The Sun.
London, England, 1828-11-01 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

SINGULAR CASE OF PAROCIIIAL SETTLEMENT.—
Yesterday Margaret BIIIT, a woman about forty years
of age, appeared before Sir RICHARD BIRNIR, Mr.
and Mr. BECKgTT, magistrates, in order
to be removed, with four of her children, from St.
Martin's parish to Stepney.
Mr. Rawlins, a deputy overseer of St. Martin's-
in-the-fields, attended with the woman's examina-
tion, as he called it, but which, is fact, contained
only just so much of the. poor woman's examination
as suited the object of Mr. Rawlins.
The woman, whO, it appears, is an object deserv-
ing commiseration, objected to be sworn to the truth
of the examination; which is usual in slosh cases,
before the order of removal is made out by the ma-
gistrates.
Sir R. BIRNIR asked her why she declined taking
the oath ?—She replied, that it was a very sacred
thing; she never had taken an oath, and she never
considered it right to do so, and hoped to be excused.
Mr. BIRCKISTT----Well, WWII, if you don't swear
to it, you must be turned out of the workhouse with
your four children.

The poor woman said, that would be extremely
cruel under the distressing circumstances in which
she Icas placed.

Sir R. BIRNIE asked her to narrate to him the
circumstances she alluded to.

She said, that abOut 17 veers ago she .vas ser-
vant with a respectable gentleman at Bethnal-green,
when she became acquainted with her present hus-
band, who represented himself as a widower, and
they were married.
Mr. Rawlins—This husband of hers, as she calls
him, is now in our workhouse, and also a former wife
of his, a woman eighty years of age.
Sir RICHARD Brama—Let the woman make her
statement.

She continued—Some years after the marriage,
she learned that her husband had a former wife liv-
ing, who had been capitally convicted at the Old
Bailey, but whose 'sentence of death, had been com-
muted to transportation. Her husband informed
her, and she was told by many of her friends, that
after a capital conviction, and sentence of death bad
been passed on the first wife, she had no legal claim
on the husband, as she was considered dead in
law, from the moment she was attainted of a capital
felony.

Sir RICHARD BIRNIE very much pitied her ease,
but he believed that the four,ehildren which she had
had were not legitimate.
Mr. Rawlins—The fact is, Sir Richard Thrnie,
two of the children were born in Saint Martin's
parish, and two in another parish; and they being
bastards, have a claim on the parishes where they
were born. The father, I admit, has a legal settle-
ment in Saint Martin's. His first wife, who is in our
work-house, is eighty years of age ; he is sixty years
of age ; and his second wife, who now is about to
be removed, is forty years of age.
Mr. Illtrisnum directed Mr. Rawlins to read over
the examination, which he had taken. in the parish
book.

Mr. Rawlins complied, and the Magistrate ob-
served, that he had entirely omitted to state that the
woman had been married, or the vitcumstances at-
tending it ; and it Would appear to the parish officers
of Bethnal-green, by the examination, that she was
a lewd woman, and that the four children were
bastards.

Sir R. DINAH: said, that he did not see the neces-
sity of introducing the circumstances of the marriage
into the examination ; but he thought it was but
right that a statement of the peculiar circumstances
of her case should be sent to the Overseers of St.
Mary, Bethnal-green.
Mr. Rawlins said, that should be done.
The poor woman still refused to take the oath
required.
Sir R. Bums asked if was one of the people
called Quakers ? She replied that she was not, she
was of the Church of England.
After a good deal of persuasion she reluctantly
kissed the book, and the order of removal was
made oat.