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Stogumber's Poor: 1601-1834 |
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Residence |
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| All of these payments, the whole
of this system was based on the parish looking after its own. And only its
own and not those of other parishes and vice versa. It was clearly crucial therefores to establish who did belong to the parish and where people were
legally settled.
You might think that this would be straightforward enough and many suppose that places like Stogumber were very insular and isolated places in the past with most people spending their whole life in the parish, but this was not necessarily the case. And the devil with this apparently straightforward requirement lay in the detail as so often is the case. For instance if you were born in the parish, did that give you legal settlement ? What if your parents were born in another parish and were only here for a brief period, what then ? Or if one parent was born in the parish and another elsewhere ? If they moved, or one or both died, then what ? It’s perhaps easier to understand these problems if we substitute the word UK for parish – so being born in the UK is not enough on its own to make you a UK citizen. Faced with these problems of interpretation laws relating to settlement changed and became firmer over time but basically one of three requirements had to be met to be legally settled in a parish. The underlying principle was that people took their legal settlement from that of their parents at the time of their birth; or they could gain a legal settlement by renting property in the parish over a certain value; or by having a contract to work in the parish for a period of a year or more. All of these payments, the whole of this system was based on the parish looking after its own. And only its own and not those of other parishes and vice versa. Clearly crucial to all of this to establish who did belong to the parish and where people were legally settled You might think that this would be straightforward enough and many suppose that places like Stogumber were very insular and isolated places in the past with most people spending their whole life in the parish but this was not necessarily the case. And the devil with this apparently straightforward requirement lay in the detail as so often is the case. For instance if you were born in the parish did that give you legal settlement ? What if your parents were born in another parish and were only here for a brief period what then ? Or if one parent was born in the parish and another elsewhere ? If they moved or one or both died then what ? It’s perhaps easier to understand these problems if we substitute the word UK for parish – so being born in the UK is not enough on its own to make you a UK citizen. Faced with these problems of interpretation laws relating to settlement changed and became firmer over time but basically one of three requirements had to be met to be legally settled in a parish: the underlying principle was that people took their legal settlement from that of their parents at the time of their birth; or they could gain a legal settlement by renting property in the parish over a certain value; or by having a contract to work in the parish for a period of a year or more. They therefore did not necessarily have to LIVE in a parish to be legally settled there. And so what on the face of it seems a very simple idea – that the parish look after its own - produced some unexpected and sometimes bizarre outcomes Consider for example James Hayes, a man who was born and lived all his life in Milverton but at age of 24 became too ill to work or even to leave his bed and consequently claimed relief from the parish of Milverton. Milverton however sent the bill to Stogumber as although James had lived all his life in Milverton, and his parents both lived there and had done so since he was born, they were nevertheless legally settled in Stogumber. And so the remit of Stogumber’s overseers could pass well beyond the parish. For instance in 1768 they paid for a nurse to attend William Longs family who had smallpox but who all lived at Bristol. When there was a dispute or uncertainty about where somebody was legally settled then either they or the overseers had the right of appeal to the magistrates – examined and statements taken such as these here The evidence of James Bellamy labourer residing at Bristol 1767The place of my last legal settlement was and still is Stogumber which I gained by reason of being a covenanted servant of George Bickham a farmer of the parish for two years. I have not since leaving the service of George Bickham gained any other place of settlement. This information sworn before an officer of the corporation of Bristol and was read over to James Bellamy being blind. And further he did guide James Bellamys hand to sign the said evidence. The evidence of Ann Simmons residing at Berkely Place Bristol 1838I married my husband John Simmons at Sampford Brett on 12th December 1833 by whom I have one child, Mary Ann aged 2 years and upwards. I have heard and believe that the last legal place of settlement of my husband was in the parish of Stogumber by his hiring and service to Mr Allen of that parish for the space of 12 months and upwards which service he left 8 or 9 years ago and has not to my knowledge or remembrance .been in any place of service for twelve months since or rented any tenement of the value of £10 a year or done any other act to gain a subsequent settlement. And I have further heard and believe that the last legal settlement of Thomas Simmons the father of my husband is also in the parish of Stogumber and that he is an inmate in the poor house. I am now about four months pregnant and my husband left and deserted me about 3 months since and he has not since returned or contributed anything to my support and in consequence myself and my child have become chargeable to the parish of St Augustine in Bristol
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The evidence of Elizabeth Thorne 1835who being sworn upon her oath says as follows I am about sixty one years of age and was born in the parish of Boscombe in the county of Devon as I have been told and do believe. My late husband William Thorne has been dead twelve years. I was married to him at the parish church of Halberton in the said county of Devon in the year 1802. He was legally settled in the parish of Stogumber in the said county of Somerset and gained his settlement there by renting a house and a mill of one Mr Wrentman for which he paid twenty pounds a year. He took the premises for oneyear as I heard him at the time say and lived there near eight years. He carried on the business of a miller and baker. When I was married I went with my said husband immediately to Stogumber and lived there with him all the time he resided there. My said husband never rented any tenemets to the amount of ten pounds a year after he left the said parish of Stogumber nor did any other act to gain a settlement to the best of my belief He went from Stogumber to Bristol where we lived four years. My husband rented a house there by the month in the parish of st Philip and st James in the city of Bristol aforesaid My husband myself and family came to Bridgwater where we rented a house at seven pounds a year and lived here after his death He worked as journeyman baker for Mr Clouter and Mr Danger. I have three children living but they are not with me. I have done no act to gain settlement except as aforesaid and am now chargeable on the said parish of Bridgwater The testimony of John Bevan residing at Minehead 1832I was born in the parish of Old Cleeve where my parents then resided and were legally settled as I have heard and do believe. I am now about 56 years old. When I was about 20 years old I hired myself to the Reverend Escott of Hartrow in the parish of Stogumber for a year a the wages of six guineas a year and served him in that parish for a year for five following years under different hirings. I was them married to Jane Barton who died in about four years thereafter leaving me with one child about a twelvemonth old. I then hired myself to Mr Sweet Escott of Brompton Ralph for a year and served him in that parish for a year and three quarters. I then hired myself to the late Mr Luttrell of Dunster Castle and served him in that parish for two years and upwards. I then married my present wife Ann in the parish church of Dunster by whom I have six children. Five of them are now living with me as part of my family- John aged 17 years or thereabouts, Mary Ann aged about 14, George aged about 12, James aged about 10 and William aged about 4 years. On the death of my first wife my mother took the child which I had by my first wife into her care and maintained her until she was fifteen years old when my mother placed her out at service. Two or three years after I had so placed the child with my mother I gave her a clock as remuneration for taking care of her and also I occasionally gave her a few shillings as I could afford it. I have never taken a tenement or other property for £10 nor served any public office nor done any other act whereby to gain a settlement and am now chargeable to the parish of Minehead The evidence of Robert Hawkins labourer residing in Stogumber 1830I was born in the parish of Llydeard st Lawrence where my parents resided and were legally settled as I have heard and do believe. I am not about 35 years old. When I was 15 I hired myself to and served George Davis in lyd st lawrence for one year and then hired myself to and served his brother same parish for another year. I then went to and lived at Elworthy for about 6 months and then I went and hired myself to Mr Trevelyan of Fitzhead for a year. I then went and lived for 6 months in the parish of Bishops Lydeard after which I returned to Fitzhead and hired myself to serve one Thomas Taylor from Michaelmas to Lady day and served him in that parish accordingly for that period when I hired myself to him for a year but served him for six months. I then left my master with his consent and went to Bristol and hearing that the landlord of the White Hart in Broad Street wanted a porter I went to him and said to him, "Sir don't you want a Porter " he replied that he did and I asked "Sir what are your wages ?" He replied " I give no wages but the vails of my house are quite sufficient if you like to take the service you might or you might leave it at any time" Nothing more passed and I entered his service and served in it for upwards of two years. I had my meat in the house but lodged and slept in the Parish of St Nicholas in the said city of Bristol. I had no wages but depended upon presents from the coach passengers and others upon whom I attended. I was then taken ill and unable to work and another porter was taken in my place. When I got well I went to Bath and lived as a porter there for about six months and then returned to the said parish of Lydeard st Lawrence and have ever since worked for various persons as a day labourer until about nine years ago when I was married by banns in the parish church of Lydeard st Lawrence to Ann my present wife by whom I have three children living sarah 9, william 3, thomas 12 month and I am now actually chargeable to the said parish of Stogumber
©Duncan Taylor 2009 |
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