County of Northampton to wit.

The examination of John Ward, now residing in the Kettering Union Workhouse in which Union the Parish of Desborough in the said County in comprised, touching the last place of legal Settlement of John Ward and Martha Ward his wife and his two children Elizabeth Ward and Matilda Ward taken on oath before us two of her Majesty's Justices of the peace in and for the said County this twelfth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty seven upon a certain complaint upon oath made on behalf of the Churchwardens and Overseers of the said parish of Desborough unto us that the said John Ward and Martha Ward his wife and their said two children have come to inhabit and are now inhabiting in the said parish not having resided in the said parish for five years next before the said Application and Complaint and not having gained a settlement therein nor having produced any certificate acknowledging them to be settled elsewhere and that the said John Ward and Martha Ward his wife and their said two children are now actually chargeable in the said parish.

The said John Ward

upon his oath saith That I am twenty six years of age and am one of the sons of Edward Ward and Elizabeth Ward his wife. my Father was a Shoemaker and resided at Stoke Albany in the County of Northampton in which parish he died about thirteen years since, but was buried at Ashley in the County of Northampton. My Father received relief from Ashley Parish whilst residing at Stoke Albany and after his death my Mother Elizabeth Ward still resided at Stoke Albany and continued to receive relief from Ashley Parish through Mr Pain the Relieving Officer of the Market Harborough Union in which Union Ashley is comprised until within the last three years and on several occasions I have been by desire of my mother to Mr Pain and received the weekly allowance for her. I resided with my Parents at Stoke Albany until my Father's death as part of his Family then I continued to reside there with my Mother and learnt my trade of a Shoemaker with my Brother William Ward who lived with my Mother. But I was never apprenticed. I resided at Stoke Albany with my Mother till I was married and for several months after viz till the month of May 1844. I have done no act to gain a settlement in my own right. I was married on the first day of February 1844 at the Parish Church of Desborough to my present Wife Martha Wood by whom I have two Children namely Elizabeth Ward who is of the age of two years and three quarters and an Infant named Matilda aged two weeks. In the month of May 1844 I went to live at Desborough and lived there up to the fourth of January last when being unable to obtain any work I applied for relief and was on that day admitted with my wife and eldest child into the Union Workhouse at Kettering and we have ever since the said fourth day of January last been maintained in the said Workhouse at the Expense of the said Parish of Desborough. My youngest child was born since my admission into the said Workhouse. About a month before I left Desborough and whilst residing there I applied to the Overseers of Ashley (Mr Carriss and Mr Berry) for relief. They told me they could not relieve me but they gave me fifteen shillings which they said I must repay them when I was in full work.

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