Have just obtained Poor Law Relief Application for an ancestor - 1870 - 72 which has raised question.
Long story.. but.... the short version is - Jane migrates with her parents and siblings from Ireland to Glasgow in 1864. 1865, she meets an Irish soldier of 59th Foot regiment in Glasgow. Regiment transferred to Ireland, she goes too, they marry there, have a child - but fairly soon thereafter his regiment is sent off to Ceylon.
Jane applies for Poor Law Relief in Glasgow in 1870 (also again, later in 1872, when she gives a full list of her "residences" since migrating originally from Ireland.) On the 1870 application the "Settlement" is one word - "Ireland". I am presuming that was the outcome of the application - they sent her back to Ireland?
Does anyone know the guidelines for these applications? I think I have read somewhere that you had to have lived for a consecutive ?5 years within the Parish area to be eligible for "Relief". And if you hadn't you were sent back (more or less "deported?), to the "Parish" of origin - even if this was Ireland. When I do the calculations/time frames of her listed "residences", it does in fact appear that she went back (was sent back?) to Ireland for at least 9 - 14 months (1871 - 72). Could I be right in this? Any ideas on how this would be done?
Her own parents/siblings were struggling in Glasgow - as far as I know Jane didn't have close family in Ireland. Did authorities in fact do this to people - just send them back to fend for themselves? Was there no "system" to help? My Jane did in fact die of TB in June 1872, about 6 months after coming back to Glasgow - at least then supported by her parents. Her own mother applies on Jane's behalf for Relief only a month before Jane dies - for help so that she, the grandmother can keep Jane's 5 year old daughter. We then lose track of the young daughter, and the two grandparents - not to be found again in any Glasgow records...
Sorry, this is a long waffly story, but would love to hear if anyone has knowledge of the Poor Law Relief Systems of those days, and if my interpretation sounds plausible. The other thing is that the childs father was a serving soldier up till 1873 when he was discharged from Army - but looks like he didn't take any further interest in child after about 1867/68? Any Army support for the child?? His discharge records give no indication that he was even married or had a child at all.
Any comments anyone?