How long after an illegitimate child was born might a bastardy bond be sought?

[Sprouted]

Any ideas roughly how long after an illegitimate child was born would a bastardy case be heard? Or a report of it in the newspaper be made? Presuming that everything went as normal and other circumstances didn't delay it.

[Ruskie]

If the woman names the father, there can be pressure on him to marry her while pregnant.

It may be useful if you can tell us dates and place in case variations occurred. This gives some information:

https://www.genguide.co.uk/source/bastardy-bonds-amp-documents-parish-amp-poor-law/140/

[KGarrad]

See: https://www.genguide.co.uk/source/bastardy-bonds-amp-documents-parish-amp-poor-law/140/

The illegitimate child would be a charge to the local authorities, so action would normally be swift.

[Ruskie]

See: https://www.genguide.co.uk/source/bastardy-bonds-amp-documents-parish-amp-poor-law/140/

Great minds KGarrad! 

[Guy Etchells]

Any ideas roughly how long after an illegitimate child was born would a bastardy case be heard? Or a report of it in the newspaper be made? Presuming that everything went as normal and other circumstances didn't delay it.

There was no set time, some parishes applied during the pregnancy
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01j0g/

or

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01j0h/

Sometimes they waited until after the birth

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01j0i/ at other times they would be content to wait until the child became a burden on the parish due to change of circumstances.

Cheers
Guy

[Sprouted]

Thank you all, some very useful links for me to read through. I'm wondering if the child was sent to live with a grandparent then would the grandparent be most likely to be supporting her? I suppose it all depends on circumstance.
I will try to share what I know, if you could tell me what you think...
My 3x ggm Catherine Johnston was born in Schoose, Workington, Cumberland in Jan 1855, I have her birth certificate which also tells me her mother was Ann Johnston, no father recorded.

Here she is in the 1861 Census living with her grandmother:
Name   Cathrine Berwick
Age   6
Estimated Birth Year   1855
Relation   Granddaughter
Father's Name   James Johnson
Gender   Female
Where born   Workington
Civil parish   Workington
Ecclesiastical parish   St John
Town   Workington
County/Island   Cumberland
Country   England
Registration district   Cockermouth
Sub-registration district   Workington
ED, institution, or vessel   20
Household schedule number   23
Piece   3939
Folio   101
Page number   6
Household Members   
Name   Age
Catherine Johnson   
James Johnson   
Cathrine Berwick   
Mary Ann Johnson   
Joseph To Todd
She is living in Schoose, Workington which was a tiny little village, her birth certificate tells me she was born there and my grandmother also told me she was from there before I began my research so this must be her. I think the spelling Berwick here is an error and should be Bewick. She gives her children the middle name Bewick, which is still passed down in the family today, and my grandma was told we were related to Thomas Bewick the famous engraver.
Catherine didn't live with her mum Ann at any point (as far as censuses show) but I think this must be Ann in the 1841 census living in Schoose:
Name   Ann Johnstone
Age   10
Estimated Birth Year   abt 1831
Gender   Female
Where born   Cumberland, England
Civil parish   Workington
Hundred   Allerdale above Derwent
County/Island   Cumberland
Country   England
Registration district   Cockermouth
Sub-registration district   Workington
Piece   159
Book   10
Folio   24
Page number   4
Household Members   
Name   Age
Thomas Johnstone   50
Catharine Johnstone   50
Henry Johnstone   15
Barnet Johnstone   14
Samuel Johnstone   12
Ann Johnstone   10
James Johnstone   7

An Ann Johnston born 1831, Workington married Martin Bewick in 1860, 5 years after Catherine was born and just before their daughter Jane Bewick was born. So my hunch would be that Martin Bewick was her dad as she uses the name Berwick when she is 6, but on everything else, birth, marriage, censuses etc she is Johnston.

Sorry for long post but if anybody has any thoughts on how I might find proof that Martin Bewick was Catherine's father that would be appreciated.

[LizzieW]

I have a document in which an order dated 10 December 1847 was placed on a man for the costs towards maintenace of a child belonging to my 2 x g.aunt who, at the time, was in prison in Boston, Lincolnshire awaiting deportation to Tasmania.  According to the Tasmanian records this 2 x g.aunt had 2 children.  One I know was aged 6 at the time, the other one I've never been able to trace.  Assuming this bastardy order related to the 6 year old, I guess the order was taken out by the authorities for maintenance for the child.  As it happened, the little girl died on 2 May 1848 of typhus, just 3 days after her mother was deported to Tasmania.  So I suppose it's possible to get a bastardy bond some years after a child was born.

I don't know if my 2 x g.aunt would have known of the death of her daughter, or whether the 2 children she states as having (which were left behind) we as well as the one who died.

[Sprouted]

It does seem to add many more questions rather than any quick answers when they are illegitimate. An interesting and sad story LizzieW, it's a shame you have not been able to trace the other child.
I think in my case if there was one I am looking at a 5 year period before she got married. I will look further into criminal records seen as she doesn't seem to be involved in bringing her daughter up but have been led to belief that this line of the family were doing alright back then, still who knows.