Bastardy Bonds

[grahamila]

My Great Grandfather was illigitimate, born in Road in 1856 and I know the name of his father.  When I look at the archive index the bastardy bonds seem to be no later than 1854.  Does anyone know where to find bonds for 1856?

[CaroleW]

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

Extract from the above

After the New Poor Law of 1834, the parish authorities lessened their role in bastardy cases leaving the woman the option of applying herself for the bond from the Petty Sessions. Local newspapers often reported on maintenance orders heard before the petty sessions or quarter sessions and on fathers who failed to pay or absconded.

The Warrant gave the order for the father to appear in court if he attempted to abscond. Where disputes over payments occurred, the case papers may be found in the Petty Sessions records, although very few records remain.

[grahamila]

Would an application be made where the mother was living or where the father was living?

[rosie99]

I would have thought from Carole’s link that it was the mothers as she would be the one making any financial claim for child support.

Have you looked in local newspapers

[Bookbox]

Bastardy bonds are a feature of the Old Poor Law (pre 1834). What you are looking for in 1854 is an affiliation order. If the mother applied for such an order she would go to the petty-sessional court for the district where she was living at the time of application. This is not necessarily the same as the child’s place of birth. She had to apply within 12 months of the birth.

Returns of such orders were also made to the quarter sessions. Have you look at the returns catalogued and name-indexed here (up to 1857)?

https://somerset-cat.swheritage.org.uk/records/Q/RCB/2

If you find something here, you can ask the archive to quote for sending you a copy.

If the family was not well off, you should also look at any surviving records for the relevant poor-law union (e.g. guardians’ minutes). These aren’t usually online.

Otherwise, there may have been a voluntary agreement between the mother and the father, and a record is unlikely. Or there may have been no support at all from the father.

As a general rule, if you can’t find something online, email the county archives with the details and ask what they have that might help your search. This sort of general enquiry is normally answered free of charge.