Affiliation Order 1879

[Jellis]

My great grandmother, Emma Chaplin (nee Cookson) appears to have brought an Affiliation Order against a John Ramsden (or Ramsay) in 1879.  I say 'appears' because I have not yet proven that it is my Emma in the article.

My question is, does anyone know how old the child had to be (or rather, the maximum age) when this order went to court?  Did it have to take place during the child's first year?

Thank you.

[Bookbox]

After the 1844 Poor Law Amendment Act was passed, the mother could apply for a maintenance order before the child was born, or up to 12 months afterwards.

The mother could also apply later if she could prove to the court that the father had already paid something towards the child's maintenance during the first year.

(Source: Ruth Paley, My Ancestor was a Bastard, 2004)

[stanmapstone]

See also http://www.childsupportanalysis.co.uk/guest_contributions/snow_illegitimate/first_page.htm

Stan

[Jellis]

Thanks for the link, Stan.  I'll have a read of it later.

Thanks for that Bookbox.  It is all a bit of a mystery at the moment, as Emma was a married lady and seems to have had a child by A N Other.  She had several other children with her husband after this.  Judging by the number of times they were reported in the newspaper for drunkenness and fights, I don't think it was a marriage made in Heaven! 

[stanmapstone]

It is all a bit of a mystery at the moment, as Emma was a married lady

The child of a married woman can not be illegitimate, fatherhood, paternity, is established by marriage. The legal presumption is that a child born to a married woman is a child of her husband, even if that is not actually the case.

Stan