Regarding: Yes, our ancestors did move around looking for work but the poor laws were harsh and if they fell on hard times and had to apply for assistance, the parish in which they were then resident was very keen not to have to keep them if it could possibly help it. Thus, the parish officers instigated an examination before magistrates who determined which was the family's official parish of residence and they issued pieces of paper called Settlement Certificates. If a family were deemed to have an official Settlement in another parish, then they were removed to that place under a Removal Order. Thanks Roy, That could be the explanation why my ancestors were born in Bury St Edmunds but then moved on to Thaxted which is quite a distance away. I found some children with the same surname in the workhouse and maybe this is what happened. I will look into the settlement certificates for Essex and Suffoolk. Diana