Bastardry Bond, Alton

[Sarah in Midlands]

I have an illegitimate birth in my tree that I am trying to find details for.

ANN SMALL gave birth to Thomas George Small in ALTON in 1843.  The father is listed as JOHN MAFFEY, a married man who then moved back to his native Wiltshire with his family.

I have found Thomas from 1861 onwards but can find nothing on ANN.

Can anyone tell me where to look to see if a bastardy order was placed (presuming it would have been in Hamps not Wilts?) and what information it would tell me.

All / Any help much appreciated

SIM

[dee-jay]

There is nothing listed on the CALM database of Hampshire holdings at HRO, which is where I would expect to find a Bastardy Bond.  What exactly does the baptismal entry state, as many seasonal workers moved to the Alton area for the hop picking season so Ann may have arrived from out of area and returned from whence she came.  Where is Thomas in 1861?

[Sarah in Midlands]

Oh dear, it is all very complicated with Thomas and his parents...

On the 1851 Census Thomas is listed as a visitor with George and Martha Ewen in Chawton, Hampshire.  We do not know at this point where his permanent residence was or what relation he was to the Ewens.

By 1861 he was an apprentice Carepenter boarding with the Wheatley family in Wokingham.

As for Ann who knows???  Small could be her maiden name or her married name???

Unfortunately I have not been able to get to the Hampshire RO to check the parish records yet...It is next on my to do list but living several hundred miles away with two small children makes it a bit difficult.  I am hoping that this might give more of a clue.

Interestingly on his marriage certificate Thomas lists his father as Henry Small, Butler.  Whether he knew about his parentage and lied or thought this to be true is anyone's guess!

I did find an Ann and Henry Small (butler) but they had child around the same time Thomas was born so I had to discount them!

Big thanks to anyone capable of helping with this muddle!

Sarah

[Helen D]

Hi Sarah

bit of a long shot this one but.......

I have just discovered I have an Ann Small, living with relatives in Wylye Wilts in 1841. County of birth no known, age 29, miliner.
Her parents were Henry  Small, baker - a mystery man, and Rachel Snook of which I know loads.

Cannot as yet find her after this date, dead married or single, so a possibility, tho I suspect it was a common name. I know of at least 1 other in the same village!!

regards

Helen

[behindthefrogs]

"I did find an Ann and Henry Small (butler) but they had child around the same time Thomas was born so I had to discount them!"

I don't quite understand the above statement that you made.  Whereas this would discount Ann being the mother Henry Small (Butler) could still be the father.  In fact if he was married that could be a good reason for him being known but not marrying the mother.

With regard to bastardy bonds you must remember that they were the last resort and if the father was voluntarily supporting the mother and could only do it out of his income then no bond would be issued.  It could be worth looking at the parish records beyond the parish register.  In particular the vestry minutes and the records of the overseer of the poor.  Either of those could record that she was being supported and how.

David

[Sarah in Midlands]

Thanks for looking David. 

Re your confusion see my earlier posts... Ann is the mother, definately, and the father is a John Maffey.  Henry only comes into the equation on Thomas' marriage certificate but I suspect this is merely what he had been told as I can find no trace of him ever actually living with his mother.

He spent his early years living in the Alton area with another family.

I have no idea what happened to Ann hence looking to see if there really was a Henry Small (butler) married to an Ann following the train of thought that Ann could have had the baby fathered by Maffey but still been married to a Henry.  I then discounted the one coulple I had found as this Ann had another child around the same time as Thomas making it impossible to have been her.

It is all very complicated...sorry if I haven't explained things very well.

Sarah

[Helen D]

Hi Sarah

just going back over old bits and pieces to see if I have missed anything, and wondered if you ever traced your Ann Small. Do you know how old she was or where she was born? I mentioned earlier that my Ann Small's father was Henry, so he would have been Thomas's grandad if it was the same one. My Henry disappeared, but did have connections with Hampshire.

regards

Helen

[Sarah in Midlands]

Sorry for the delay in responding Helen, things have been a little hectic here and your post slipped under my radar!

I am afraid I know nothing at all of Ann other than Thomas' birth certificate - I have never been able to confirm where she came from, how old she was or anything else about her for that matter - it is a relatively common name in that area at that time and there are several in the locality that could have been my Ann or like you say, she could have come from further afield!

I would be so delighted to find Ann!

I'm not much help here I'm afraid!

Sarah

[Helen D]

Hi Sarah

thanks for your reply. We'll keep looking for our Ann Smalls, and maybe find they are the same!! or more likely not!

I see you have Reads also. I have a possible Charles Read who may have married a girl from Hants.  Any chance of a connection?

Helen