Bastardy Bond

[TrishaG]

Hi,
is it possible that someone could do me a favour if they are going to the archives?
Could they look up a possible Bastardy Bond that may have been issued by an
Ann TIMMS b 1842,of Wootton (or poss' Marston Moretaine or Shelton, depending on when she issued it) against a man called Edward KEECH.
KEECH is down in Marston Moretaine parish registers in 1865 as the father of Ann's illegitimate child,Edward Jesse TIMMS,born11th Aug 1865.
KEECH is described as a labourer from Marston.However after a little investigation I can't find an Edward Keech anywhere although there were a lot of Keech's in the area so I'm not sure if the 1st name is correct.The correct name might be on a Bond ,if issued.

Trisha

Many thanks to anyone who can help me.I can't get to the archives at all so any help is very much appreciated.
Trisha.

[bedfordshire boy]

There was a thread on bastardy bonds on the Beds board a month ago
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,255953.0.html

They ceased in 1834

Do you have Edward Timms' birth certificate to see if a father is mentioned?

David

[TrishaG]

Hi David,
there's no father mentioned on the birth certificate but his name is  in the Parish baptism register as his father.
I've done some  research with the help of some other rootschatters and I can't  find an Edward KEECH who fits the bill.There is however an Edwin Keech ,labourer living virtually up the road,so I was wondering if the Parish records were a wrong in some way.A Bastardy Bond was the only thing I could think of that might have the true fathers name on.
Did women apply to Petty Sessions instead of having Bastardy Bonds or have I got that wrong ?

Trisha

[bedfordshire boy]

There was also an Edmund Keech in Marston in censuses, but he was married, although that's  never stopped anyone. Edmund was baptised and married in Marston. But the fact that the son was named Edward may be an indication that he was named after the father.

See http://www.a2a.org.uk/help/glossary/index.asp for an overview of bastardy. Genuki has this to say; "Trying to find details of bastardy cases after 1839 is difficult. Bastardy bonds and other parish bastardy documents ceased to be used after 1834 when the Poor Law Unions were created. From 1834 to 1839 the Workhouse administrators initiated bastardy proceedings through the Petty and Quarter Sessions Courts, and from 1839 all bastardy cases were heard at Petty Sessions, and initiated by the mother, who had to produce corroborative evidence to convict the putative father."

David

[TrishaG]

Hi David,
looks like the info I may need may be in the petty and quarter sessions Courts Bastardy cases if the father did nothing to help.
Thanks for your help,
Trisha

[johnP-bedford]

So I'm off to the Archives on Wednesday, do you want me to look anywhere ? after those heavy petting petty sessions no wonder there's a bastard 

Apologies in advance - I just could not hold back  ...

[TrishaG]

Hi John,
you're forgiven,it was funny.
Well it seems that the Petty and Quarter sessions seem the best hope unless you can think of anything better.
As I said before the mother was Ann Timms.Her son Edward Jesse Timms was born on the 11th Aug 1865 at Marston.He was baptised there in January 1866.
The baptism register say the father was Edward Keech but as I can't  find him I have a strong belief that the father might be Edmund Keech amarried man who lived very near them.I might be wrong but I can't think of any other way of finding out and if I  don't that direct line on my tree will come to a dead stop.By 1861 they had moved to Wootton Green and 1871 Upper Shelton.Where she lived is important only I suppose on when and if she went to court about this.
Thanks very much for offering to do this for me.It's very kind of you.

[johnP-bedford]

Hello Trisha

Had a look in the Ampthill minute book that contained Petty / Quarter sessions details & found no Edward/Edmund Keech. It was the right book as I did find an entry for Thomas Keech at Marston accused of bastardy by Sarah Barker on Nov 10 1864. This follows baptism on William Thomas Barker, no father named, child of Sarah Barker on Oct 25 1863.

[TrishaG]

Hi John,
Oh  rats !!:'( -lol
Thanks you very ,very much for looking for me John  you don't know how much I appreciate it.
Trisha