ABSTRACT
Genealogy in many ways was a preserve of the prosperous classes. However, for the poor in England some genealogical knowledge was required in order to establish their social connections to a particular parish, and therefore avail themselves of poor relief from that parish. James Oxley's 1801 settlement examination shows that he knew about his father's origins and occupational history. The intangible property that was genealogical knowledge often connected with settlement. Therefore, knowing about one's progenitors was not only practical for the poor, but perhaps a financial necessity. The specifics about the Draytons are unknown, but in the southern colonies/states many enslaved children would have been half-siblings with their white masters.
