Meaning of - Perjury- affiliation of illegitimate child? John eltringham 1852

[careylynne]

Is there anyone that could give me a little more information on what the following means:

I have found a newspaper article for a John Eltringham charged with perjury for the affiliation of an illegitimate child at Gateshead in March 1852.

I see in Criminal Records he was found guilty on 1st March 1852  and sentenced to 2 years.

I am just a little confused as to what the charge actually is, he fathered a child and denied it to the court? Why the harsh sentence? I am not familiar with the laws of the time in relation to this.

Is there a way to find out who the mother or child were? I am unable to view the entire newspaper article as I don't have a subscription to find my past where the article was found.

Thank you to anyone who can shed some light on this for me.
Carey

[majm]

I have NOT used Find My Past to seek out and assist this look up request.   I do not know if this is the actual article being sought, but I can see that it addresses the same matters. 


Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury,  Saturday March 06, 1852, pg 4, Issue 318.
 
PERJURY AT GATESHEAD.

JOHN ELTRINGHAM (out on bail), pleaded guilty to having committed perjury at the Gateshead sessions, in a case of affiliating an illegitimate child.  Witnesses were called who gave the prisoner a good character.   To be imprisoned two years with hard labour.

So I read that:
John pleaded guilty to the charge that he committed perjury at the Gateshead sessions.   And that the perjury he committed was in respect of a case of Affiliating an illegimate child.   

Perjury was, still is, (and should always be) a serious offence.   It diverts the course of Justice. 

Cheers,  JM 

[Jomot]

The newspapers don't say much more, but there is a more detailed criminal record which says he was convicted of perjury in the case of an application made by Ann Irving for an order to affiliate an illegitimate child on a George Brown. 

John Eltringham was sentenced to two years hard labour but because he was young and George Brown had exercised improper influence over him three of the magistrates wrote to the Secretary of State on 1 Feb 1853 asking for a remission of some of the remaining sentence.

What appears to be the judge in the case disagreed strongly and said that he would have transported him but for the mitigating circumstances, and that perjury, in his opinion, was committed too often and should be harshly punished.

It isn't clear what the outcome was (not to me anyway) but the final words read

Decline to Interfere
Yes 16/2-93

Which seems to imply he served out his full sentence.

[majm]

The newspaper cutting is NOT saying that John ELTRINGHAM was the father, only that he was found guilty of perjury in a case.   And Jomot has given the details of that case ....    

So the case back at the Gateshead session was an application by Ann IRVING for the court to affiliate her child as the child of a George BROWN.

Yes, perjury was a serious offence.   

Cheers,  JM

[careylynne]

Wow thanks, that is very helpful!

Jomot - may I ask where you found this record? I would love to see an original!

To affiliate an illegitimate child on a George Brown - what exactly does this mean?

Could George Brown have been the man that raised the child?

JM can I ask what site you found the Newspaper article?

Thank you so much for your help

[majm]

JM can I ask what site you found the Newspaper article?

Yes, I used my Library card online and accessed the e-resources that it links me to.   

I am in New South Wales, Australia. 



Cheers,  JM

[KGarrad]

To affiliate an illegitimate child on a George Brown - what exactly does this mean?

Could George Brown have been the man that raised the child?

Ann was taken to court (probably by the Poor Law Union, or Parish) where she had to declare who the father of the child was. This is known as affiliating a child upon a man.

She named George Brown; John Eltringham told lies in court - probably in an attempt to get Brown off of the charge?

I would look in the relevant Record Office for Bastardy Orders.


See also previous thread: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=746507.0