is this providing support for the purlin?

[whatshappening]

Thanks for all the advice.
The purlin is about 15 foot long and rests on the party wall (semi-detached) at the other end, there are no other supports.
The wall under the support goes down to the ground floor.

 

[Doggit]

Then I would say there's a reasonable chance that the support was to hold the purlin in place whilst the hip went in.

 

[^woody^]

Then I would say there's a reasonable chance that the support was to hold the purlin in place whilst the hip went in.

Do you think it unreasonable then, that "the support" is actually a structural post taking the load from the purlin? And that it is reasonable to put purlin loads on to hips?

 

[Doggit]

I did initially say that an SE would need to look at the job; we're not on site, and all comments are speculation, and for discussion purposes only. And yes, I could well be wrong, but I'm not unequivably telling the OP to remove it without specialist advice. As to putting the load on the Hip, they are about the biggest I've ever seen, but you've made a reasonable point that I'm happy to accept.