Strangers, 1772

Order of the Royal Court, 27th April 1772.

At Easter Chief Pleas, 27th April 1772, William Le Marchant, Ecuyer, Bailiff, presiding.

The Court has been informed by the Law Officers that several Strangers, of British origin, His Majesty's subjects, from England, Scotland, Ireland, and elsewhere, have come to live in this Island with their families, and, the father having died, the mother and children have become chargeable to this Island. Both their Etablissement status (in English, 'Settlement') and the parish to which the said father of the family belonged, and to which one would have the right, if one knew it, to return the mother and children, according to our laws, being unknown, THE COURT, taking these facts and the opinion of the Law Officers into consideration, in order to avoid these unfortunate occurrences where Poor people have not acquired any Settlement status, and to prevent the burden falling onto the island parishes as has happened in the past, ORDERS that no such Stranger (as may be likely to become chargeable to a parish) may live, reside and work here unless they first present to the Constables of the parish they intend to settle in a certificate signed by the Officers of the parish in which they have legal domicile, whether that be in England, Scotland, Ireland, or elsewhere. This certificate must be handed to the Island's Collectors of the Poor, and should certify to which parish they legally belong. This is to apply unless they have previously appeared before the Court to make a declaration under (a specific) oath of the parish to which they belong and where they have Etablissement légal, (in English 'Legal Settlement'), so that in the case that their family should no longer be able to support themselves, they may be sent to that parish. The Constables and Officers of the Poor of this Island must enforce this Ordinance, which is in no way to detract from those regulations instituted by previous ordinances allowing legal Settlement status to be awarded to Strangers, whether or not His Majesty's subjects, which remain in force. [From the French.]