Settlement papers

[perisama]

How does one go about finding Settlement papers. i have been searching Oxfordshire where my chap settled but no luck. I don't know where he originated from.

[sueannbowen]

Hi there - I am no expert but I think that if he had a job and could support himself and his family there would have been no need for settlement papers. I think it was only an issue if you had no work and turned up looking for work that the locals were worried that you might be a drain on their resources. Then you would need a guarantee from your own area that they would pay your way if you fell on hard times. I think that records for this sort of thing occur in Vestry minutes.
I bet someone else on here knows more than me about it though! Do you know what his occupation was?

Sue

[Geoffers]

How does one go about finding Settlement papers. i have been searching Oxfordshire where my chap settled but no luck. I don't know where he originated from.

Examinations and settlements for Oxfordshire should be held by Oxfordshire RO - but they don't always survive. What period are you looking at?

I think that if he had a job and could support himself and his family there would have been no need for settlement papers

In the hope that my memory hasn't failed, settlements were gained by:

Renting a tenement woth more than £10 per annum
Paying poor rates
Serving as a parish officer
Being bound apprentice in the parish by indenture
Serving a year in service, if unmarried
Being hired as a labourer for one year

I'm sure someone will add any which I've forgotten.

[perisama]

James PRATT was a shoemaker around the mid 1700's. I contacted the Northampton shoe museum cos they keep records going way back but he wasn't there. Oxford have no record of him and now I think I will have to start searching all the surrounding Counties.

[Geoffers]

If he was a shoemaker around the mid-1700's he may appear in the Board of Stamps apprencticeship books

[sueannbowen]

In the hope that my memory hasn't failed, settlements were gained by:

Renting a tenement woth more than £10 per annum
Paying poor rates
Serving as a parish officer
Being bound apprentice in the parish by indenture
Serving a year in service, if unmarried
Being hired as a labourer for one year

I'm sure someone will add any which I've forgotten.

I ust have been thinking of something else then. Sorry.

[perisama]

Can I be a cheeky so and so and ask if anyone has a copy of the Board of stamps apprenticeship books ? And wouls they be willing and able to see if my James Pratt ,Shoemaker is therein?

[Kerrywood]

In case it helps, abstracts of the Apprenticeship Tax Books are available online at Origins.net, which has a 72 hour subscription option.

[Geoffers]

See Kerrywood's reply above

Can I be a cheeky so and so and ask if anyone has a copy of the Board of stamps apprenticeship books ? And wouls they be willing and able to see if my James Pratt ,Shoemaker is therein?

In case you aren't aware, this is a rather big favour that you are asking. These are facsimiles of original books and are not indexed, although partially arranged by county. I have extracted and indexed the 10,000+ entries for Norfolk, which may give you some idea of the numbers of records available.

[perisama]

Ah... no I didn't realise... better if I go to Parish Chest then and do some shopping.