Berry, My understanding is that the Poor in each parish were helped out by the parish, Poor Relief, under the provisions of the Poor Laws. Applicants for relief were assessed, examined, to see whether they qualified for aid. Poor relief was administered through the vestry management committees of the parish churches. From 1572, 2 members of the vestry were elected annually to act as Overseers of the Poor. The system lasted upto 1837, after which the Workhouses wer in place to deal with the Poor. The Poor Law and settlement records which susrvive are usually held at local Local Hisotry Cebntres / Archives. For a full and accurate description of the system follow this link. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/rdleaflet.asp?sLeafletID=167 Richard Brown Bromley, Kent U.K. ------------------------------ Message: 8 Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:08:36 +0000 From: Berry Wraight <berry.wraight@googlemail.com> Subject: Re: [KENT-ENG] Greenwich History (Helen Carlisle) Hi Richard Following your point about the poor laws, can you tell me when the settlement exam stopped being the norm and, what prompted such an examination? This may help me to pin point my Gx3 grandfather - at last!!! - assuming I can find him in the settlement records if they still exist. Many thanks Berry