The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-05-12 00:00:00

POOR JOHN CROSS.

Probably few men, in the same humble position of
life, have gained inch • notoriety as John Cross, the
Dorestehire labourer, end certainly at the present time
there ere few more deserving ounioneeration. For this
nein no less • sum than was subscribed by the
public, and yet he is now depending on out-door relief,
and reoriviog from the Poole Union Ba. per week to
support hinuelf, his wife, and Olivell children, ha being,
adeording to =wheal oertificate, " permaneotly disabled
from work by physical debility." John again appeared
before the Wimborne bench of magistrate. on Friday
last, to answer certain questions on an application made
by the Board of Guardians of the Poole Union to remove
him from that union to the one he, by the laws of
settlement, was chargeable to.—Mr. Rawlins, the
clerk to the magistrates, having informed the Bench
that the £265 was in the Court of Chancery, and
explained that Cross tiould not be chargeable to Pools
Union as be had not lived long enough in any parish in
that Union, to gain • settleasent,proceeded to my that by
the wish of lb* guardians be had examined Cross as to
his parentage, which was as follows:—" I was born in
the parish of Winterborne White:harsh, in the Bland.
ford union, in the county of Dorset, on the 7th day of
July, 1807, and was the son of Isaac Cross and Charlotte
his wife, who then resided at that parish. When young,
my parents removed to the parish of Btiekland, in the
said county and union, the birthplace of my father,
where we remained five or ,ix years, and then my father
removed to the perish of Shapavick, and lived there,
working for different people as • labourer until he died,
about four years since. He was 78 years old when he
died I lived for 40 years there, working ma • day
labourer. About two years sines I removed from Shan-
wick to the parish of Corte Mullen, ill the said county,
where I resided for two years. In the month of
December lad I removed to Lytebett Betrayers, in the
county of Dorset, where I have resided for the last seven
months, and from which perish for the last six weeks I
have received relief. When my father was • young
man I have beard from him that he hired himself to
Mr. William Corbin of Bhapwick, farmer, as a muter,
and lived in 11r. COrbin's bowie, end became by Foch
service a settled pariehioner of the mid parish of gimp.
wick When I was young I remember coming from
Btiokland to Shapwick with my father and mother, and
I
stit lestualsete" by an
inordterheirdtbalo(parmitmovesbayly beraiesenialbey wewmreiyafkrugthuge.rhuousigadt from.

I never hired myself for a year nor pined a ettlement
my own right, and I am now actually chargeable to
P.ole union, me mark of x John Croes."—Vr.
Rawlins then put in the n..ijcal certificate to the effect
that Cross was permanently disabled fros work through
picnicsl debility, and then read the following evldehne
of Charles Boatyard :—" I am relieving officer of the
Poole Uhion. Johs Cress and his wife and family are
actually chargeable to Poole Union, and reesiving 8..
per week outdoor relief as a pauper permanendy
diaabled. I praluoe lb. certificate of chargeability of
the said John Crews, signed by the presiding chairman
of the union, and countersigns I by the Clerk.—Charles
Meatyard."—Mr. Rawlins then stated that the questien
for consideration was whether Cross belonged to White-
church, in the Blandford union, his lartb-place, or
whether, in accordance with his own rtseernimi 65 14
what big father had sold, be had acquired a settlement
in Shawrick. in the Wienbon.e and Cranbourne union.
• He suggested that the best course would be to write to
the clerk of the Blandford anion, and ask him to search
for any records of the removal of Cross's father from
the parish of Stickland to Shapwiek. The Bench
• coincided with this 'aeration, and the consideration
of the application was adjourned.