A Brief Explanation of Settlement Examinations in Dorset
Settlement Examinations and Removals
Amongst my family history pages you will find reference to settlement examinations and removals. This is a very simple explanation of these terms, using an example from the Dorset parish of Ashmore.
There were Settlement Acts in 1662, 1691 and 1697. The gist of these acts were that if people moved to another parish they had to bring with them a settlement certificate proving that their home parish would take them back if they became a burden on the parish (ie needed poor releif). You could gain settlement in a number of different ways:
- By being born in a parish if you were illegitimate
- By working there for at least one year (if you were unmarried)
- By serving an apprenticeship in that parish
- By marrying your husband there
- By having a Father there - if you were legitmate and less than 7 years old
- By holding public office in that parish
- By paying rates in that parish for a specified period
- By renting property worth over £10 per annum
- By being resident in the parish for 40 days after having given the parish authorities written notice
Removals refer to people who were removed from one parish to their parish of settlement. The parish of settlement had to pay for any carriage costs involved. Some people found it very hard to gain settlement. One of my ancestors, illegimate and indentured by the parish at the age of 5, was refused settlement by this parish. He tried to gain settlement in his wife's parish but was refused it here too. He was eventually given settlement in the parish in which his two elder sons were born. There are cases of husbands and wives being separated by settlement orders and by children over the age of 7 being removed from their parents because they did not qualify for settlement in that parish. There a couple of possible examples of wives being separated from their husbands in the Motcombe records.
Here is an example from the Ashmore Poor Book. Charles Kelly was living in Cann, Dorset and was moved to Ashmore, Dorset when he fell on hard times. Ashmore had to pay for the settlement examination 1809 31st Oct For ye examination expense with Charles Kelly 6/- and later for transporting Charles' goods from Cann to Ashmore. In the same poor book I found that my 4 X Great Grandfather's brother, Thomas Davidge, also received settlement in Ashmore . Ashmore paid 10s for the carriage of his goods to Ashmore from Child Okeford in November 1793. and he and his family remained a burden on the parish from then on. Two of the Motcome settlement orders refer to having to pay for warrants and for constables to forcibly remove people from London and Kent and return them to Motocmbe.
Unfortunately not all settlement records have survived. Some parishes such as Motcombe, Sturminster Marshall and Ashmore have plenty.Others have none or just one or two. If you go to a Record Office it is always worth checking just in case - and if there are poor books suriving,do have a look at these. They can offer a fascinating insight into life inthe village and into the lives our ancestors led