Examinations, 1750-1766: nos 295-314

Examinations, 1750-1766: nos 295-314

295. [p. 80] Middlesex. Arabella Rands, spinster, aged about 47 years, was born at Derby, upon oath saith that she was a hired servant for the space of two years and upwards to Mr John Ambler, a hop merchant in Tooly Street in the parish of St Olave, Southwark, in the county of Surrey, of whom she received the yearly wages of £5, meat, drink and lodging. That she quitted the said service about six years ago, since which time she, this examinant, hath not continued a year in any one place, nor hath she rented a house of £10 a year, or done any act to gain her legal settlement. And saith that by reason of sickness she has and continues likely to become chargeable to the parish of Chelsea. The mark of Arabella Rands. Sworn before us, 7 Aug. 1755, Thomas Lediard, Henry Fielding. Passed.

296. [p. 81] Middlesex. The examination of Ann Jennings, who on her oath says that she is the wife of Lawrence Jennings, who is now a soldier in General Bragg's regiment, now in Ireland. Says that about eight years past she was married to her said husband in the Fleet. Says that her said husband is native of Ireland and born in the army, that he was in several regiments, and several times discharged, and when discharged used to wander about to look for work in any parish or place where he could find it, but the most part of the time was in the parish of Chelsea. And further says that she doth not know any thing of his legal settlement. This examinant says that she was born in the parish of Wimbledon in the county of Surrey, that her own father and grandfather was born and lived in the said parish all their times. And says that she, this examinant, hath been a hired servant by the year in several parishes, but never lived one whole year in any one place, or hath done any thing to gain any other settlement except the marriage. And says that she hath two children by her said husband; vizt, Ann, aged [p. 82] about 3 years, and Elizabeth, aged about 1 year [and a] half, both which and this examinant is now chargeable to the parish of Chelsea. The mark of Ann Jennings. Sworn before me, 26 Aug. 1755, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass.

297. [p. 83] Middlesex. Examination of Mary MacDonald, who on her oath says that she is the wife of Donald MacDonald, who is now a soldier and in garrison at Plymouth, and was born in the Highlands of Scotland, but doth not know any thing of his legal settlement. And says that her maiden name was Mary Holt, born in the parish of St Andrew in town of Plymouth. And as it appears by a certificate dated 13 June 1749 under the hands of Oliver Gregory, lecturer of St Andrew in the said town, that this examinant was married to the said Donald MacDonald in the said parish, 5 May 1749, by whom she hath three children; vizt, Edward, about 5 years, and John, about 4 years, and James, about 12 months. And that she is not able to go to her husband, and is now obliged to ask relief and beg alms in the parish of Chelsea. The mark of Mary MacDonald. Sworn before me. 18 Sept. 1755, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass.

298. [p. 84] Middlesex, to wit. Examination of Martha Bracken, who on oath says that she is the widow of William Bracken, who was a pensioner in Chelsea College and died there about seven weeks past. That he was born in Ireland, but this examinant doth not know anything of his legal settlement. Says that her maiden name was Martha Amonet, born in the city of Waterford in Ireland as she hath been informed. That she was married to her said husband about seventeen years past in Ireland, and that she hath two children by her late husband; vizt, James, about 10 years 1/2, [and] Mary, aged about 8 years. And [she] is now obliged to ask relief in the parish of Chelsea. The mark of Martha Bracken. Sworn before me, 18 Sept. 1755, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass.

299. [p. 85] Middlesex, to wit. Examination of Thomas Harriss, who on oath says that he is now a pensioner in the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, that [he] is about 48 years of age, born in the parish of-Old Swinford in county of Worcester. And when he was about 20 years of age, he listed into the army. That about two years past he married Winnifred Perry, 29 May 1753, as appears by a Fleet certificate, and that his said wife is now chargeable to the parish of Chelsea, and is found wandering and begging. N.B. The examinant is blind. Sworn before me, 18 Sept. 1755, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass.

300. [p. 86] Middlesex, to wit. Examination of Margaret Jones. The examination of Peter Jones senior in relation to the settlement of the said Margaret. Vizt, Margaret Jones on her oath says that she is the wife of Peter Jones (the son of the above Peter Jones) who is lately pressed into His Majesty's service on board the Essex Man of War. That she hath now three children by her said husband; vizt, Robert, aged about 4 years, Sarah, aged at 3 years, and Jane, aged about 17 months, whom is now chargeable to the parish of Chelsea. Peter Jones senior, on his oath says that the above named Peter Jones junior, his said son, was born in the hamlet of Hammersmith, and that he, this examinant was, and now is, a certificate man from the said hamlet to the parish of Chelsea. That his said son served him as an apprentice, and hath not gain[ed] any other settlement than the settlement of this examinant, Peter Jones. The mark of Margaret Jones. The mark of Peter Jones senior. Sworn before me, 18 Sept. 1755, Samuel Bever.

301. [p. 87] Middlesex, to wit. Examination of Mary Holder, who on her oath says that she is the widow of Luke Holder, by trade a chimney sweeper. Says that her late husband kept a house . . . in Pye Street in the parish of St Margaret, Westminster, at the rent of £12 or £14 per annum. That he was a hired servant by the year at the wages of £4 a year to Mr and Mrs Brown in the aforesaid house upwards of eight years before he rented the said house. He afterwards rented a house in the parish of Chelsea of £7 per annum, but never paid any parochial taxes. The mark of Mary Holder. Sworn before me, 18 Sept. 1755, Samuel Bever. Orders of removal. [See 388].

302. [p. 88] Middlesex, to wit. Examination of Elizabeth Forbes, who on her oath says that [she] was the widow of Richard Gidney, a barber and peruke maker, and that she was married to him in the town of Plymouth in the county of Devon, that he kept a shop there for some small time and then went to sea. And she never see or heard from him afterwards, till the ship come home and then she heard that he was dead. And in the year 1740 this examinant was married to Robert Forbes, a soldier, in the church of St Andrew in the said town of Plymouth, and [he] hath been dead about twelve months last past, then an out pensioner in Chelsea College. And she hath heard her late husband say that he was born in the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. And says that he was the son of Sir William Forbes in the said city. And [she] is now found begging and also chargeable to the parish of Chelsea, and hath two children by her late husband; vizt, John, aged about 10 years, and Honour, a girl about 5 years. Both which children is now provided for by her relations. The mark of Elizabeth Forbes. Sworn before me, 18 Sept. 1755, Samuel Bever.

303. [p. 89] Middlesex. Examination of Walter Corbett, a in pensioner in Chelsea College, relating to the settlement of his wife Isabella. This examinant, on his oath says that he was born in the parish of Old Swinford in the county of Worcester, and was apprentice to Bennet Townsend, a nailer in the said parish. And when he was about 16 years of age, he listed into the army and hath continued ever since. And says that he was married to the said Isabella in the city of Ghent in Flanders about 46 years past, and that he is not able to provide for her. And she is now found wandering and begging in the parish of Chelsea. The mark of Walter Corbett. Sworn before me, 10 Oct. 1755, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass.

304. [p. 89 This item is crossed out in the original manuscript.] Middlesex. The voluntary examination of Lydia Bridgeman, single woman, taken before me, . . . [blank] Jan. 1756. Who upon oath saith that on Tuesday last, was five weeks (being 2 Dec. last) she, this examinant, was delivered of a male bastard child in the apartment of her sister, Mrs Kent, near the Swan Walk in the parish of Chelsea in the county of Middlesex (which child is baptised and named Robert). And was unlawfully begotten on her body by Robert Cooper, a brewer's servant in Chelsea aforesaid, who had carnal knowledge of her body for the first time at his own apartment in Robinson Lane in Chelsea aforesaid in the beginning of the month of March last, and at several other times after had carnal knowledge of her in the same apartment. And this examinant saith that the said Robert Cooper is the true father of the said child. And further saith not. [Blank]. Sworn at Chelsea, [blank] Jan. 1756, before us, [blank]. [See 305, 306].

305. [p. 90] Middlesex. The examination of Lydia Bridgeman, who on her voluntary oath says that she is a single woman, and that she was on 2 Dec. last, delivered of a male child in the parish of Chelsea. And that the said child is born a bastard, and is now likely to become chargeable to the said parish of Chelsea. And she doth charge Robert Cooper, a brewer's servant in the said parish of Chelsea with getting her with child of the said bastard, and no other person. And that the said bastard child hath been baptised in the said parish by the name of Robert. The mark of Lydia Bridgeman. Sworn before me, 22 Jan. 1756, Samuel Bever. Passed. [See 304, 306].

306. [p. 91] Middlesex. The examination of Lydia Bridgeman to her settlement, who on her oath says that she is about 25 years of age, and is a single woman, born in the parish of East Barnet in the county of Middlesex. That her father was [a] parishioner there. And she, this examinant, says that she hath been a hired servant in several places in London and in the parish of Chelsea, but never lived twelve months together in any one place, or ever was apprenticed, or hath done anything to gain any settlement since her birth. The mark of Lydia Bridgeman. Sworn before me, 22 Jan. 1756, Samuel Bever. Orders of removal. [See 304, 305].

307. [p. 92] Middlesex. Examination of Mary Hyde to settlement. Who on her oath says that she is about 35 years of age. Says that she hath been told by her mother that she was born in Lancashire, but doth not know the name of the parish, and that she was removed by her father and mother when this examinant was an infant into Shropshire, where she hath a mother now living and married to George Floyd in the parish of Dawley in the said county of Shropshire. With whom this examinant hath for fourteen or fifteen years past resided and lived with them in the winter season and hath usually come every year to or near London to work in the summer season, and hath constantly about Michaelmas gone to the said parish of Dawley aforesaid, of her own home. And should have done the same at Michaelmas last had she not been afflicted with sore eyes. And [she] hath lately been discharged out of St Georges Hospital, blind and incurable. And further says that she hath several effects of value in the said parish of Dawley aforesaid. The mark of Mary Hyde. Sworn before me, 22 Jan. 1756, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass.

308. [p. 93] Middlesex. Examination [of] Mary Phillips, who on her oath says that she was married to John Phillips, an out pensioner in Chelsea College about eight years past, that he was sent to garrison in the island of Jersey about four or five years past, and does not know whether he is dead or alive. And also that she doth not know any thing of his legal settlement. This examinant says that she is about 77 years of age, born in the parish of Little Glemham within two miles of Saxmundham in the county of Suffolk. That she was a hired servant to Elizabeth Coxell in the parish of Aldeburgh in the county of Suffolk, with whom she lived three years 1/4 at the wages of 40s. and 50s. per annum. And [at] about sixteen years of age she was married to Samuel Sparrow, born in the parish of St Michael Coslany in the city of Norwich, and learned the trade of a weaver of his father in the said parish of St Michael, and never did any thing to gain any subsequent settlement. And he died a pensioner in Chelsea College. The mark of Mary Phillips. Sworn before me, 27 Jan. 1756, Samuel Bever. [See 345, 381].

309. [p. 94] Middlesex. The examination of Elizabeth Shaw, who on her oath says that she is the wife of Charles Shaw, who is now gone and left her destitute, without any subsistence, with three small children; vizt, Charles, about 10 years old, Mary, about 8 years old, and John about 6 years old. This examinant says that her said husband, before he was married, was a hired servant by the year at the wages of about £7 or £8 per annum to Mr Wharton in the parish of St Michael Bassishaw in Basing Hall Street in the city of London, and lived with his said master about 20 months. And [he] was married to this examinant about seven or eight months before he left his said master. Then he rented a house in the parish of Chelsea at £7 per annum for about six years, and some other small houses, but never paid any parochial taxes, or served any office in the said parish. The mark of Elizabeth Shaw. Sworn before us, 5 Mar. 1756, Samuel Bever, Benjamin Cox. Passed.

310. [p. 95] Middlesex. The examination of Elizabeth Symons, who on her oath says that she is the widow of William Symons, who was apprentice to Stephen Bagshaw, a waterman in the parish of Chiswick, and who died [on] 23 Nov. last. This examinant was married to her said husband about ten weeks after . . . he was out of his time, and that he never rented any house of £10 per annum, or ever did any thing to gain any subsequent settlement. The mark of Elizabeth Symons. Sworn before us, 9 Mar. 1756, Samuel Bever. Passed.

311. [p. 96] Middlesex. The examination of Mary Cottrell. Mary Cottrell, widow of Charles Cottrell, aged about 26 years, upon oath saith that she was married to the said Charles Cottrell on or about 27 June 1753 at the parish church of St Aldate in Oxford, by whom she hath had two children which are now both living; vizt, Elizabeth, aged about 2 years, and Sarah, aged about 7 months. And this examinant saith that she hath been informed by her said husband that he was bound apprentice some time about the year 1737, when he was about 14 years old, to John Ellis at Twyford in the parish of Hurst in the county of Berkshire, wheeler. And that he continued with his said master for the space of five years and upwards. [She] believes that her said husband never lived a twelve month in any place since, or hath rented a house of £10 a year, or done any act to gain a legal settlement since the said apprenticeship. And this examinant saith that by means of the death of her said husband, which happened about a month ago, she and her said two children are become chargeable to the parish of Chelsea in the county of Middlesex, and are likely to continue so. The mark of Mary Cottrell. Sworn before me, 31 May 1756, Benjamin Cox. Passed to Hurst.

312. [p. 97 Blank.]

313. [p. 98] Middlesex, to wit. A true copy of the examination of Mary Read, who on her oath says that she is the widow of George Read, who died about seventeen years past and left her with no child or any encumbrance. And this examinant, ever since, has been a hired servant by the year in several places. Says that the last place that she lived in was with Daniel Jones, a cobbler in Coventry Street in the parish of St James, at the wages of 20s. per annum, and lived with him about a year and a quarter after his wife's death, and that the said Daniel Jones died. And further says that she hath not done any thing to gain any subsequent settlement and is now like to come chargeable to the parish of Chelsea. Taken, 5 July 1756. The mark of Mary Read. Sworn before us, Samuel Bever. Passed to St James. N.B. She was before the wife's death hired to nurse her at 1s. per week, but after the wife died she was hired by the year.

314. [p. 99] Middlesex. A true copy of the examination of James Fox, a pensioner in Chelsea College upon a vagrant pass from Camberwell in the county of Surrey, dated 7 July 1756. Who on his oath says that Ann Broadoake, who called her name Ann Fox in the said vagrant pass, is not his wife, nor ever was [he] married to her. And she, the said Ann Broadoake, being present and doth acknowledge the same as witness both their hands. The mark of James Fox. Ann Broadoake. Sworn before me, 8 July 1756, Samuel Bever. N.B. Her settlement is in the parish of Chelsea. [See 289].