bastardy orders

[longtallsally]

Does anyone know who the other person would be who is named on a bastardy order ? I see on the A2 website that not just the one I have, but quite a few others name 2 men responsible for support of the child.  Obviously the childs father is one - but is this other person the mothers father ?  It woud be very helpful to know who this would be.  (order is from Suffolk)

thanks

lts

[stanmapstone]

It could be a Bastardy Bond, the men named being bondsmen who had entered sureties, the Bond, to say that they would indemnify the parish to which the child was chargeable from all costs. I have seen one with three men mentioned, the first named being the father.
See http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,364885.msg2408213.html#msg2408213
Stan

[LizzieW]

Stan,

I still don't understand why a man who wasn't the father would enter sureties.  As I said in the thread you quoted, "I've got a Bastardy Bond dated 1806, where my g.g.g.grandmother names one man as the father of her unborn child, but he and another man entered surieties".  As the two men appeared to live in different Parishes it seems totally illogical.

It makes no sense for someone who is not the father to offer to indemnify the Parish against its extra costs.  It certainly wouldn't happen nowadays.  If someone was pregnant who had doubts regarding the actual father, I'm sure the men who might be the father, wouldn't get together and agree to share the costs between them. 

[Just Kia]

Bondsmen don't have to be involved or related.
As I understand, a bondsman is one who agrees to ensure that the person responsible pays. If the bondsman doesn't get the payments from the person responsible then the bondsman himself becomes responsible. A bit like a co-signer on a loan - if the person named doesn't make the repayments the co-signer is responsible.

[stanmapstone]

A man who was accused on oath of being the father of an illegitimate child could be committed to prison until he provided security to indemnify the parish against any expense, which is why you get other people on the bond who the father has persuaded to accept responsibility with him.


These posts in the RootsChat Lexicon relate to Bastardy Bonds   
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,16343.0.html
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,103320.0.html
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,190647.0.html
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,248609.0.html

Stan