Genealogy Chat

Can anyone explain what these are?? Is it a type of maintainance and was it made via a court order of some sort. I have a rellie who had 2 illegitimate kids by the same man who was in the Police force. He never married her. After their first child together he went on to marry someone else, then rellie and him had another child while he was still married. Where would I look for any details of this (that's if it happened) or is there a site to give me any more info?? Sue xx

Found this explanation on a web site. The local records office or Archives for the area in which the child was born is where the information would be kept. Extent: 1 volume Biographical History The Poor Law acts of 1597 and 1601 had placed the responsibility for poor relief in the hands of the parish. Overseers of the poor were appointed in each parish to administer the law. These unpaid officials had the responsibility for collecting poor rates from occupiers of land and property, and for using the money to relieve the destitute, apprentice their children, and set the able-bodied unemployed to work. Settlement Certificates The Settlement Act of 1662 made it mandatory of each person to have a parish of legal settlement. This was the only parish in which they were entitled to receive poor relief. The parish of settlement was usually a person's parish of birth, or where they had lived or worked for at least a year. In order to obtain legal settlement in a different parish, a person had to undergo a settlement examination by the overseers of the poor and justify his request. If successful, they were granted a settlement certificate. If someone required relief when living where they did not have legal settlement, the overseers could issue a removal order to have them transferred back to their parish of settlement. Bastardy Bonds When a woman was known to be expecting an illegitimate child, parish officials would submit her to an examination to try to determine the name of the father. They would then attempt to have him sign a bastardy bond, in which he agreed to be responsible for the maintenance of the child.

What time framae are you looking at? Bastardy bonds as far as I am aware where via the parish so they wouldn't have to support the children. At my local archive centre they have been indexed for Notts by the Notts Family History Society. I don't know if others are more hit and miss as they were done by volunteers. Pippa

Cheers Pippa and Fiona. The 2 kids were born in middle 1850s. Their Mother had loads of jobs to support them. Her first hubby died and then she met up with this fella. She never went on to marry again so she really was a single parent. I just wondered if maintenance was around in those days?? Sue xx

Sounds like a trip to the records where he children were born. However of the illigitimate children I have in my tree none of them have any maintenance orders. Would there be anything in his police record? Pippa

hi Pippa, he really was a rogue this one!! He got the sack from the Policeforce for fathering 2 illegitimate children. I have his work record...it's hilarious. His poor suffering wife!!! Looks like a trip out for me then. Ta hun Sue xx

Sue By the 1850s, paternity orders were being routinely dealt with by the Magistrates Courts or in some cases, Petty Sessions. For some reason, these are more difficult to find and access than those dealt with in the County Courts - I don't know if it is just that these Archives have not been transcribed or released into the Public domain yet. You could try a look at A2A, although I think the date is too late for them to have anything useful. Otherwise, an email to the Magistrates Court in the area where the children were born may at least put you on the right track. Good luck - I have had some splendid information from Bastardy Orders, Affiliation Orders etc, though earlier than your date. Marjorie