Sampson Chivers

• General Notes
  • [p. 157]
    [Case 178] 1845. Sampson Chivers.
    No magistrate named nor date given.
    Sampson Chivers, a coalminer residing at High Littleton, states that he is aged sixty-three, he was born and baptised at Camerton.
    
    [p. 158]
    Sampson's grandfather was John Chivers, who it was said came from theSouth. He had been employed as the Bailiff of Highgrove Coal Works atHigh Littleton, and was killed there. John Chivers had married Elizabeth Carter of Clutton, she had been buried at High Littleton over thirty years ago. John and Elizabeth had several children (that were knownto Sampson).
    These children were:
    Thomas.
    Samuel, who used to be called "the doctor" [the seventh son of a daughterless family; superstitiously believed to have healing qualities]. Samuel's children were Thomas, the present postman of Timsbury, and James, the present parish clerk of High Littleton.
    Josiah, whose daughter Jane married Sampson Chivers.
    Ann, now Ann Rogers.
    Robert, Sampson's father, who married Sarah Brookes of Compton Martin. Robert and Sarah had three sons and four daughters, Sampson was the sixth child.
    Sampson had married his cousin Jane at Bath, St James, over forty years ago, they had six children who were:
    Ann, now the wife of Thomas Burt of London.
    Elizabeth, now in service in London.
    Fanny, now the wife of John Stockey of Clevedon.
    Hester, now in service in Bristol.
    Mercy, aged eighteen. She is unwell, and is living with her father.
    Mary Ann, aged sixteen, also living with her father.
    All the children were born in High Littleton. Jane, Sampson's wife, died two years ago and was buried in High Littleton.
    Sampson's father Robert and his wife did not live together for at least fourteen years before Robert died, except for short periods. Sampson's mother was a cripple. She lived with her daughter Betty Henton at Paulton, in which parish she died and was buried.
    Robert had been a collier. He had left his wife and family at High Littleton when he went out of the neighbourhood, and had done no act to gain a settlement.
    Sampson Chivers further states that he lived with his mother in High Littleton until he was married. After marriage he lived for ten years in a house belonging to Henry Tucker at the yearly rent of £6. He thenrented a cottage and garden from Mr Joseph Harris at the same rent.
    Sampson next went to Farmborough where he rented a house from Mr Rush, at the rent of £4 for a year.
    Returning to High Littleton, Sampson rented a house belonging to JohnWilkins, also for £4, and lived there until it was burnt down.
    
    [p. 159]
    Sampson then took his present house in High Littleton, renting it from Mr Thomas Miles, the steward of William Jones Burdett Esq. Again therent was £4 per annum, and where he has lived for the last fourteen or fifteen years.
    Sampson goes on to say that he has done no act to gain a settlement except as stated above. He has never served in a parish office, has never lived as a covenant servant for a year, nor has he owned any property. Furthermore he has never been relieved by any parish except duringthe last week, when he received five shillings in money, and bread. His daughter Mercy has done no act to gain a settlement for herself.
    The following information is also contained in the examination.
    While living in Harris's house, Sampson took, of farmer James Boulterof High Littleton, half an acre of land to grow a potato crop, at therate of £8 an acre. The ground was "fresh broken up".
    Sampson and his son Joseph (sic) planted the whole ground and dug thepotatoes, some of which they sold to John Tucker. Sampson's brother John had some of the same field at the same time. Sampson paid rent of £4 for his part of the field and he never underlet any part of his half acre. Neither had he ever rented any potato land before or since, although at the same time he had about twenty lugs [120 yards] of groundat Haygrove in Farmborough parish, which he grubbed up by permission of Mr William Adams, steward for General Popham, and which he had planted with potatoes. This land he had held for three or four years but had paid no rent for it.
    [S.R.O., settlement examination D/P/High Littleton 13/3/5.2.]
    See S.R.O., D/P/High Littleton 13/3/5 for documents numbered 1 to 24,regarding other members of the Chivers family, including a family tree.