Transcripts of Settlement Examinations of Hitchcock family

Date: 14 Nov 1844 [unknown]
Location: Somerset, England, United Kingdom
Surnames/tags: Hitchcock-4934, Warmouth-49

Transcripts of settlement examinations: Job Hitchcock; Ann Hitchcock; William Coleman.

1. Ann Hitchcock and William Coleman 14 Nov 1844

Ann (Warmouth) Hitchcock (abt.1776-1857)

The Examination of Ann Hitchcock widow now residing in the Parish of Broadway in the said county of Somerset, William Coleman now residing and inhabiting in the parish of West Buckland in the said county of Somerset labourer and Thomas Braddick Westlake Blackmore of Wellington in the said County, one of the Relieving Officers of the Poor Law Union of Wellington in the County of Somerset and Devon taken on oath before us the Reverend John Castle and the Reverend William Burridge Clerks two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace acting in and for the County of Somerset aforesaid this fourteeth day of November 1844 touching the place of the last legal settlement of the said William Coleman who severally say as follows

and first the said Examinant Ann Hitchcock upon her oath saith I am now 48 years of age , when I was about twenty three years of age I married my first husband Samuel Coleman at the parish church of Bickenhall in the said County, by whom I had five children born in wedlock, three of whom are now living of whom the said William Coleman is one. My said husband lived ten years and a half, after my marriage with him. My said husband was unable to labour for three quarters of a year previous to his death. About six months previous to his death, I went with him to the Parish of North Curry in the County of Somerset and attended the Overseers there, at the Vestry Room of that parish who were engaged in paying the Poor, after they had asked him a few questions, as to his settlement, they gave him some money, how much I do not recollect, but previously to his death, he received as much as seven shillings a week from that Parish. I used to fetch the Relief once a month myself, except when the weather or any other casualty prevented me going for it, and on such occasions Mrs Andrews of North Curry aforesaid shopkeeper used to take it up for me. When I received the Relief myself I went to the pay table in the Vestry Room of that parish and received it from Mr Woodman who was the Clerk of the parish. During the time my husband was so relieved by North Curry, he was residing and inhabiting with me and his family in Bickenhall aforesaid, After his death I applied to the Parish Officers of North Curry for relief for myself and children, of whom three only were then living namely Elizabeth then aged about six years Charles aged about three years and William aged about eighteen months, they relieved me with 1s 6d for each of them weekly, until they respectively attained the age of nine years. One of my said children the second was bound an apprentice on her attaining nine years of age by the Parish Officers of North Curry. I used to fetch the Relief monthly in the same manner as during my said husband's lifetime and received it from the said Mr Woodman. I resided and inhabited in the said parish of Bickenhall about three years after my first husband's death during all which time I received the relief aforesaid. I then married Job Hitchcock my late husband and removed with him and my two youngest children by my first husband from Bickenhall aforesaid into the parish of West Buckland aforesaid I received relief for my two younger children whilst resident in West Buckland aforesaid until they respectively attained nine years of age from the said parish of North Curry. I used to fetch such relief myself monthly and received it from the said Mr Woodman. My late husband Job Hitchcock was a labourer in husbandry and worked for Mr John Bryant of the parish of West Buckland aforesaid from about six months after our going to reside in that parish for a period of thirteen or fourteen years. My said son William Coleman went to work with his father in law for the said Mr Bryant at the wages of three pence a day. His wages were paid weekly. My husband used to receive his wages for him. My said son worked for the said Mr Bryant four or five years during the whole of which time he had his meat, drink, washing and lodging with me and my husband in West Buckland aforesaid. Mr Bryant having no further need of my said son's services he left it and entered into the services of Mr Knight of Catts in the Parish of West Buckland aforesaid.

Her mark Ann Hitchcock

The said Examinant Thomas Braddick Westlake Blackmore upon his oath saith as follows I am one of the relieving officers of the Union of Wellington in the Counties of Somerset and Devon the parish of West Buckland in the County of Somerset is one of the parishes comprised in the said Union and included in my district for out relief. The said William Coleman and Mary his wife and Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Charlotte, James and Sarah then five children are now residing and inhabiting in the said parish of West Buckland and are actually chargeable thereto I am now relieving them weekly with four loaves of bread, value one shilling and eleven pence which in my accounts with the said Union I debit to the Parish of West Buckland aforesaid.

Sworn by the said Thomas Braddick Westlake Blackmore before us the said Justices.

TBW Blackmore (signature)

The said Examinant William Coleman upon his oath saith I was born as I have heard and believe in the parish of Bickenhall in the County of Somerset. When I was about nine years of age my father in law Job Hitchcock made an agreement with Mr John Bryant of West Buckland in the County of Somerset Butcher for me to serve him at the wages of three pence a day as I have heard but I do not know of my own knowledge. I worked for Mr Bryant about four years. My father in law for the most times received my wages for me, some times I received them myself. My wages were paid weekly. During the time I so worked for Mr Bryant, I had my meat, drink, washing and lodging at my father in law's Job Hitchcock's house in the Parish of West Buckland aforesaid. and part of the time at Mr Bryant's. I left Mr Bryants I went to Mr James Poole in the Parish of West Buckland aforesaid and made an agreement with him to serve him at the wages of eight pence per week meat, drink, washing and lodging. I served him under that agreement ten months when my master having given me a month's notice to leave his service I quitted it. I received my wages weekly. I then went home to my father in law's for a few weeks and I then went to Mr Robert Wright of Catt's Farm in the parish of West Buckland aforesaid and made an agreement with him to serve him at the wages of sixteen pence a week, meat, drink, washing and lodging. I served Mr Wright under that agreement nine months when I left in consequence of a disagreement he having given me a month's notice to leave. I received my wages as I wanted them. I then went to the said James Poole and made an agreement with him to serve him at the wages of eighteen pence a week, meat, drink, washing and lodging. I served him under that agreement eleven months when in consequence of a disagreement I left his service. I received my wages weekly. I have since worked for different masters as a labourer in husbandry at weekly wages. I am now about thirty five years of age. When I was about two and twenty years of age I married Mary Cross my present wife who is the daughter of Joseph Cross late of West Buckland aforesaid deceased. We were married in the parish church of West Buckland aforesaid. I have by my said wife five children all born since my marriage namely, Elizabeth aged twelve years, Mary Ann aged eleven years, Charlotte aged eight years, James aged four years and Sarah aged about nine months, all of whom are now living we are all now chargeable to and receiving relief from the parish of West Buckland aforesaid. I received this day four loaves. I receive such relief in consequence of my illness. About nine years ago I being resident in the parish of West Buckland aforesaid and chargeable thereto was examined as to my settlement before the Justices at Wellington a copy of my examination was given to me which I took with me to North Curry aforesaid and gave it to Mr Wescombe who at that time was one of the Overseers of that parish as I was informed Mr Wescombe received it and then asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted some relief he gave me six shillings. I was then residing in the Parish of West Buckland aforesaid and so informed the said Mr Wescombe. About five or six weeks afterwards I went again to North Curry and saw Mr Wescombe in the Vestry Room, he was paying the poor there. I applied to him again for relief and he gave me seven shillings. I was at that time also inhabiting in West Buckland aforesaid. When I married I went to reside with the said Joseph Cross my wife's father in the parish of West Buckland aforesaid and have continued to reside in the same house ever since, with the exception of about three quarters of a year which was during the lifetime of the said Joseph Cross. The said Joseph Cross died about six years ago. I have resided in the same house ever since his death. I pay one pound per year for the same to the under steward of the Lord of the Manor of West Buckland aforesaid and I consider the premises are my own so long as I pay the rent and keep the same in repair. The said Joseph Cross had six children besides my said wife who was the youngest namely Joseph, Thomas, George, James, Ann and Betty all of whom are now living. The said Joseph Cross died without a will and neither I nor my said wife have taken out letters of administration to his effects.

The said William Coleman was sworn before us the Justices above named the foregoing Examination having been first read over to him and he appearing perfectly to understand the same.

Ann Hitchcock Broadway to West Buckland Examination and Order 29 Nov 1843

The Examination of Ann Hitchcock now residing in the Parish of Broadway in the said County widow as to the place of her last legal settlement taken on oath before two of Her Majestyʼs Justices of the Peace in and for the said County this 29th day of November 1843 who saith I am the widow of Job Hitchcock late of Broadway aforesaid labourer who died there about nine weeks ago . I was married to him at the Parish of Bickenhall in the said County about thirty years ago. Between then and eleven years ago I and my said husband were living at Chilworthy in the parish of Ilminster in the said County and my son James was taken ill. I then went to Mr John Honeyball who was living at Garnell Farm in the Parish of West Buckland and was the Overseer of that parish and asked him for relief on account of my sonʼs illness. He gave me two shillings and about a week afterwards he came to Chilworthy to see my son and gave me two shillings more. I continued to receive relief from the parish of West Buckland for ten or twelve weeks until my son died and we then received eight shillings from that parish to pay for his coffin. I am now residing in and chargeable to the said parish of Broadway. My said son was twenty years old at the time of his death and had always lived at home with his father and myself and had never done any act to gain a settlement. The mark of Ann Hictchcock Sworn before us ? Coles Thos B Uttermane ________________________________________________________________________

To the Overseers of the Poor of the Parish of West Buckland in the County of Somerset

Take Notice that Ann Hitchcock (widow) now residing in the parish of Broadway in the said County has become chargeable to the said last named parish and that an order of Justices has been duly obtained for her removal to your parish of West Buckland as her last place of legal settlement (a copy of which order and also a copy of the Examinations on which the same was made are herewith sent and take notice that unless you appeal against the said order and within twenty one days from the date hereof duly serve notice of such appear the said Pauper will be removed to your said Parish of West Buckland in pursuance of the said order. dated this 29th day of November 1843 John Dampney Richard Bryant Churchwarden James Howard Overseer of the poor of the said parish of Broadway. ________________________________________________________________________