of pounds in supporting Blaber’s, generally rather less than
satisfactory, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/30
25 Feb 1726
Benjamin Longley apprenticed to Jonathan Forward of London, merchant, to serve in
His Majesty’s plantations in America
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/69
20 Jan 1783
Richard Watson, son of Richard Watson, deceased, apprenticed to John Greathead
master of 'The Acorn', lying at Newhaven, to be instructed as a mariner
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/78 & 79
28 Dec 1811
James Parker (10) and William Cole (15) apprenticed to Robert Metcalfe of Uckfield,
cotton manufacturer
Some apprenticeships appear
more adventurous than others
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Apprenticeship indenture
PAR414/33/71
9 Sep 1784
Thomas Davis, son of Mary Davis, widow, apprenticed to William Gwynne of Lewes
St Peter and St Mary Westout, clerk, to learn reading and writing
Some parish apprenticeships appear to offer real opportunities to the
apprentice.
However, careers in surgery and the law, and provisions such as the
master guaranteeing that on completion the apprentice would be made
a freeman of the City of London, are confined to the more expensive
private apprenticeships.
Removal Orders
Removal Orders
Could affect any family settled elsewhere than the parish where
they lived, but especially any family thought likely to require
social assistance or otherwise undesirable, and especially:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
the unemployed, or under-employed
anyone dependent on parish social security
widows with children, or orphaned children
wives and children of soldiers or convicts
anyone ill
people too old to support themselves any longer
single women who became pregnant
beggars and other undesirables (though tramps were generally given a
shilling or two to continue on their way)
Not every order was enforced, providing the “home” parish
accepted responsibility.
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Removal order from Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/2/1
Thomas Acton, his wife and four small children, to Southover.
10 Apr 1662
Removal order from Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/2/45
20 Apr 1793
Philadelphia, wife of George Gilbert, a private soldier in the 11th Regiment of Light
Dragoons, and their son, Isaac, to Heathfield.
Removal order from Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/2/59
20 Jun 1812
Elizabeth Wise, singlewoman (pregnant), to Lewes St John-sub-Castro.
Removal order from Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/2/83
3 Jun 1828
Margaret Baldwin, wife of James Baldwin, who has been sentenced to transportation,
and children Alfred (4), James (2) and Elizabeth (7 months), to Ticehurst; endorsed
with suspension and late execution of removal due to sickness; includes account for
the cost of nursing Margaret during her illness.
Some examples, to St Michael’s
Removal order to Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/3/2
William Holland and his wife, Sarah, from Southover.
11 Jan 1732/3
Removal order to Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/3/3
11Apr 1738
John Breach and his children John, Thomas & Sarah, from Burwash
[with a note from the Burwash overseers about the settlement of the children of John
Breach, shoemaker, who had left his family; copies of the 1729-1733 baptisms of the
children of John & Sarah Breach at Burwash; and a bill for the children’s care there].
Removal order to Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/3/7
11 Jul 1741
Elizabeth Denman, widow, and her daughter Lucy (12) from Lewes St John-subCastro.
Removal order to Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/3/53
Elizabeth Harris, singlewoman, pregnant, from Brighton.
23 Jul 1808
Removal order to Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/3/84
11 Oct 1832
James Lintott, blacking maker, his wife Mercilla, and children James (6) and Elizabeth
(2) from Norwich.
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Removal order to Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/3/8
29 May 1759
Ann Butler (11) and Elizabeth Butler (5), the children of James Butler, deceased, and
his wife Elizabeth (now ill and unable to be moved), from St Martin in the Fields,
Middlesex
Removal order to Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/3/9
18 Apr 1768
Elizabeth Butler, singlewoman (14), a vagabond, from Westminster, St Paul Covent
Garden; includes examination stating that her father was James Butler
Removal order to Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/3/10
18 Apr 1768
Ann Butler, singlewoman (21), a vagabond, from Westminister, St Paul Covent
Garden; includes examination stating that her father was James Butler
“One would imagine that all the
prostitutes in the kingdom had
picked upon the rendezvous”
Sir John Fielding
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Removal order from Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/2/28
10 Feb 1772
Samuel Conley, one of the sons of Benjamin Conley, deceased, to Wapping St John;
Samuel was born in Lewes St Michael in 1719 where his father was residing by virtue
of a settlement certificate dated 28 May 1707, issued by Wapping St John.
Settlement certificates could have long-lasting impact
Samuel Conley had been born in St Michael’s and apparently lived
there for over half a century, but was still liable for deportation to his
“home” parish of Wapping.
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Removal order to Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/3/12
28 Apr 1770
Hannah Western, a vagabond, from Devon House of Correction; includes an
examination stating that she is the wife of William Western, a whitesmith
People could travel considerable distances
[And on 23 Jul 1770 Lewes St Michael obtained an order removing Hannah Weston
to Crediton, Devon]
A removal order that has not survived deported William Weston, a journeyman
whitesmith aged 35 who had fallen ill, from a parish in Yorkshire to St
Michael’s. His arrival in Oct 1773 after this long journey in a small open cart,
covered only by a little straw and a coat of lice, emaciated and unable to move,
was witnessed by Thomas Paine, who as Humanus fulminated about the
inhumanity of the system in the Lewes Journal. William Weston died very
shortly after his arrival “home”.
[source: Colin Brent, ‘Tom Paine at Bull House’, Sussex Archaeological Collections, 147, p.158, via Paul Myles]
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Removal order to Lewes St Michael
PAR414/32/2/71
12 Oct 1821
Samuel Jenner the elder, his wife Ann (his present wife), Lucy (aged 17) his daughter
by his first wife formerly Ann Whiting, widow, Samuel (aged 13), the son of his first
marriage), and children John (5), Edward (3) and Elizabeth (11 months), children of
his second marriage, all from Lewes St John sub Castro.
One settlement order could transfer responsibility for a large and
complex, and potentially expensive, family.
An example from St Anne’s
Removal order from Lewes St Anne
PAR411/32/2/37
16 Nov 1830
Martha Smith (8) and Joseph Smith (4), the illegitimate children of Martha the wife of
Joseph Smith, to Horsham.
Removal order from Lewes St Anne
PAR411/32/2/38
16 Nov 1830
Martha Smith, the wife of Joseph Smith, a prisoner in Horsham gaol, and her
daughter Susannah (2), to Horsham.
Members of what we would today consider a single family might have different
settlements. If a man married a woman who already had children, she would
acquire his settlement, but her existing children would not.
Thus a widow who re-married might be separated from the children of her first
marriage. Illegitimate children would also be left behind when their mother
married, even if the new husband was their father. In this case, both Martha and
her illegitimate children happened to have the same settlement.
Another example from St Anne’s
Removal order from Lewes St Anne
PAR411/32/2/39
10 Jun1834
Mary Twigg, otherwise Mary Divall, pregnant with an illegitimate child, and the wife of
John Divall, now on board the hulks as Gosport under sentence of transportation, to
Ringmer.
Transportation left a man’s wife and family in limbo. They were very unlikely to
meet again, or even hear of each other again.
A woman was unlikely to be able to earn enough to support a family. The wife
left behind could not easily “move on” to another man. If she tried to, as Mary
Divall evidently did here, the parish officers could forcibly deport her to her
legal husband’s parish, where her new man would be unlikely to be able to
follow.
Settlement examinations, from St Michael’s
Settlement examination
PAR414/32/4/1
13 Jan 1752/3
Edward Cossam
Born in Ringmer. [Baptised at Ringmer 1725]
Hired as a yearly servant to Thomas Relfe of Ripe, 1749-50.
Married and since lived chiefly in Lewes St John sub Castro & St Michael.
Holds a settlement certificate from Ripe.
Settlement examinations in particular often contain details of lives
that would otherwise be entirely unrecoverable
Settlement examinations, from St Michael’s
Settlement examination
PAR414/32/4/6
18 Jul 1770
Ann Chapman
About Oct 1760 she married Thomas Robson, a soldier in Mordaunt’s Light Troop at
St Michael’s.
She marched with Robson to Croyden, Surrey, where she had a daughter.
She then went to Canterbury with Robson, where he deserted the troop (and her).
She returned to St Michael’s, but was removed to Lamberhurst, Kent.
It was then proved that Robson already had a wife when he married her.
So Ann, and her child, are settled in St Michael’s, where they have since lived.
Settlement examinations in particular often contain details of lives
that would otherwise be entirely unrecoverable
Settlement examinations, from St Michael’s
Settlement examination
PAR414/32/4/16
c.1815
[from watermark]
William Dicker
Residing in Lewes All Saints.
Born in Ringmer, where his father legally settled.
About 30 years ago hired the house in Lewes St Michael where Mr Smart the
mealman now resides. He hired it from Mr Trinity, deceased, land steward of
the late Mr Knott.
Rented a house in St Thomas, Cliffe.
Lived in Lewes St John, rented a house in Russell Row from Serjeant Kempe; while
he was there his wife and the greatest part of his family died.
He then went to Brighton and married Eleanor Smith, who kept a small grocer’s shop
in a small house or cottage built on wheels, which he later sold to Mr Piercy
of North Street.
Settlement examinations in particular often contain details of lives
that would otherwise be entirely unrecoverable
Settlement examinations, from St Michael’s
Settlement examination
PAR414/32/4/14
6 Jan 1825
Ann Bailey
She was born in Lewes St John, her maiden name Clark.
She was a servant to the late Henry Verrall of St Michael’s for 3 years.
While there she married Collin Terrill, a soldier quartered there.
He went to America, where she believed that he died.
She was married again in Bloomsbury, London, to Thomas Bailey, a tailor, and lived
near Tottenham Court Road.
She separated from him 20 years ago and does not know his place of settlement.
It was not enough to show a person’s settlement was not in the parish
where they lived. To remove a person the parish had to establish where
they were really settled.
Settlement examinations, from St Michael’s
Settlement examination
PAR414/32/4/11
28 Dec 1807
John Williams
Now a private soldier.
Born in “Bethgelart, Carnarvon”.
At age 15 was hired by John Hughes of Chester Trinity.
(does not specify whether he completed a year’s service)
Has this day married Lucy Gates of Lewes St Michael, singlewoman.
Marriage could transfer your settlement to a place hundreds of miles
away, and which you had never visited
Bastardy Records
Bastardy Records
Parish strategy 1:
Transfer the problem to another parish, if at all possible, using the settlement laws.
Parish strategy 2:
Avoid illegitimate children being born, by “encouraging” a marriage
Parish strategy 3:
If all else fails, make sure the father contributes to the cost.
Records left
•
•
•
•
Examination of expectant mothers
Warrants for the parish to arrest putative fathers
Maintenance orders
Bastardy bonds
Some examples, from St Michael’s
Maintenance order
PAR414/34/3/4
8 Feb 1806
George Newman late of Lewes, coachman, for the support of the daughter of Frances
Davey, born on the 21 Dec [1805] at the poor house
Warrant to arrest putative father
PAR414/34/2/9
22 Jul 1807
Edward Hudson of Lewes St Peter and St Mary, labourer, father of the bastard son of
Elizabeth Goodyear of Lewes St Michael, which was born in Horsham following a
removal order which was later quashed
Maintenance order
PAR414/34/3/6
24 Jul 1807
Edward Hudson for the support of the son of Elizabeth Goodyear, born 4 Dec 1805 at
Horsham
Bastardy Bond
PAR414/34/4/4
14 Oct 1709
Bastardy bond binding William Lane, Lewes St Peter and St Mary Westout,
gentleman, and Elizabeth Payne, widow.
Bound in £50 for the support of the child of Elizabeth Kingers fathered by Lane
Some examples, from St Anne’s
Removal order to Lewes St Anne
PAR411/32/3/15
Frances Crossland the younger was removed from Chichester
14 Aug 1826
Removal order to Lewes St Anne
PAR411/32/3/19
26 Apr 1828
Frances Crossland, singlewoman, pregnant, was removed from Chichester St Martin
Warrant to arrest putative father
PAR411/34/2/12
12 Jul 1831
George Budd of Chichester, cabinet maker, father of the son of Frances Crossland
born 13 Aug 1828
Maintenance order
PAR411/34/3/9
26 Jul 1831
George Budd of Chichester, cabinet maker, father of the son of Frances Crossland
born 13 Aug 1828
Maintenance order
PAR411/34/3/12
6 Mar 1832
John Triggs of Chichester, whitesmith, father of the daughter of Frances Crossland
born 14 Oct 1831
Some recidivists are encountered
Some examples, from St Anne’s
Warrant to arrest putative father
PAR411/34/2/5
7 Dec 1819
George Ade, late of Lewes, baker, father of the son of Susannah Lower born 13 Oct
1819, with a note that the child, Jeremiah Lower, died 17 Nov 1825.
Maintenance order
PAR411/34/3/4
2 May 1820
George Ade, late of Lewes, baker, father of the son of Susannah Lower born 13 Oct
1819
Maintenance order
PAR411/34/3/6
26 Feb 1822
Richard Leggatt of Lewes St Michael, bricklayer, father of the son of Susannah Lower
born 6 Jan 1822
Maintenance order
PAR411/34/3/11
3 Mar 1832
James Lambert of Brighton, bricklayer, father of the daughter of Susannah Lower
born 9 Nov 1831, with reference to payment of the balance owing in 1835
Warrant to arrest putative father
PAR411/34/2/13
19 Mar 1833
James Lambert of Brighton, bricklayer, father of the daughter of Susannah Lower
Some recidivists are encountered
How reliable is our information?
All may not be as it seems – there may be key information that is
unrecorded or deliberately hidden.
What proportion of the overseers’ activities is actually recorded in
the surviving information? Are the records of the parishes with
good collections substantially complete, or are they just the tip of
the iceberg?
Records survive only for cases that resulted in formal action. Are
they too just the tip of the iceberg?
How reliable is our information?
Where both parishes have large numbers of removal records, we
can cross-check, to determine correlations.
Exporter
only
Both Importer Total
only
St Michael to Cliffe
2
2
0
4
Cliffe to St Michael
5
4
2
11
St Michael to Ringmer
0
0
1
1
Ringmer to St Michael
1
3
1
5
Cliffe to Ringmer
1
1
0
2
Ringmer to Cliffe
1
0
0
1
So, for a total of 24 deportations between these three parishes for
which at least one parish retained records, both parishes retained
records in 10 cases (42%).
LEWES HISTORY GROUP
21 February 2010