Re: Poor Law - Settlement & Removal
On another branch of my family John Quick born 1795 was subject to a Settlement Examination 1823 in front of a Justice of Peace in Stokenham parish. John had applied for poor relief to help support his wife and 2 young children. The document at Devon Record Office is superb. John had a clear memory and gave masses of detail of his life up to that point. He was born in 1795 in South Brent. His mother died shortly after his birth and he was bought up in South Brent by an 'aunt' (I'm still trying to work out if this was a blood relative or friend.) At 7 yrs he was made apprentice, by a private agreement to William Croker, the son of the farmer at East Allington who employed John's father. At 7yrs John left his aunt and went to the farm in East Allington. Then with his Master he moved between several farms in the South Hams. A few months before the end of his apprenticeship (ie just before he was 21yrs old0 by mutual agreement, John left farmer Crocker and work for a succession of farmers in his own right. The names of the famers, parishes and his wages given in each case. He landed up at Stokenham and married. Then for whatever reason he was out of work and needed to apply for parish relief. This appeared a difficult case for the JP to decide and it involved who had paid for his clothes. Malborough was where the JP decided was John's legal parish of Settlement. That was the last place he had been as an apprentice! John didn't move. Again the family must have been helped out by his wife's family. But all were poor and in 1826 John and 4 of his in-laws were up at Devon Assizes for making signals to a smuggling boat. They were found guilty but quickly back home because all had more babies on the way. However John was now served a Removal Order. It is an incredible document listing by name and age his wife and accompanying 5 children. Sorry this has been a long story but by 1841 census John Quick,labourer and his wife Clara are living at the Alms House in Malborough. They had 10 children in all. However poor they were, they were made of strong stuff. They all lived to some very respectable ages. John and Clara's gravestone is still readable in Malborough churchyard.
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