| As early as 1575
the "Justices of the Peace" in each county were given powers to
order the mothers or putative father of illegitimate children to
pay for their maintenance, either directly to the mother or
through the parish officials. If the father of the child was
unwilling to acknowledge his responsibilities, the woman who bor
ethe child might be taken before two local justices to make a
statement on oath - this was known as an Examination - She
was made to admit who the father of the child was and describe
the circumstances of her child's conception. The justices would
then make an appropriate maintenance or affiliation order,
providing the names of both parents and the amount of
maintenance to be paid. In earlier times these orders were
generally signed by two justices acting outside Petty Sessions,
they filing copies with the Clerk of the Peace of the county.
Though the process sounds harsh, it was rarely needed - between
1 and 2 % of births in the UK were illegitimate and not
ALL unmarried mothers applied for relief. This doesnt mean that
sex before marriage was rare however - I cant tell you how many
births of first children occur within 4 months of a marriage!
The various documents pertaining to absent fathers is described
below. |
|
Bastardy Examinations
were taken to identify the father of an illegitimate child. The
examinations took the form of an oath by the mother as to the
identity of the ‘reputed father.’ |
Bastardy Bonds
give the details of the reputed father, or another surety, who
pledge themselves to contribute to the upkeep of the
illegitimate child. If the alleged father failed to make the
required payments, the bond money would be forfeit. The name of
the mother is given. |
|
Bastardy Warrants
were issued by local JPs for the apprehension or arrest
of a reputed father, usually for refusing to make payment to
support the child. These give the name of the reputed father and
his parish of residence and occupation, if known. Details of the
mother are also given, but the name of the child is rarely
given, these were usually listed as male child or female child. |
Bastardy Orders
were issued by local JPs and ordered the reputed father to pay
maintenance for the support of his illegitimate child. Bastardy
Orders provide the name of the reputed father, his parish of
residence and his occupation, if known. Details of the mother
are also given, but the name of the child is rarely given |
| The ones below are those
concerning the Tivey family both from a mother and reputed
father's context. I have transcribed some, but they are poor
copies and transcrbing takes a lot of time, so contact me for
copies via email, no charge. If the are in
Green I
have trascribed them. |
| Mother last |
Mother First |
DATE |
Parish |
County |
Father's Name & occupation etc |
Sex of Child |
|
Sneap (Snape) |
Lydia |
1812 |
Melbourne |
Derbyshire |
Thomas Tivey, Frame Work Knitter
(husband of Catherine Dent) Lydia was 14/15 years old at the
time, and Thomas was married with children. She married 10
years later to John Barton, and then married William Warren in
1829 after John's death. After being widowed yet again she
married John Moore at Derby St Peter in 1842. |
Male |
|
Hetherley |
Elizabeth |
1816 |
Shepshed |
Leicestershire |
William Tivey
((they married shortly after the examiniation)) Child was
thought to be the eldest child William, born 1816 in Shepshed
|
Male |
|
Tivey |
Elizabeth |
1812 |
Melbourne |
Derbyshire |
Edward Bottomor of Leicester - the child
is thought to be Maria Tivey who was apprenticed out in 1822 to
Henry Fisher of Tipton Staffordshire; |
Female |
| Winfield |
Ann |
1828 |
Melbourne |
Derbyshire |
Edwin Tivey, Frame
Work Knitter - The child was named John but died in infancy **
Ann Winfield was 15 at the time. She also had a further 2
illegitimate children - Leonard in 1831 - father Thomas Gregory,
Boatman and another child named John in 1834 (father unnamed)
both appear in the baptisms register at Melbourne - both
children died before the age of 4 years. |
Male |
| Tivey |
Mary |
1823 |
Melbourne |
Derbyshire |
John Higgins - the child was thought to
be Jane Tivey who married Samuel Jackson in 1840. Mary was the
daughter of Thomas Tivey and Catherine Dent of Group 2, she
married William Fairbrother, her cousin in 1827 |
Female |
| Tivey |
Mary |
1826 |
Melbourne |
Derbyshire |
Father was William Elliott - Mary was
the daughter Thomas Tivey and Catherine Dent.
The child was named Frederick and took the name of Fairbrother
when Mary married her cousin William Fairbrother in 1827 |
Male |
|
Boyer |
Sarah |
1796 |
Markfield |
Leicestershire |
William Tivey - The child was named
Elizabeth and died at the age of 11- William & Sarah married in
1797, he was a widow. Sarah then remarried to Thomas Willimott
in 1816 |
Female |
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MORE AS I DISCOVER THEM |
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