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Archiver > Dutch-Colonies > 2002-11 > 1036165895


From: "roland elliott" <>
Subject: Re: [D-Col] Poor Laws
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 07:51:37 -0800
References: <005201c281bd$4cc24f80$6400a8c0@GARYWELCH>


Yes the intermarriages occurred as they went west and then broke out of it
with the division of the Northwest Territory.In the 1800' - - -middle of
when the trains were in[1880's] Train Orphan's started up from the congested
east coast cities with orphans,the uglier you were the further west you
got.many were abused.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Welch" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 7:42
Subject: RE: [D-Col] Poor Laws


> The Shakers also took in many orphans. Since they practiced celibacy,
> orphans and recruiting were their only way to get new members.
>
> Although it certainly wasn't uncommon for first cousins to marry, I don't
> think that it was socially or legally acceptable for closer relatives to
> marry in most places.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: roland elliott [mailto:]
> Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 11:23 AM
> To:
> Subject: Re: [D-Col] Poor Laws
>
>
> On this theme,one other alternative comes up in my research,single "Aunts"
> and "Uncles" seem to take them on,even older aunts and uncles seem to
marry
> nieces and nephews.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Roberts" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 6:19
> Subject: [D-Col] Poor Laws
>
>
> > Michelle:
> > Each state had different laws. A good genealogy text could help. Try a
> > search on www.google.com or some search engine.
> > In New England, many of the colonies had a "warnings" law by which the
> Town
> > could "warn" a family which had moved in that the Town would not support
> > them; they were the responsibilty of the Town from which they came.
> > These "warnings out" are often published and can be used to track the
> poorer
> > level of society who didn't own real estate.
> > Every colony had some kind of "poor law" based on the English system.
> > Bastard children ... who was responsible for their support ?
> > Old people without a family ... who was responsible for their support ?
> > On it goes.
> > Many local areas have started publishing their poor records.
> > In Maryland, the system was the "Levy Court" and since Maryland doesn't
> have
> > Towns, these poor was hired out, supported, etc. by the County.
Everyplace
> > was doing the same thing; but the system & the terms are different.
> > I have the Poor Law book for the Town of Huntington, Suffolk County, L.
> I.,
> > N. Y. For bastard children, a mid-wife was supposed to ask the woman in
> > labor "Who was the child's father ?" If she say "Sam Smith" then Sam
Smith
> > and, if he was under 21 or owned no property, his father or older
brother
> > would be hauled into court and ordered to support Sally Brown's bastard
> > child. Often, you'll find Sam Smith and Sally Brown getting married and
> > "living happily ever" or so we hope.
> > If Sam then died a few years down the road, and the widowed Sally Brown
> > Smith couldn't support her children or herself, the whole bunch of them
> > might be sent to the Town Poor House and at some point "auctioned" off
..
> > Sally might become a cook and housecleaner in the home of some middle or
> > upper class family; her oldest son might be bound out to the local
> > blacksmith to learn that trade [a become a virtual slave w/ no rights to
> the
> > blacksmith & his family], etc.
> > Remember, this was the "social welfare" of the 18th and 19th century.
> > Not a pretty picture.
> > LOTS of people went "west" in the early 19th century looking for
economic
> > opportunity. Ontatio or Upper Canada was part of that "frontier west" &
> lots
> > of New Englanders, especially, drifted over the border into Upper Canada
> > looking for better farm land, a better life, whatever. That's probably
why
> > your relatives went there.
> > Hope this helps.
> > David
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Michelle Knoll" <>
> > To: <>
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 3:40 PM
> > Subject: Re: [D-Col] "Abandoned" Slave Children
> >
> >
> > > David
> > > Wonder if you could give me more information on the poor laws? It may
be
> > > something everyone is interested in too?
> > > A few years backr someone had found my Fergusons in VT on a poor list.
I
> > > can't remember the exact name of it and can't seem to find the
> information
> > > at the moment. I never followed up what it meant. I gather from your
> note
> > > below that these children could be given to other families to work?
What
> > > other laws were there regarding this? I wonder if that's the reason my
> > > Fergusons came to Ontario Canada sometime between 1810 & 1819.
> > > Are there records of what was done to individual families?
> > > Michelle
> > >
> > >
> > >
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>
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