FENLAND FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY

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STRAYS

Details of the various types of Stray held on the Fenland FHS Database can be found on this page. For all Strays submissions use the submission form and for lookups please use the on-line form. If a submission does not fit on-line entry then please send to the Strays Coordinator.

Stray Definitions

In their purest form "Strays" are persons who were born within the Fenland area with a reference recorded outside of the Fenalnd area of birth. There are occasions, however, where entries will not necessary fall into this pure format. There are various categories.

Stray

Born in the Fenalnd area with an event recorded outside of the Fenland area.

Out of County Marriage

A person resident within the Fenland but married outside of the Fenland area.

Transient

A person moving from/to the FEnland area e.g Settlement Examination or Removal Order

Settlement Papers.

The parishes were required to look after their own poor. This could become a burden. So when someone wanted to move into a parish and they appeared to be unable to support themselves - i.e. a single woman expecting a child - the parish tried to determine if that person could claim welfare from the parish. If not they were sent back to their own parish.

There are at several forms for settlement papers. Examination papers, settlement certificates and removal papers.

Settlement Certificates record the movement from a place, county to another place, county.

Settlement Examination Papers detail the place a person was living, county and the place they would like to settle at.

Removal Orders detail a place, county where a person had settled and the place, county to which they were being lawfully removed to.

Military

A person serving with the Cambridgeshire Miltia or the Armed Forces relating to the Fenalnd area but not necessarily a resident within the Fenland area.

Manorial Records and Wills

Persons mentioned as witnesses, beneficiaries, bondsmen, etc. within Manorial Records, Wills, Inventories, etc. These persons may be resident within the area or external to it.

Other

Ad hoc references to persons living or born in the Fenland who are mentioned in various articles or documents

Information Requested

• SURNAME (capitalised if possible e.g. EDWARDS)
• Forenames
• Title (if any e.g. Rev., Sir))
• Reference Place (the out of County town/city name )
• Reference County/State (the County/State within which the Reference Place lies)
• Country (if outside the UK e.g. CANADA)
• Fenland Town/City referred to (e.g. March or "Cambridgeshire" or "Lincolnshire" or "Norfolk" if there is no Reference)
• Reference details of the information (e.g. Census 1881 London, Hillingdon RG11/0024
• Details of the information (e.g. Aged 31, born Terrington St Clements. Husband John Addison. Residing at The Parsonage, Wotton Underwood, Buckinghamshire.)
• Age (if possible)
• Date of Birth (e.g. 1842, Aug 1842 or 12 Aug 1842)
• Type of Entry (e.g. Census, Manorial Record, Removal Order)

Contact

If you have strays that you think appropriate to add to the database or you wish for an enquiry then please contact the Strays Co-ordinator. If you are wishing for a reply by post then please send a stamped addressed envelope for United Kingdom replies or 3 IRC's and a self addressed envelope for overseas replies.

Last Updated on: 3 February 2002