Barstardy Bond - help understanding content

[Kiwigal]

Well what an exciting day yesterday was, after soooooo much help from fellow Rootchatters I have found the elusive Thomas Parker Durrant !

I am nursing a very sore hip today, was jumping around in glee so much I fell off my chair  and as I am the only gene nut in the house no one could really understand why the pain didn't matter

Having discovered he was the bastard son of Frances Durrant and her amorous other half Edward Parker:

"Edward Parker junior of Warbleton,husbandman and Richard Parker of Warbleton otherwise Dallington bound in 80 pounds to acquit the parish of any charges, as the father of the male bastard delivered of Francis Durrant late of Chiddingly" ref P292/16/8 17 Dec 1763.

I understand that Edward is the father, but can anyone suggest/explain who Richard could be?
I am guesssing he is a sponsor or quarantor for Edward, no doubt related?

Kiwigal

[kerryb]

Hi Kiwigal

So glad I added to your joy.

I just wonder, but I don't know would Richard be Edward's father?  So he could be some sort of guarantee or something.  Hopefully someone will know because you've got me interested as well now.

Kerry

[Chris in 1066Land]

Hi Kiwigirl

Well done on getting that document.

The way that I read it is that Edward Parker is a Jumior (i.e under 21) and therefore had to have the backing of a relative (possibly his father) to be able to agree the 80  pounds payable to Frances Parker in order that she did not make any claims on the Poor / Parish Relief to help her support her child.

If I have read it incorrectly, I am sure some rootschatter will quickly point it out

Chris in 1066

[suey]

Poking my nose in here! 

Eighty pounds sounds like an awful lot of money, was that like 'bail'?  If he failed to pay for the child the eighty pounds would be the fine for defaulting?

Suey

[Kiwigal]

Just got this reply from the Archives Office, you were right on the money Suey

"The document P 292/16/8 is a bond, dated 17 Dec 1763, whereby Edward Parker the younger of Wartling, husbandman promises to pay the parish of Chiddingly £80 if he does not pay 1s 6d per week for the maintenance of his illegitimate son which was born to Frances Durrant in Chiddingly."

Eighty pounds would have been an absolute fortune back then, maybe I should be looking for gentry, they obviously thought he came from money

Hmmm, they interpret "junior" as the 'the younger'.

It looks like Frances Durrant had another son, Samuel Durrant in 1768, again no father mentioned. ( Wild woman of Sussex  ) It seems she settled down by 1771 when she married Richard Guy in Chiddingly

[Jane Masri]

Just giving my point of view; The use of the word, 'junior' implies that his father or a close male relative older than him was also called Edward Parker & was still living.

jane

[Jane Masri]

There is an extracted entry on the IGI for the baptism of an Edward Parker 1/2/1741 at Warbleton s/o Edward & sarah.  This might be the wayward Edward giving credence to the use of 'junior'.
Also on the IGI there is a baptism of a Richard Parker 7/11/1728 at Warbleton s/o Richard & sarah.  No sign that Richard was a brother to Edward senior but he might be or an older brother to Edward junior,

jane