Unwed Parents

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Motherhood without marriage provides the material for the records in P328a OV 5.
OV 5/1 contains 68 documents, dated 1703, 1765, 1767, 1772, 1774, 1779 and then increasing in frequency to end with 9 July 1834 where Mary Woodman names Giles Porter of Broad Somerford in Wiltshire.
OV 5/2 are 'Bastardy Examinations', with 92 documents beginning 1697, 1708, 1725, 1726, 1754, 1764, 1774 then more frequently. I made notes of the first 33, to 1799, did not look at the last 54, the final one dated 5 May 1834.
OV 5/3 are the 'Indemnity Bonds' and contains 12 documents 1755, 1761, 1766 to 1801
OV 5/4 are the demands for payment, and the dates are similar - 1728, 1740, 1766, 1771 then 42 more, the last one I listed is 1799.

These facts explain why there are only 13 cases recorded for the 70 years before 1770.

There are six cases of unwed mothers reporting the fathers of their babies from 1699 to 1760. Sarah Gorie, who may have been a poor child of Tetbury placed where she became pregnant when a servant 1699.
There are 5 cases in the decade to 1770, and 12 base children are baptised in this decade, and for the first 70 years, we had 82 base children. I conclude that there was a change in attitude to base born children and their unwed parents.
The next decade has 18 cases, and then 23. More strangers appear to be involved - one or the other is not a resident of Tetbury.

Hannah Ponten/Panting of Tetbury's male child born 12 Dec 1754 is the son of John Johnson of Henbury Glos He was bonded for 80 pounds and supported by his father Nicholas Johnson of Westbury, and by John Johnson of Bitton, labourer

Hopeful Lockey paid for his son Joseph Lockey's child by Mary Cleaver up to 2 Jan 1784, Reference P328a OV 5/4 dated 28 Dec 1779.

Mary Jones of Tetbury is supported by her father Samuel Jones of Broad Somerford, Wilts, Tetbury reference P328a OV 5/3 dated 1-Jan 1785

Elizabeth Whitfield married 1783 to her soldier when her son was aged 2, spelling of his surname changed from Scott to Eycot.

Overseers cases involving Base children

Entries for Motherhood cases are colour coded darkviolet.
Sarah Gorie named Robert Hedges 1699 Abigail Mayo named William Tomkinson 1708 Susannah Hobbs named John Man 1725 John Man named Joseph Sharp 1725 Hester Brassington named William Loyd 1728 Sarah Minchin named Humphrey Collwell 1740	Hannah Panting named John Johnson 1755 Martha Moon named William Sealy 1761 Susannah Blandford named Thomas Tompson 1764 Frances Crew named Thomas Townsend 1766 Sarah Crew named Ambrose Townsend 1766 Elizabeth Dickman named Thomas Thompson 1766 Catherine Blackwell named John Chapman 1767
Anne Kerry named John Grant 1771 Mary Stogden named Edward Herbert 1772 Hannah Whitford named Samuel Palser 1772 Ann Mark Bright named Joseph Sharp 1774 Sarah Sharp named John Crow 1774 Hannah Parker named William Hall 1775 Ann Stephens named John Crew 1775 Ann Harding named William Brown 1776	Sarah Savage named Thomas Bamford 1776 Elizabeth Shillam named Thomas Hayward 1776 Sarah Witchell named Richard Heaven 1777 Ann Clay named Richard Harris 1778 Mary Eycott named John Newcourt 1778 Hannah Clark named William Shillam 1779 Mary Cleaver named Joseph Lockey 1779 Elizabeth Philips named William Bury 1779
Sarah Cox named Robert Watts 1780 Mary Smart named William Stokes 1780 Elizabeth Osborne named Robert Smith 1781 Elizabeth Whitfield named Samuel Scott 1781 Ann Harding named John Grant 1782 Mary Mabatt named Joseph Watts 1783 Hester Noaks named Edward Slade 1783 Elizabeth Philips named William Webber 1783 (she has 4 charged to 1789) Mary Stafford named Samuel Fowler 1783 Jane Ecott (Scott) named Jeremiah Bowles 1784 Betty Graham named John Carrisbrook 1784	Elizabeth King named William Hillier 1784 Elizabeth Taylor named Thomas Watts 1784 Sarah Thomas named James Webb 1784 Mary Jones supported by her father, 1785 Sarah Payne now Davis named William Davis 1785 Elizabeth Philips named Lazarus Smith 1785 Elizabeth Fletcher named Kedgwin Stout 1787 Elizabeth Brown named John Whitfield 1788 Mary Glover named Thomas Wilkins 1788 Elizabeth Philips named William Hillier 1789 Sarah Griffin named John Hayward 1790 Elizabeth Fletcher named Thomas Smart 1791

Baptised as Base children

Entries for base born children are colour coded darkmagenta.
This list is only from the baptism register. Thus it leaves out children who are noted as 'base' when they are buried. Lidia Stanmore's children are only noted when they died of Smallpox, a month before Mary Stanmore's son Isaac also died in the same epidemic of 1761. Hester Higgs baptised her baseborn son Charles Townsend in 1704 and he was known as Charles Townsend, Charles Townsend 'alias Higgs' or Charles Higgs Hester Wright, whose son John born in 1715 is known as 'alias Hone', is a good example of the problems of widowhood, and the problems and penalty for having a base child.
Mary Humphries c 1699 William Underhill son Thomas 1699 Esther Wilkins son Jeremiah 1699 Jone Jarf daughter Mary 1700 Rebekah Longford son Charles 1700 Jane Stephens son James 1700 Margaret Tanner daughter Joan 1700 Sarah Clark daughter Ann 1701 Hannah Issmet daughter Mary 1701 Edith Parker daughter Elizabeth 1701	Margaret Clark daughter Mary 1702 Jane Reeves daughter Ann 1702 Mary Timley daughter Ann 1702 Hester Higgs son Charles Townsend 1704 Hannah Wilkins son Adam 1704 Margaret Hobbs son Lowly 1707 Hester Howard daughter Ann 1708 Sarah Hubburt son Joseph Man 1708 Abygail Mayo son William 1708 Ann Smith daughter Mary 1708 Margaret Mitchel son William 1709
Margaret Shillam son William 1710 Margaret Hobbs son Samuel Grant 1711 Ruth Creed daughter Susanna 1712 Mary Naish daughter Dinah 1712 Mary Cox son Thomas Gibson 1713 Rebecca Lewing daughter Elizabeth 1715 Hester Wright son John 1715 Elizabeth Washburn son George 1716	Ann Gifford daughter Ann 1717 Katharin Price daughter Sarah 1717 Ann Underhill daughter Mary 1717 Francis Ball daughter Mary 1718 Sarah Chambers son Robert 1718 Elizabeth Hunt son Richard 1718 Elizabeth Pering daughter Dinah 1719
Sarah Chambers son Stephen 1720 Mary Shillam son Thomas 1721 Sarah Loyd son Richard 1722 Sarah Washburn son James 1722 Mary Bennet daughter Mary 1723 Mary Brasington son James 1723	Elizabeth Hunt daughter Mary 1723 Margaret Mitchel daughter Mary 1723 Katharen Hunter son John 1724 Susanna Hobbs son John 1725 Elizabeth Long daughter Ann 1726 Hester Brasington son William 1728
Anne Barrat daughter Martha 1730 Hester Prichard son William 1730 Mary Cary daughter Mary 1731 Rachell Taylor daughter Mary 1731 Sarah Wayst son John 1731 Mary Fletcher son John 1732 Ann Pretty daughter Mary 1732	Mary Chambers daughter Elizabeth 1734 Locket son Christopher 1734 Hannah Davies daughter Sarah 1737 Martha Pool daughter Elizabeth 1737 Christian Blake son John 1739 Martha Constable daughter Anne 1739
Elizabeth Jones son James 1740 Sarah Minchin daughter Sarah 1740 Rose Smith son Richard Baily 1740 Elizabeth Baily son Samuel 1741 Sarah Parker daughter Mary 1741 Ann Manning daughter Ann 1742	Mary Bizzey son Thomas 1743 Martha Higgs son Samuel 1743 Hannah Wilkins daughter Sarah 1743 William Crew daughter Ann 1747 Ann Halway son Luke Henry Flewo 1747 Hester Parker daughter Mary 1749
Sarah Martyn son Daniel 1751 Ann Clark daughter Mary 1752	Rachel Neems son William 1758 Rebecca Russ daughter Elizabeth 1759
Hester King daughter Sarah 1760 Martha Moon son Nathan 1761 Mary Stanmore son Isaac 1761 Catherine Blackwell son John 1762 Ann Line son John 1762 Sarah Stephens son William 1763	Elizabeth Parker daughter Elizabeth 1764 Mary Alexander son William 1766 Martha Smith son James 1766 Elizabeth Dickman son George Cherry 1767 Ann Loins son Thomas 1767 Winifred Teague daughter Thomasin 1768 Joseph Ralph daughter Elizabeth 1770

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