If you did not receive a Settlement Certificate, one of two things could happen. You could stay if your original parish ("parish of settlement") agreed to pay a fee, usually quarterly, to sustain you in your new parish. If not, you would receive a Removal Order, sometimes accompanied by a written pass to the parish of settlement showing the route you must follow. Your parish of settlement was obliged to take you back.

Removal Orders would often take a person or a family back to a place of settlement miles across the country, sometimes to a parish they had only known briefly as a small child. It was rare for a husband and wife to have their children taken from them, each going to separate scattered parishes. Children under seven were rarely removed to a different place from their natural parents as they would have had to gain a settlement of their own to be removed somewhere other than their father's place of settlement.

The place of settlement for illegitimate babies and children was usually their place of birth, and this sometimes resulted in them removal from their mothers in the 18th century if the child was not born in the mother's place of settlement. An agreement was sometimes made between the overseers of the child's place of settlement and the overseers of the parish where it was living so that it could be maintained by the former whilst living in the latter. Children whose mother had remarried a man with a different place of settlement from their father could be removed away from their mother as they would retain their father's settlement, but again agreements could be made between parishes as with illegitimate children above.

Records Relating to Settlement and Removal

As part of the parish records, Overseers accounts may show expenses incurred by the parish in ascertaining a pauper's legal place of settlement. The accounts of parish constables may also list expenses made in removing individuals to another location. Overseers records will often include removal orders, settlement certificates and other related papers. You can find cases involving settlement and removal of paupers in the Quarter Sessions court books, and the North Devon Record Office holds Borough Quarter Sessions records for Barnstaple, Bideford, Great Torrington and South Molton (see the Record Office 'List of Collections' for details); County Quarter Sessions records are held at the Devon Record Office, Castle Street, Exeter, (01392) 384253

Removal Orders:

336A-1/PO/8: date 1752
Removal of James Voysey, Elenor his wife and John their son, from West Worlington to Witheridge:

336A-1/PO/9: date 1771
Removal of Elizabeth Walling from West Worlington to Witheridge:

1092A-1/PO 13: date 1741
John Barns and Mary his wife to Witheridge:.

1092A-1/PO 34: date 1781.
Richard Manley, Elizabeth his wife and Ann 6, their daughter from Witheridge:

1092A-1/PO 41: date 1786
Richard Dark and William 7 and Grace 5, his children to Witheridge:

1092A-1/PO 46: date 1799
William Northcott, Mary his wife and Mary 5, William 3 and Elizabeth 11 weeks, their children from Witheridge:

1092A-1/PO 120: date 1842

Notice of removal, order of removal and examination of Thomas Goss, Eliza his wife, and Susan, 6 yrs, 10 months, Mary Ann 2 and Elizabeth 1 to Witheridge:

4678 A/PO 3/17: date 1745
Emlyn Philips, base child of Ann Phillips to Witheridge:

4678 A/PO 3/18: date 1745
John Friend and Elizabeth his wife to Witheridge:

4678 A/PO 3/23: date 1757
Mary Carpenter a base child born in Witheridge to Witheridge:

4678 A/PO21/12: date 1784
Summons to appear at Witheridge, removal of Philip Cole to Hartland:

1633A/PO 531/11: date 1805

James Fuings, Elizabeth his wife and Maria 4, Ann 3 and John and William 18 weeks, their children to Witheridge

1794 A-1/PO 79: date 1840
James Fewings, tailor, Meshaw to Witheridge

1710A/PO 12/17: date 1811
Removal of Elizabeth Staddon, pregnant with base child, from Warkleigh to Witheridge

2021 A/PO 10/18: date: 1830
Name: Agnes Gill; Parish of Settlement: Witheridge:

2984A - 1/PO 4: John Davy of Witheridge: date 1733

Settlement Certificate: He has moved to Rackenford to work, with his wife and family. Should they become poor, Witheridge parish will take them back.

14A/PO 201: date 1844.
Scope and Content: Notice of chargability of John Vicary and his removal from Witheridge to South Molton and settlement examination:

John Vicary was born c.1813 in Kings Nympton where his parents were legally settled, and he worked on farms in S Molton, George Nympton and Braunton and returned to Kings Nympton in c.1837, married Jane Reed, now deceased, in 1838, and now resident in Witheridge.

4781 A - 99/PO 16/20: Mary Dicker: date 1778
Notice of hearing: regarding settlement of Mary Dicker, a single woman now residing in Lapford

Scope and Content: To be held at house of Samuel Foxford, Witheridge.

4781 A - 99/PO 16/21: Mary Dicker: date 1778

Removal Order: Mary Dicker from Lapford

4781 A - 99/PO 16/101: Grace Goff: date 1798

Removal Order: Grace Goff, spinster to Witheridge

4781 A - 99/PO 17/72: Robert Hodge: date 1857

Notice of removal order: Grounds of removal and particulars of settlement of Robert Hodge (35) Frances (28) his wife and Eliza Ann, Adela, John and Frederick their four children

Chargeable to St. Thomas due to illness of Robert Hodge, legally settled in Witheridge by birth and apprenticeship. Born in 1821 apprenticed by Parish at 9 yrs old to John Moss, miller of Witheridge Married in Ireland in 1848 and has four children.

4781 A - 99/PO 17/73: Robert Hodge: date 1857
Removal Order: Robert Hodge labourer, Frances his wife, Eliza Ann (7) Adela (4) John (2) and Frederick (5 months) their children to Witheridge

Scope and Content: Suspension and execution of order
1660 A/A 58/15: date: 1779
Removal Orders: Sarah Pike, wife of Joseph Pike and Jane her daughter, from Witheridge to Crediton

Summons to appear at Witheridge, removal of Philip Cole to Hartland:
4678 A/PO21/12: date 1784
James Fewings, tailor, Meshaw to Witheridge: 1794 A-1/PO 79: 1840

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