Examinations, 1750-1766: nos 315-334

Examinations, 1750-1766: nos 315-334

315. [p. 100] Middlesex. The examination of Mary Mascall taken 15 July 1756, who on her oath says she was passed by on order of two justices of this county about the year 1748 or 1749 to the parish of Gillingham in the county of Dorset from the parish of Chelsea. To which order no appeal hath been made to the best of her knowledge. But [by] her own request to the overseers of the poor for the parish of Gillingham aforesaid, she left the said parish and is now returned into the said parish of Chelsea. Mary Mascall. Sworn before me, Samuel Bever, and passed again per vagrant pass dated this day. [See 193, 196].

316. [p. 101] Middlesex. Examination of Elizabeth Lewis, who on her oath says she is the widow of John Lewis, who died lately an in pensioner in Chelsea College, by whom she hath three children; vizt, William, about 5 years, Thomas, about 3 years ¼, [and] Elizabeth, about 15 months. Says that her said husband was about 37 years old at his death, that he had been in the army about nineteen years, that he was by trade a sieve maker, born in the parish of Hanley near Bewdley in the county of Stafford, and that he never did any thing to gain any other settlement. Thus her said husband declared upon his death bed. The mark of Elizabeth Lewis. Sworn before me, 20 July 1756, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass to Hanley aforesaid.

317. [p. 102] Middlesex. Examination of Sarah Blunt, 15 July 1756. [Blank]. N.B. She pretended to have a husband, a pensioner in the college. The pensioner being present declared that she was not his wife. Sworn before me, Samuel Bever. To be entered in this book. Passed to St Andrew Holborn at the same time.

318. [p. 103] Middlesex, to wit. The examination of Catherine Galleway, who on her oath says that she is the widow of John Galleway, lately deceased, an out pensioner of Chelsea College. By whom she hath one child named Margaret, about 8 years of age. This examinant has often heard her said husband declare that he was born in Ireland when his father was in the Royal Irish Dragoons. That as soon as he was fit for service he was entertained by the officers in the said regiment, and was listed into the said regiment. That he never did any thing to gain any settlement. This examinant further says that she was born in Ireland, and she never did any thing to gain any settlement in England. Is now found in the [blank]. The mark of Catherine Galleway. Sworn before me, 27 July 1756, Samuel Bever.

319. [p. 104] Middlesex. The exam of Elizabeth Bullock, who on her oath says she is about 25 years of age, and is the wife of William Bullock, who is now a soldier in the Guards, born at Wolverhampton in the county of Stafford, and was apprentice to Mr Sparks, a buckle maker in the said town, and served out his said apprenticeship there. That she never heard him say that he did any thing to gain a settlement elsewhere, and hath been a soldier several years, and is now ordered away from her. And [she] hath by her said husband three children; vizt, Elizabeth, aged about 4 years, William, aged about 2 years, Thomas, aged about 2 months, all now residing in the parish of Chelsea. The mark of Elizabeth Bullock. Sworn before me, 11 Sept. 1756, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass.

320. [p. 105] Middlesex, to wit. Examination of William Jones, who on his oath says he is about 66 years of age, now an in pensioner at Chelsea College. Says that he was born near the town of Brecon in Brecknock, but cannot say what parish. That his father died when he was but 5 years of age. That his mother and this examinant used to stroll about the country a begging. That about 13 years of age he was a servant to a recruiting officer, who had no settled place of abode, and hath been in the army ever since, and hath now a wife named Catherine (maiden name Gill), born in Kinsale in the kingdom of Ireland. And this examinant was married to her 3 May 1722 in St Maltess Kinsale in the church of the said town. And she is now upwards of 60 years of age, and is now very infirm and is now chargeable to the parish of Chelsea. The mark of William Jones. Sworn, 11 Sept. 1756, before me, Samuel Bever. Passed. [See 322].

321. [p. 106] Middlesex, to wit. Examination of John Green, who on his oath says he is about 58 years of age, born in the town of Chesterfield in the county of Derby, and apprentice to John Low, shoemaker in the said town. And [he] served out his apprenticeship. Soon after, he listed into the army, [and] never did any thing to gain any other settlement. And [he] is now a pensioner in Chelsea College, and hath now a wife named Margaret, whom he married in the parish church of St Andrews in the island of Guernsey, 24 May 1753. John Green. Sworn before me, 11 Sept. 1756, [blank]. Passed. [See 323].

322. [p. 107] Middlesex. The examination of Catherine Jones, who on her oath says that she is the wife of William Jones, an in pensioner in the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, who is very old and utterly unable to provide for her. And the legal settlement of the said William is not to be found. This examinant says that she was born in Kinsale and was also married about 33 or 34 years past (as it appears on a certificate, the said William and Catherine Gill was married 3 May 1722) in St Maltess Kinsale in the kingdom of Ireland. That she is now very infirm and hath no lodging or place of abode. The mark of Catherine Jones. Sworn before me, 15 Sept. 1756, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass. [See 320].

323. [p. 108] Middlesex. The examination of Margaret Green, who on her oath says that she is about 40 years of age, that she is the wife of John Green, an in pensioner in Chelsea College . . . who is utterly unable to provide for her. And [says] that the legal settlement of the said John is in the town of Chesterfield in the county of Derby, where he was born and served an apprenticeship to John Low, a shoemaker in the said town aforesaid, and soon after he entered himself in the army and hath never done anything to gain any other settlement. The mark of Margaret Green. Sworn before me, 15 Sept. 1756, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass. [See 321].

324. [p. 109] Middlesex. The examination of Sarah Tomms, who on her oath says that she is the wife of Thomas Tomms, who is gone and left her with three children; vizt, Richard, about 5 years, Mary, about 2 years old, [and] Thomas, about 1 month. Says that her said husband was a hired servant by the year to [blank] Stooe in the parish of Swerford in the county of Oxford, with whom he lived two years, as this examinant hath heard him declare. And to this examinant['s] knowledge, her said husband was sworn to his settlement in the said county, which was adjudged to be in the said parish of Swerford. And [she] hath not done any thing to gain any other settlement, and is now found wandering in the parish of Chelsea. The mark of Sarah Tomms. Sworn before me, 27 Sept. 1756, [blank]. Vagrant pass.

325. [p. 110] Middlesex. The examination of Ann Aylward, who on her oath says that she is a single woman. Says that in the year 1751 she was hired by the year at the wages of £6 to Dr Doyley in the parish of Chelsea, with whom she lived fourteen months, all under one hiring. And hath lived in several places since, but hath not been in any one for a year, and hath not done anything to gain any subsequent settlement. Ann Aylward. Sworn before me, 27 Sept. 1756, Samuel Bever. Passed.

326. [p. 111] Middlesex. Examination of Mary Smith, who on her oath says that she is a single woman, about 64 or 65 years of age. That about five years past she was hired by the year to Mr John Davenport to be matron of the workhouse in St Martin Vintry in London, at the wages of £5 per annum, in which service she lived about three years, and hath not done any thing to gain any settlement since. And [she] is now reduced and likely to come chargeable to the parish of Chelsea. Mary Smith. Sworn before me, 15 Oct. 1756, Samuel Bever. Passed by an order, Philip Dyos.

327. Middlesex. Sarah Bellamy, an in pensioner wife. Vagrant pass to Newark in Nottinghamshire, 2 Nov. 1756, Samuel Bever.

328. [p. 112] Middlesex, to wit. The examination of Amey Fuller, whom on her oath says that she is about 53 years of age, and is a single woman. That about four years and half past, she was hired by the year to Roger Life, a farmer in the parish of Acton in the said county, at the wages of £4 per annum. With whom she lived one year and half under one and the same hiring. That since she was hired to John Power in Bridges Street in the parish of Covent Garden, and lived with him about four months, and hath not been in any service since. And [she] is now come chargeable to the parish of Chelsea. The mark of Amey Fuller. Sworn before us, 9 Nov. 1756, Samuel Bever, Charles Cartrest.

329. [p. 113] Middlesex, to wit. The examination of Mary Saunders, who on her oath says that she is the widow of William Saunders, a soldier in the guards who died in September last, by whom she hath one boy named William. Which boy was born in the parish of Chelsea and is now about 9 years and [a] half old. This examinant says that she did often enquire of her said husband where he was born and where his settlement was, but he never would tell her. Therefore [she] does not know any thing of his settlement. Says that . . . she, this examinant, was born in the parish of St Mary Whitechapel. Says that she was born at her grandmother['s] house in Red Lyon Street in the said parish. Says her name was Usshe Rippinker. Says her father's name was Thomas Wisles, that he was apprentice to a tailor in Blackfriars, but does not know his master['s] name, who died before he was out of time. That he was free of the Merchant Tailors Company in London. Further says that there is a butcher in Clare Market that used to call her husband school fellow, and that he told this examinant that her husband come from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. And this examinant and her son is now likely to become chargeable to the parish of Chelsea. Further says that she hath heard William Holloway, the aforesaid butcher, say that he knew that the said William Saunders lived about 20 years past a hired [p. 114] servant to Rewland Bracebridge, a farmer in the parish of Aylesbury in the county of Bucks, with whom he lived a long time. And that he believed that he was born in the said town of Aylesbury. This examinant says that he, her husband, was in the army about nineteen years before he died. Mary Sanders. Sworn before me, 24 Nov. 1756, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass to Aylesbury in Bucks.

330. [p. 115] Middlesex, to wit. Examination of Martha Elliss, who on her oath says that she is about 77 years of age, born in the city of Canterbury in the parish of St Paul in the said city. That she never was apprentice, or any hired servant. Says that she was the daughter of Thomas White, a baker in the said parish of St Paul, [and] when she was about 21 years of age, she was married to Evan Elliss, a trooper in General Wood's horse, and was so for many years and hath been dead about eight years, and was an in pensioner in Chelsea College at the time of his death. She doth not know any thing of her said husband['s] settlement, and she is now destitute of any place of abode, money or maintenance. The mark of Martha Elliss. Sworn before me, 2 Dec. 1756, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass to Canterbury.

331. [p. 116] Middlesex, to wit. The examination of Elizabeth Cock, who on her oath says that she is about 16 years of age and was born in the parish of Chelsea, and apprenticed to Robert Ellis, a basket maker in the parish of St George Hanover Square, with whom she lived for some time until her said master removed into the parish of Chelsea. And there this examinant lived with her said master about one year and a half, and until that her said master went away and left her. Then this examinant went and lived with her own sister, a lodger in the parish of Fulham, without any hiring for a year, or any wages. And lived with her about one year and a half, and then came and applied herself to the overseers of the poor in the said parish of Chelsea. The mark of Elizabeth Cock. Sworn before me, 22 Dec. 1756, Samuel Bever.

332. [p. 117] Middlesex. The examination of Mary Neat alias Bignall, who on her oath says that she is about 46 years of age, born at Earls Court in the parish of Kensington. That when she was about 16 years of age she was married to Joseph Neat, a woolcomber about her own age, but does not know where he was born, or apprentice, or any thing of his settlement, and was a soldier in the guards. That about six months after she was married to him, . . . he went to Philadelphia. That after he was gone about six or seven months, this examinant received a letter from her said husband dated from Philadelphia aforesaid. That this examinant soon after her said husband left her went to live about three years and half with [blank] Smith in the Haymarket in the liberty of Westminster, and then come from the said Smith about a fortnight, and then was married to John Bignall, who then was a servant to Mr Meriton to look after his gardens and house at Ealing, with whom he lived four or five years, and always lived in his house in the said parish of Ealing. And she hath (as she hopes) one child or son by the said Joseph Neat, [who] (if alive) is now about 26 years of age. [p. 118] Further saith that she hath now living three children begotten on her body by the said John Bignall; vizt, Elizabeth, aged about 16 years, Marian, aged about 6 years, Ann, aged about 19 months. All three born at Earls Court in the parish of Kensington. Which two last is now in the parish of Chelsea. Says that the said John Bignall was in company with the said Joseph Neat at the house of Joseph Bounds in the parish of Kensignton, where the said Joseph Neat sold this examinant to the said John Bignall by writing, made by [blank] Miller, an attorney. Says that the said John Bignall arrested the said Joseph Neat about 16 years past for the maintenance of William Neat the son of the said Joseph. The mark of Mary Neat (alias) Bignall. Sworn before us, 28 Dec. 1756, Samuel Bever, Charles Wale.

Further says that before she was married she lived with Mr Wright at Earls Court about three years as a servant, and had meat, drink, washing and lodging and apparel, but no money. The mark of the above named.

333. [p. 119] Middlesex, to wit. The examination of Mary Spittle, concerning the settlement of Thomas Robinson, a male child about 7 years of age. Says that he is the son of Thomas and Mary Robinson, whom she knoweth very well, but says that she doth not know any thing of the said Thomas or Mary where they are at this time. Says that the said Mary and this child were passed from St Giles in the county of Middlesex about two years ½ past to the town of Beverley in Yorkshire as the legal settlement of the said Mary and child. Which said child is now found wandering and destitute in the parish of Chelsea in the said county of Middlesex. The mark of Mary Spittle. Sworn before me, 6 Jan. 1757, Samuel Bever. Vagrant pass to Beverley.

334. [p. 120] Middlesex. The examination of Hannah Burgiss, who on her oath says that she is a single woman and never was married. About 70 years ago [she was] born in the parish of Emley near Wakefield in the [blank] riding in the county of York. [Blank].