Before 1834, In order to qualify for Parish Relief and or to be a Parish Apprentice one had to fulfill a number of qualifications one of which was to be born in a parish of legally settled parent(s). The proof of birth was a baptism at the local church which would be entered in the Parish Records, There was no legal obligation, however this was usually sufficient incentive. There was also a belief held by many even today that any one not baptised could not enter into Heaven, which was the reason the reason for "private baptism". of sickly or dying babies. However healthy babies were not always baptised, but the parents would later decide to do so for a number of reason, personal, financial, spiritual or even as a result of the enthusiasm of a new vicar. Illegitimacy was no problem particularly if the father had been identified and support had been found through the issuance of filiation orders or bastardy bonds. The maintenance order could be a lump sum paid to the parish, a minimum of £40, usually beyond the means for most putative fathers or fixed sum for the lying in and a weekly allowance until the child was 14 years. A labourer would have a smaller sum fixed say 2s a week and a master or farmer up to 3s 6d Another qualification for parish relief was being hired by a legally settled inhabitant for a continuous period of 365 days, but most single labourers were hired from the end of Michaelmas week till the beginning of the next Michaelmas so avoiding the grant of legal settlement. David