Poor Law etc.

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From Illustrated Exhibitor & Magazine of Art, vols 1 & 2, 1852

The following transcriptions provide pertinent details from settlements, removals, examinations, and an apprenticeship indenture. To see the full documents, please order a copy from the relevation record office.

Baldwin, Francis, 1775

Examination

  • Dated 2 Oct 1775
  • Francis Baldwin, residing in East Donyland.
  • At Michaelmas 1771, he went into the service of Thomas Arthy of Peldon, farmer, as a yearly servant, and continued with Arthy for two years.
  • Since then he has not been hired as a yearly servant. The longest employment since has been for Samuel Bullock of Great Wigborough, farmer. He hired himself for a year from Michaelmas 1774, but only worked until the harvest.
  • He marked
  • Sworn before Charles Gray
  • ERO

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Button, James and Sarah

Settlement, 1757

  • Dated 12 Sep 1757
  • James Button and his wife Sarah are acknowledged to be legally settled in Great Oakley
  • Addressed to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor in Thorpe-le-Soken
  • Attested by Joseph Salmon, Robert Gentry, Hazel Salmon, Charles Manyon, Jonathan Maskell
  • ERO: D/P 8/13/1

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Button, Robert, 1760

Examination

  • Dated 11 Apr 1760
  • Robert Button of Kirby-le-Soken, Essex, butcher.
  • He was apprenticed to Mr William Bloss of Woodbridge, Suffolk, butcher, and served two out of his five years before buying out his time from his master.
  • He then let himself as a yearly servant to William Turpin, butcher, of Great Oakley, at £9 a year wages. Turpin kept a butcher’s shop in Kirby-le-Soken, where Robert Button served. Turpin hired a lodging for Button, separate from the shop, for his year’s term.
  • Sworn before Francis Evans Tabbot
  • ERO, ref: 169/13/4

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Field, John and Mary, and children

Examination, 1805

  • John Field of Great Bromley, labourer. Dated 12 June 1805
  • He says he was born in Mendlesham, Suffolk, where his father resided. Six years ago last Michaelmas, he let himself to Mr Samuel Cooper of All Saints, Colchesrter, at the wages of £9 14s. He continued with Cooper for another year at wages of £10 10s.
  • He has a wife named Mary and one child named George, aged one and a half.
  • He marked
  • Taken before Thomas Nunn, M Thompson, John Hanson
  • ERO, ref: 200/13/42

Examination, 1812

  • John Field of Great Bromley, labourer (undated, but must be just before the following removal: see below)
  • He says he was born in Mendlesham, Suffolk, where his father resided and was settled.
  • About 17 years ago, he let himself to Mr William Blomfield of Wetheringsett, Suffolk, farmer, for a year, at wages of £7 10s.
  • He then let himself to Mr Thomas Moore of Coddenham, Suffolk, for a year, at wages of £9. He continued with Moore for another year at wages of £10 2s 6d.
  • About eleven years ago last Michaelmas, he let himself to Mr Samuel Cooper of All Saints, Colchester, farmer, for wages of 9 guineas and a crown. He continued with Cooper for another year at the wages of 10 and half guineas.
  • He has a wife named Mary, and six children: George aged 8, Mussey [Mercy] aged 7, James aged 5, Ann aged 4, John aged 2, and Phoebe aged 1.
  • He marked
  • Taken before J Martin Leake jnr, A Runnacles, Thomas Scott
  • Removed to All Saints
  • ERO, ref: DP 103/13/4

Removal, 1812

  • Dated 22 April 1812
  • John Field of Great Bromley’s legal parish of settlement is considered to be All Saints, Colchester, and he is to be removed there along with Mary his wife, and their six children.
  • ERO, ref: D/P 200/13/3B

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Hazell, William, 1810

Apprenticeship indenture

  • Dated 14 July 1810
  • William Hazel, aged fourteen, “a poor Child of the parish of Wivenhoe”
  • To be apprenticed to John Cridge the younger of Wivenhoe, oyster-dredger and fisherman, until he reaches the age of 21
  • Signed by John Cridge junior
  • ERO, ref: D/P 277/14/1

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Littlewood, Mary, 1773

Examination

  • Dated 2 Jan 1773
  • In about October 1742, Mary Littlewood moved from St Martin’s, Colchester, to St Osyth, Essex, where she still remains. She declares that the parish of St Martin’s was the place of her last legal settleent.
  • Sworn before Man. Gough and Samuel Weeley
  • ERO, ref: D/P 322/13/4

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Mills, John and Ann, and children, 1802

Examination

  • John Mills of Kirby-le-Soken, dated 24 Dec 1802
  • He says he was born in Thorpe-le-Soken where his father was legally settled.
  • He always lived in Thorpe-le-Soken, until November 1800, when he went to Kirby-le-Soken to let himself to Mr Samuel Dennis, farmer, for half a guinea a week wages, and worked there for three months. Then Dennis changed his wage to 12 shillings a week and provided him with a house, rent-free, until Michaelmas following. Since then, he has been employed by Dennis as a day labourer, receiving his wages weekly.
  • He has a wife named Ann, and three children: Joseph aged 8, Thomas aged 4, and Mary Ann aged 3, all of whom live with him in Kirby-le-Soken.
  • He marked
  • Taken before M Thompson, John Bridges, John Hanson, Thomas Nunn.
  • ERO, ref: 169/13/4

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Patrick, John and Ann, and children 1780

Examination

  • About 24 years ago, he let hiumself to George Ford of Great Waldingfield, Suffolk, farmer for a year.
  • About 16 years ago, “he was ballotted as a private man in the Essex Militia for the parish of Little Holland, Essex and served the term of three years therein.”
  • About 16 years ago, he married Ann Maxfield, single woman, in the parish church of St Osyth. They have six children living: Mary aged 14, John aged 12, Elizabeth aged 10, William aged 8, George aged 6, and James aged 2.
  • Taken before Samuel Wooley, Richard Willan
  • ERO

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Pritchard, William, 1783

Examination

  • William Pritchard, residing in Bury St Edmunds, a baker. Examination as to his settlement on 3 July 1783.
  • He said he was born at Haslingham, Norfolk [Hassingham], and is now about 32.
  • About five years ago, he hired a house in St Stephen’s parish, Norwich at the yearly rent of £12. He lived there until last year, where “he was rested & paid to church & poor for the same and hath not since done any act to gain a settlement to the best of his knowledge.”
  • Now married to his wife Jane, by whom he has no children.
  • He marked
  • Taken before James Mathew, alderman; G Waddington
  • SRO, Bury St Edmunds branch, ref: N2/1/1/236

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Quilter, Eleanor, 1810

Examination

  • Eleanor Quilter, a single woman of St Osyth. Examination taken 8 Feb 1810
  • She says she was born in St Osyth, where her father lived under a certificate from the parish of Kirby-le-Soken.
  • About three years ago, “she offered her services” to Mrs Wade of Fingringhoe. Eleanor want to let herself by the month, but Mrs Wade “said she always hired her servants by the week.” Eleanor let herself by the week, at a wage of 1s 6d a week, where she worked for a year and a half.
  • Eleanor “is now pregnant with a child which child is likely to be born a bastard.”
  • She marked
  • Taken before Thomas Nunn and George Bridges
  • ERO, ref: D/P 322/13/14

Removal

  • Dated 8 Feb 1810
  • Eleanor Quilter’s legal parish of settlement is considered to be Kirby-le-Soken. She is to be removed from St Osyth, and Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of Kirby-le-Soken are to receive her
  • ERO, ref: D/P 169/13/3

Transcriber’s notes: Mrs Wade of Fingringhoe is likely to be either Sarah Pritchett, wife of (1771-1826), wife of Edward Wade (1769-1837), or Edward’s sister-in-law, Anne Gilbert Bearman (1765-1825), widow of Edward’s brother William Cardinall Wade (1767-1796). Eleanor’s son James was born on 10 May 1810, and was baptised at St Osyth on 10 May 1812 – the same day as the child of Eleanor’s sister, Elizabeth Minter. James died aged 19 and was buried in Kirby-le-Soken on 18 April 1830. I am yet to trace Eleanor beyond 1810.

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Quilter, Golding and Sarah (and child)

Settlement, 1778

  • Dated 10 April 1778
  • Golding Quilter, single man, is acknowledged as being legally settled in Kirby-le-Soken
  • Addressed to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor in Thorpe-le-Soken
  • Attested by Samuel Palmer, Peter Clark, Edward Quilter, John Annis
  • ERO, ref: D/P 8/13/1

Settlement, 1780

  • Dated 31 March 1780
  • Golding Quilter, blacksmith, Sarah his wife, and Sarah their child, are acknowledged as being legally settled in Kirby-le-Soken, Essex
  • Addressed to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor in St Osyth
  • Attested by: William Stone, Samuel Palmer, William Stone, John Wilson, John Annis, Edward Quilter
  • ERO, ref: D/P 322/13/1

Examination, 1818

  • Dated 18 March 1818
  • Golding Quilter, now residing in Kirby-le-Soken, blacksmith
  • He says he was born in Kirby-le-Soken, Essex where his parents belonged.
  • He served his apprenticeship in Kirby-le-Soken to his brother Edward Quilter.
  • Upwards of 40 years ago, he hired a messuage, shop and premises in Thorpe-le-Soken where he lived for about four years, and paid his rates to the poor. He lived in Thorpe-le-Soken under a certificate from Kirby-le-Soken
  • After leaving Thorpe-le-Soken, he hired a house, shop and premises in St Osyth, where he lived for about 13 years, at a rent of £8 a year. He lived in St Osyth under a certificate from Kirby-le-Soken.
  • Ever since, he has worked as a journeyman. He has one child unmarried named Elizabeth, who is now 38 years old.
  • ERO, ref: D/P 169/13/4

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Quelter [Quilter], Mark, 1815

Removal

  • Dated 30 Nov 1815
  • Mark Quelter, labourer, has come to Prittlewell, Essex, and has become chargeable to the parish. His legal parish of settlement is adjudged to be Layer-de-la-Haye, Essex, and he is to be removed there.
  • Signed: G D? Carr and G Wyatt

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