John and Judith Harrold's Settlement Certificate

On 14 April 1788 John and Judith Harrold’s Poor Law Settlement Certificate was sealed and delivered in East Harling.    The original is beautifully written and well preserved.     I have a photocopy of the document which I obtained from the Archive Centre at Norfolk Record Office in Norwich (Reference MFX 258/30 PD219/104) and it is reproduced here with its permission.     The document is laid out as follows (except that the words Churchwardens and Overseers, which is written sideways against the seals of James Foster, William Weston, James Foster and Wm Cooke).    It reads:

 

We the Major part of the Churchwardens and Overseers of the

Poor of the Parish of Kenninghall in the County of Norfolk do hereby

certify to the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of the Parish

of East Harling in the said County That We do own and acknowledge

John Harrold and Judith his wife to be Inhabitants last legally

settled in our said Parish of Kenninghall  In witness whereof We

have here unto set our Hands and Seals the Eleventh day of

February in the Year of our Lord 1788.

Sealed and delivered                      James Foster    Church Warden

in the presence of us                        The mark of William Weston   Church
Mary Dove                                                                                             Warden
Thos Dove                                         James Foster    Overseer

Wm Cooke        Overseer 

Norfolk   This 14^th day of February 1788.     We two of his Majesty's Justices of

                the Peace in and for the said County do allow of the above written

                certificate Thomas Dove one of the Witnesses having first

                made Oath that he did see the Churchwardens and Overseers of

                the Poor of the Parish of Kenninghall above said severally Sign

                and Seal the said Certificate and that the Names Mary Dove

                and Thos Dove set as Witnesses to the said Certificate are of

                their own proper Hands writing as the Act of Parliament directs.

                Framingham Thruston
                R Buxton

Readers interested in the working of the poor law will find the website www.workhouses.org.uk very interesting.   Click on this website and then search the word: Settlement, select the third result ‘The Poor Law’ and scroll down the page to the information on the workings of The Settlement Act.