Help to pin-point birth place - Scotter or Appleby?

[Eviand]

What other documents can I research inorder to prove where my Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Grandfather William RICHARDS' parents actually lived around the time of his birth? Could his parents have been non-comformists even in this time frame of 1798? I really want to be sure I'm researching the correct RICHARDS' back into the 18th Century.

The 1851 Census record shows WILLIAM RICHARDS' birth place as SCOTTERTHORPE (in the Parish of Scotter, Lincolnshire) and age as 63 years. His death certificate shows he died of English Cholera in Scotterthorpe on 2 November 1860 aged 73 years old. However, a baptism entry of a WILLIAM RICHARDS does exist but some 9 to 10 miles away from Scotter in the Parish of Appleby, Lincolnshire on 26 August 1788 (mother Elizabeth). There is also another baptism entry in Appleby on 11 January 1785 for Joseph RICHARDS (a possible sibling whose mother was also called Elizabeth).

[Eviand]

I visited The Lincolnshire Archives today and obtained a copy of the Baptism entry of William Richards in the Parish of Appleby in 1788. The entry reads 'Aug 26th, William the illegitimate son of Elizabeth Richards' (above her name is writen 'A pauper). Could I refer to any other documents inorder to explore the 'A pauper' clue and obtain further details on these two? Is it my William Richards?

[busyglen]

I'm just off now, but if you do a search on the forum here for Workhouses, there is a lot of information that might help you with Paupers and children born to them etc.

Good luck.

Glenys

[ChristineR]

There might also be local parish records where the father was called to account to support the child, called bastardy orders.

[ChristineR]

https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LIN/poorbastard.html

some information on GENUKI.

[Eviand]

Thanks for all your replies. I've now returned to France so any further visits to The Lincolnshire Archives will now be on hold until Chiristmas. Further to your references I need to follow up with reading the literature.