Maine Revised Statutes - Chapter 27 - Paupers, Their Settlement and Support

Aug 27, 2026

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Maine Revised Statutes, Chapter 27, establishes rules for the acquisition of town settlements for persons who are poor or distressed. The provisions explain how settlement is affected by marriage and legitimacy status, address disputes between towns over settlement, and prevent settlements from being changed through collusion. It further details settlement principles on division and annexation of towns, the impact of apprenticeship, and how five-year residence without pauper supplies, as well as certain dates and incorporation of places, can create or confirm settlement rights.

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Chapter 27. Paupers, Their Settlement and Support

Sec. 1. Settlements acquired

Sec. 2.

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE The following document is provided by theLAW AND LEGISLATIVE DIGITAL LIBRARY at the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Libraryhttp://legislature.maine.gov/lawlib THE # REVISEDSTATUTES OF THE # STATE OF MAINE, PASSED SEPTEMBER I,I903,AND TAKING EFFECT JANUARY I,I904. BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE LEGISLATURE. AU GUSTA:KENNEBEC JOURNAL PRINT, 1904. CHAP.27. Proprietorsmay raise money and assess same. 1891,c.117,§8. Proprietor,de- clining to useland,shall be exempt from payment of taxes. 1891,c.117,§9. Two-thirds of Droprietors,by vote may dis- continue asso- ciation.1891,c.117,§10. Settlement, hnT acplred R.S.,c.24,§1. Marrled women. 4 Me.,296. 41 Me.,466,485.48 Me.,207. 52 Me.,219. 53 Me.,58. 56 Me.,23. 63Me.,501. 64 Me.,85. 67 Me.,581.G8 Me.,147. 70 Me.,490. 71 Me.,538. 73Me.,584,586. 95 Me.,55. 97 Me.,18. Legitimate children. Illegitimate children. SEC.68.At any meeting called for that purpose,said proprietors mayraise money for defraying common charges and for the payment of costand expenses of such repairs as may have been incurred under the preced-ing section,which shall be assessed upon the proprietors by the assessorsin proportion to their several interests,and which they shall commit tothe collector for collection by an appropriate warrant for its collection,directing him to pay it over to the clerk or other proper officer designatedby vote of the proprietors,and the collector shall have the same power andshall collect the same as collectors of towns are authorized to collect towntaxes. SEc.69.If any proprietor declines to cultivate,use or take profit fromhis portion of such lands,and gives written notice of his intention so todo,to the clerk of the proprietors he shall not be regarded as liable to payany tax or assessment on account of his portion thereof,while he neglectsto cultivate,use and take profit therefrom,nor shall he be entitled to voteat the meetings of said proprietors. SEC.70.A two-thirds part in interest of the proprietors entitled to voteat any legal meeting called for that purpose,may discontinue their asso-ciation,but not to take effect until six months after the vote for thatpurpose. CHAPTER 27. PAUPERS,THEIR SETTLEMENT AND SUPPORT. SEC.I.Settlements,subjecting towns to pay for the support of per-sons on account of their poverty or distress,are acquired as follows: I.A married woman has the settlement of her husband,if he hasany in the state;if he has not,her own settlement is not affected by hermarriage.When,in a suit between towns involving the settlement of apauper,it appears that a marriage was procured to change it by the agencyor collusion of the officers of either town,or of any person having chargeof such pauper under authority of either town,the settlement is notaffected by such marriage.And no derivative settlement is acquired orchanged by a marriage so procured,but the children of such marriageand their descendants have the settlement which they would have had ifno such marriage had taken place.And the same rule applies in all con-troversies touching the settlement of paupers between the town by whoseofficers a marriage is thus procured and any other town,whether the per-son whose marriage is thus procured is a pauper at the time of the mar-riage or becomes so afterwards. II.Legitinate children have the settlement of their father,if he-hasany in the state;if he has not,they have the settlement of their motherwithin it;but they do not have the settlement of either,acquired afterthey are of age and have capacity to acquire one.(a) III.Children,legitimate or illegitimate,do not acquire a settlementby birth in the town where they are born.Tllegitimate children have thesettlement of their mother,at the time of their birth,but when the parentsof such children born after March twenty-four,eighteen hundred andsixty-four,intermarry,they are deemed legitimate and ha

FAQs

How are settlements for paupers acquired under Chapter 27?

Settlements are acquired under specified conditions that determine which town is responsible for supporting a person due to poverty or distress.

Does marriage change a pauper’s settlement?

A settlement is not affected by a marriage procured to change it through collusion or agency of town officers; children’s settlement follows the rule that would have applied absent the procured marriage.

What role does residence and not receiving pauper supplies play?

A person of age may acquire settlement through five successive years of home in a town without receiving supplies as a pauper, and related rules apply for certain prior dates and for unincorporated places upon incorporation.

Aug 27, 2026

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