Wakefield Quarter Sessions translation

[sticksville]

Hello

I am struggling with this 1703 indictment of Bryan Kitchingman of Norland (one of the townships of Halifax) if anyone can help please.

Here is the Ancestry link (3rd entry on the right hand page:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/6065/records/47112?tid=&pid=&queryId=b3733d0d-2bda-4667-af32-113310765662&_phsrc=hDg3)&_phstart=successSource


I have also attached a jpeg of the relevant lines. Moderator please delete if this breaches WYAS' copyright.

[horselydown86]

Here are the basics of the matter:

Bryan Kitchingman recently/formerly of Norland in the County of York yeoman become

the supervisor of the poor for the villa/village of Norland, on the first day of January in the third year of Queen Anne's reign, at Norland in the West Riding

and County aforesaid contemptuously, unlawfully and unjustly has refused and still does refuse to pay

the supervisors of the poor for the villa/village of Hipperholm cum Brighouse the sum of four

pounds and ten shillings, as he was directed to do by an order made at a

general Quarter Session of the peace of the Lady Queen held at Leeds in the West Riding and County aforesaid

on the thirteenth day of July last past.

He is in contempt of the Lady Queen against the peace.

Thomas Kittson appears to be the witness.

There's bit more near the end which I don't properly understand.

I also can't make out the interlined words above his name in the first line.

[Bookbox]

There's bit more near the end which I don't properly understand.

I think this is the only missing bit, immediately before In contempt(u) ...

… licet p(re)d(ictus) Bryan cu(m) ordine p(re)d(icta)
legittime & deb(it)o modo servit(us) fuit ...

although the aforesaid Bryan was served with the aforesaid order lawfully and in due manner

I also can't make out the interlined words above his name in the first line.

He stood his own recognizance of 1 shilling.

ADDED
The more usual English term is perhaps 'overseer of the poor' (rather than 'supervisor').

[horselydown86]

Thank you for the additions, Bookbox.  It did occur to me after I finished for the night that supervisor and overseer are almost identical etymologically and that I probably should have chosen the English word.

ALSO:

I have changed my translation slightly by adding the word has to the third line, to make it read:

...contemptuously, unlawfully and unjustly has refused and still does refuse to pay...

[sticksville]

Thank you both very much for your help with this.

So, it appears to be a familiar story of towns/parishes attempting to overload the burden of supporting the poor onto someone else?

Bryan was one of three brothers who migrated to Halifax from Thirkleby in the North Riding. He has left a relatively sparse document trail, so every little helps.

[Bookbox]

So, it appears to be a familiar story of towns/parishes attempting to overload the burden of supporting the poor onto someone else?

Not necessarily. Bryan was a yeoman, an overseer of the poor at Norland (line 1). All this indictment tells you is that he owed another parish, Hipperholm, a debt of £4 10s.

There could be many reasons for a debt of this kind. He may previously have been a parish officer at Hipperholm and left there whilst owing money to the parish, or it may represent a payment due to that parish under a bastardy bond, or it may have been an amount of poor-rate that remained unpaid.

If there are any overseers' accounts for either parish held at the relevant archive it might be worth checking for any further details. Alternatively, you could search for the other sessions record referred to in the text here.

[sticksville]

Interesting suggestions, Bookbox. Perhaps I have jumped to conclusions based on Bryan being overseer of the poor.

There is something odd about the dates.

The page for the Session is headed 11 January 1704 and Bryan apparently became overseer for Norland on 1 January. Yet the judgement at the Leeds session was "of 13 July last past". Had he inherited the obligation from a previous overseer for Norland or was this due on his own account?

I haven't been able to find a corresponding entry relating to Kitchingman/Norham for the Leeds Quarter session.

Bryan had moved around within the Halifax townships. In 1688, he resided in Skircoat, one of four yeoman standing bond for a poor family moving to Halifax. In 1699, he was assessed on land in Ovenden valued at £30. He died in Sowerby in 1728.

If he happened to have a bastard son called George, you have would have made me immensely happy!

[Bookbox]

The page for the Session is headed 11 January 1704 and Bryan apparently became overseer for Norland on 1 January. Yet the judgement at the Leeds session was "of 13 July last past". Had he inherited the obligation from a previous overseer for Norland or was this due on his own account?

The money was allegedly owed to Hipperholme, not to Norland. He may have been there, or in another nearby parish, in July 1703.

[sticksville]

Yes, Hipperholme of course.