Bastardy Bonds
There is a fine series of Bastardy Bonds which survived in the Parish Chest and are now in Shropshire Archives. So what are Bastardy Bonds?
If an illegitimate child was born in a parish, he or she was liable to be a burden on money for the Poor. So the Overseers of the Poor tried to find out from the mother, before, during (especially), or after the birth who was the father. The father would then have to pay a weekly sums to the mother to support the child, rather than the Overseers funds being used. The Bastardy Bond was therefore an important document in providing evidence as to the parentage of the child.
|
Date |
Sex of Child |
Mother |
Reputed father /Bondsman |
| 1690 Jun 8 | James alias Cheshire, Joan | Scott, Richard farmer | |
| 1714 Jun 11 | female | Powell, Katherine | Toldervey, William |
| 1721 Apr 4 | unborn | Noe, Anna | Williams, John yeoman |
| 1723 Aug 31 | female (Joyce Roe aged 3) | Roe, Joyce | Gittins, William of Bitterley, now husband, but not the actual father |
| 1723 Sep 11 | John | Oseland, Anne | Ashcroft, Richard of South Holsted, Essex, yeoman |
| 1725 Jan 18 | All his bastards | Cooke, Elizabeth | Knott, John farmer |
| 1725 Mar 17 | unborn | Davies, Margaret | Newall, Andrew junior, yeoman with Thomas Newall senior innholder |
| 1728, May 8 | female | Castry alias Dickins, Ann | Castry, Thomas of Aston Botterell, mason |
| 1729 Jun 16 | unborn | Morris, Sarah | Passey, John wheelwright, with Thomas Passey, wheelwright |
| 1732 Apr 24 | unborn | Williams, Ann | Owens alias Roberts, John of Hopton Wafers collier |
| 1736 Apr 12 | Vaughan, Ann | Vaughan, Richard carpenter, Vaughan, William sawyer | |
| 1736 Jan 24 | child | Dickins, Susan | Castry, Thomas (now dead). Bond by Richard Castry of Farlow, mason & Edward Castry of Farlow, mason, father & brother |
| 1736 Jul 15 | Palmer, Ann & Mary | Sister's children | Mills, John of Rock yeoman. Bond to maintain as parish apprentice |
| 1736 May 31 | William | Williams, Ann | Cowndley, William carpenter |
| 1736 Mar 25 | unborn | James, Jane of Kinlet | Perry. Thomas yeoman with John Perry of Chetton yeoman |
| 1736 Jun 26 | William | Williams, Ann widow | JPs order to pay 1 shilling a week to Ann Williams |
| 1743 Jan 21 | female | Poutney, Ann | Pennell, John weaver & Frost, Joseph weaver of Kidderminster |
| 1744 Jun 27 | female | Nicholls, Jane | Gennoe, Samuel of Bucknell yeoman |
| 1745 Feb 22 | female | Williams, Ann | Castry, Richard of Hopton Wafers yeoman |
| 1745 Aug 6 | unborn | Charles, Mary of Chelmarsh | Edwards, Moses of Chelmarsh, husbandman |
| 1747 Sep | female | Baker, Mary of Aston, Birmingham | Ratcliffe, Cleophas younger of Coventry hatter & C Ratcliffe of Coventry victualler and Isaac Snell of Coventry victualler |
| 1748/9 Feb 18 | Mary | Phillips, Elizabeth widow | Norgrove, Thomas junior, cordwainer |
| 1749 Apr 21 | Child | Williams, Ann | Smeeths, John of Mamble |
| 1749 Jul 13 | unborn | Oseland, Elizabeth | Oseland, William, bricklayer, bound for maintenance of his sister's child |
| 1754 Aug 14 | unborn | Lloyd, Margaret | Farmer, Richard of Neen Savage yeoman, Edward Beet of bridgnorth whitesmith, George Savage of Kinlet husbandman |
| 1754 Mar 18 | unborn | Ball, Margaret | Cock, William & John Cock husbandman his father |
| 1756 Jan 7 | unborn | Newell, Elizabeth | Whitcombe, Edmund surgeon |
| 1758 Feb 16 | unborn | Bateman, Eleanor of Oldswinford | Jeavens, Joshua of Oldswinford yeoman & Francis Homfray of Oldswinford Ironmonger |
| 1758 Jun 27 | male | Weaver, Ann | Green, Joseph junior nailer |
| 1759 Jul 11 | unborn | Wilks, Ann | Wyer, John of Coreley tailor |
| 1759 Sep 11 | unborn | Thomas, Mary of Wichenford | Jones, William of Shrawley waterman, Richard Richards of Astley, Worcs. scythe grinder & Mary Thomas |
| 1759 Nov 19 | female | Jones, Martha | Brown, Thomas of Bourton, Much Wenlock yeoman & Charles Brown of Cleobury Mortimer labourer |
| 1765 Aug 5 | female | Richards, Susanna | Davies, Thomas of Shrewsbury shoemaker |
| 1770 Jul 14 | female | Dean, Elizabeth | Grimett, Thomas of Withey Head, Defford, Worcs. & John Evans of Cleobury Mortimer mason |
| 1772 Mar 4 | female | Collier, Elizabeth | Oliver, John wood collier |
| 1772 Sep 5 | unborn | Blanton, Elizabeth | Forrester, John of Hopton Wafers husbandman |
| 1773 Jan 5 | unborn | Butcher, Mary | Dee, Thomas yeoman of Cleobury Mortimer |
| 1778 Nov 14 | female | Hyde, Mary late daughter of John Hyde | Palmer, William of Hockley, Birmingham, bucklemaker |
| 1778 Mar 3 | unborn | Potter, Hannah of Rock | Booth, John of Barn Hall, Rock gent. |
| 1779 Feb 17 | Brazier, Elizabeth | Brazier, Elizabeth | Hooper, William younger shoemaker with William Hooper of Cleobury Mortimer shoemaker |
| 1779 Nov 8 | unborn | Potter, Ann | Medlicott, Francis of Neen Savage labourer & Richard Medlicott of Coreley thatcher |
| 1780 Apr 12 | Margaret | Howells, Jane now wife of John James | James, John of Munslow shoemaker; bond of indemnification for the child of ..... Beard of Cleobury Mortimer |
| 1781 Jul 14 | female | Potter, Ann | Lewis, John gent |
| 1782 Feb 20 | unborn | Davis, Ann | Morris, William of Leominster innkeeper |
| 1782 Mar 5 | male | Clark, Mary | Clark, John of Buckridge Bank, Rock collier & James Farr of Dintell husbandman |
| 1783 Jul 30 | unborn | Dav...., Sarah | Barnett, William |
| 1784 Oct 4 | male | Grime, Elizabeth | Lewis, John gent. |
| 1786 Jun 1 | unborn | Dallow, Elizabeth | Baynham, Richard yeoman with George Baynham of Ribbesford |
| 1796 Jun 22 | female born Dec 29 1795 | Barker, Ann | Milward, Ann of Kidderminster carpet weaver |
| 1804 Oct 19 | male born Sep 22 1804 | Wheeler, Ann of Astley Abbotts | Cox, Richard of Sidbury, labourer |
| 1813 Apr 14 | pregnant | Hughes, Eleanor widow | Hill, Thomas, John Lateward, Thomas Crow |
| 1814 Nov 7 | male | Garbett, Elizabeth | Breakwell, Edward |
| 1815 Mar 27 | female | Green, Martha | Glazzard, William servant |
| 1816 Feb 14 | female | Fox, Jane | Langford, Samuel of Hartley, Worcs. |
| 1816 May 29 | female | Charles, Mary | Crow, Edward |
| 1819 Mar 1 | male | Cowell, Ann | Penny, John |
| 1819 Jun 3 | male | Evans, Mary | Williams, John |
| 1819 May 3 | male | Smith, Elizabeth | Corfield, Thomas paper maker of Hopton Wafers |
| 1820 Mar 6 | female | Broom, Sarah | Evans, Robert waggoner |
| 1820 Nov 6 | female | Potter, Hannah | Harley, William labourer |
| 1821 Jun 7 | female | Massey, Elizabeth | Bishop, James carpenter/labourer |
| 1822 Mar 4 | female | Postins, Mary | Jefferys, George of Bewdley glazier |
| 1822 Nov 12 | male | Nicholas, Maria | Millman, Francis labourer |
| 1824 Aug 2 | female | Potter, Susannah | Baldwin, Martin labourer |
| 1826 Aug 15 | male born in Coreley | Robinson, Ann | Wall, Thomas of Richard's Castle farmer |
| 1827 Feb 20 | male | Taylor, Elizabeth widow | Dudley, William forgeman |
| 1827 Jun 1 | male | Green, Elizabeth | Palmer, Richard publican & victualler of Ludlow |
| 1828 Mar 27 | male | Dudley, Susannah wife of William | Dawley, Samuel of Kidderminster |
| 1828 May 5 | male | Tedstill, Mary | Taylor, Richard farmer |
| 1828 Jun 17 | male | Jones, Mary | Brown, Jervise labourer |
| 1828 Dec 16 | female | Taylor, Susannah | Rastall, John of Mamble |
| 1829 Mar 17 | female | Evans, Martha | Griffin, John |
| 1829 Sep 29 | male | Nicholas, Mary | Evans, Isaac late of Birmingham, journeyman butcher |
| 1829 Nov 13 | female | Painter, Elizabeth of Stottesdon | Onslow, George of Stottesdon servant in husbandry |
| 1830 Jan 18 | female | Taylor, Susannah | Rastall, John younger of Mamble |
| 1831 Jun 21 | male | Brown, Mary | Piper, William of Dowles yeoman |
| 1832 Aug 24 | male | Wheeler, Maria | Wharton, John mason |
| 1831 Apr 19 | female | Powell, Susannah brickmaker | Tart, Obadiah brickmaker |