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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: iolaus on Tuesday 03 December 13 12:08 GMT (UK)
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I have been given information about a relative George FIDO - unfortunately the person who researched it unfortunately has passed away so can't ask exactly where it was from (but other information she has gathered is reputed to be accurate when checked
Baptism 1816 August 11th. Born May 1st. GEORGE, natural son of Thomas Williams, alias William Thomas and Ann Fido of Marshfield, Carpenter. Sworn to him at the Cross Hands.
What would the 'sworn to him at the Cross Hands' mean. There is a 14th century 'Posting House' called the Cross Hands, not that far from Marshfield so I imagine that whatever it was happened there - would this likely be in relation to Thomas Williams acknowledging the illegitimate child of Ann Fido?
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As it was a baptism could 'sworn to him' mean sworn to God?
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As the child was illegitimate, it may relate to a 'sworn' bastardy bond.
If the mother was seeking support from the parish for bringing up her illegitimate child, she would have had to identify the child's father on oath, before a local magistrate. The parish would then try to chase the father to contribute to the child's maintenance. Magistrates' hearings of this kind were often held at local inns.
So when the clergyman entered the father's name in the baptism register, he may have been referring to a statement of this kind, sworn by the mother.
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Would there be any records of these bastardy bonds?
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If they survive they'll be at the county record office, either with the quarter sessions records or amongst the 'parish chest' records for the appropriate parish.
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A woman, who was pregnant with a bastard child, would be examined on oath as to the father's identity. A man who was accused on oath as being the father could be committed to goal until he provided security to indemnify the parish against any expense. The details will be in the parish records of bastardy examinations and orders.
Stan
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Quick follow on question
I can't find any Ann Fido for the same village - but one family includes names which George later gives his daughters so pretty sure I have the correct family, my options for the mother (on baptism records) are :- Nanny (born 1791), Hannah (1788), Sibeana (1795) (there is a Sarah as well - but that couldn't be shortened to Ann)
One of George's daughters is listed on the census as Anna S - her birth certificate however shows her as Hannah Sibiana
All three girls are the daughters of Thomas and Hannah
Any ideas how I may be able to work out which of the sisters was his mother?
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Well, as you say, any one of those three could be shortened to Ann.
What you need to do is start looking for records of any of those three names which would be INCONSISTENT with their having been George's mother.
If you're lucky, you'll be able to rule out one. If you're exceedingly lucky, you'll be able to rule out two. If you're exceedingly unlucky, you'll be able to rule out all three.
The kind of things you're looking for is marriages, especially if followed by census entries showing them somewhere else altogether following marriage; deaths; baptisms of children both before and after George where the full, unshortened name has been used (but check that there is not a change of minister to account for the change in style); baptisms of children at about the same time as George but in a far distant parish.
Then you could see whether any wills exist which may help to resolve it.
There are ways to attack this problem ... but the key point is that you need to chip away and chip away, removing one layer after another, until there is only one plausible candidate remaining.
(You may never achieve that, of course ... but keep hold of all of the evidence you can find, and review it from time to time, and maybe another potential line of enquiry will occur to you ...)
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. If you're exceedingly lucky, you'll be able to rule out two. If you're exceedingly unlucky, you'll be able to rule out all three.
I think I've been very lucky and figured people on here would get my excitment
Sibeana married in 1815 to a Joseph Gay
Hannah married in 1811 to a George Gay
Nanny never appears to have married (or died but at present I'll take that)
I'm pretty confident that Ann was baptised as Nanny and then changed to a 'grown up' name as she got older
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Have you seen the wording on the Bishop's Transcript which is also online
Name: George Williams
Birth Date: 1 May 1816
Baptism Date: 11 Aug 1816
Parish: Marshfield, Gloucestershire, England
Father: Thomas Williams
Mother: Ann Fido
Register Type: Bishop's Transcripts
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Where can I find the Bishops Transcripts - is it any difference to the Parish records which give his father's name and alias
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It's on Anc***** as well as the parish entry, it's a copy that was made to the bishop, googling brings up all sorts of info from different sites. So on the BT it has been interpreted as Thomas Williams father.
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You can also - it worked for me when researching for a friend - eliminate one or more sisters as possible parents when fortunately both gave birth themselves ( one married, a sister in law, actually) within the term the pregnancy of the mother of the child-of-uncertain parentage would have been progressing. It was desperation rather like yours, with similar names (Nan. Nancy, Hannah) that lead me to trawl local records and - it worked! 2/3 eliminated after a busy weekend of deciphering. Nancy was the lady, in that case. Hope something similar works for you.