Author Topic: "A fugitive from church justice"  (Read 2766 times)

Offline Josephine

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"A fugitive from church justice"
« on: Thursday 25 March 21 20:25 GMT (UK) »
As I make my way through some of the kirk sessions records on ScotlandsPeople, I find myself feeling exceedingly glad that I can't be compelled to answer to a religious court.

I've just read about a woman who had a relationship with a married man and ended up pregnant. The church elders found the man but couldn't find the woman, so they had to go in search of her, and the entry referred to her as "a fugitive from church justice."

It's one thing to voluntarily place oneself under the authority of a religious court for specific issues, or to ask a cleric for advice, but this was something else.

Just think: 300 years ago, a woman and/or man found guilty of fornication or adultery could be compelled to appear in church wearing sackcloth and to sit on a special seat in full view of the congregation while being verbally abused and forced to show regret. They also had to pay a fine.

We can't judge people in the past by today's standards, I know, but it sounds so humiliating.

I want to go back in time and tell that fugitive woman: "Run, Bessie, run!"

Regards,
Josephine
England: Barnett; Beaumont; Christy; George; Holland; Parker; Pope; Salisbury
Scotland: Currie; Curror; Dobson; Muir; Oliver; Pryde; Turnbull; Wilson
Ireland: Carson; Colbert; Coy; Craig; McGlinchey; Riley; Rooney; Trotter; Waters/Watters

Offline Skoosh

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Re: "A fugitive from church justice"
« Reply #1 on: Friday 26 March 21 08:13 GMT (UK) »
What concerned the Kirk Session was any child unprovided for becoming a burden on the parish funds. Money was aye short and the Kirk was the social security system!

Skoosh.

Offline Gillg

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Re: "A fugitive from church justice"
« Reply #2 on: Friday 26 March 21 10:23 GMT (UK) »
What concerns me is that it was always the woman who was punished in some way, as though the man had nothing to do with it!  I have an ancestor who had an illegitimate child and got her own back by naming it after its father, her employer, who could well have abused his position to take advantage of her.  The parish caught up with him and made him pay for the child's upkeep.
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

FAIREY/FAIRY/FAREY/FEARY, LAWSON, CHURCH, BENSON, HALSTEAD from Easton, Ellington, Eynesbury, Gt Catworth, Huntingdon, Spaldwick, Hunts;  Burnley, Lancs;  New Zealand, Australia & US.

HURST, BOLTON,  BUTTERWORTH, ADAMSON, WILD, MCIVOR from Milnrow, Newhey, Oldham & Rochdale, Lancs., Scotland.

Offline Viktoria

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Re: "A fugitive from church justice"
« Reply #3 on: Friday 26 March 21 10:40 GMT (UK) »
Just recently there was quite a lot in the news etc about the way Catholic girls in Ireland were so cruelly treated if they  became pregnant,worked so hard and their babies taken from them for adoption.
As one such baby ,now a middle aged man ,said the fathers were never hounded or admonished by the priest.Just thr girls.
And all this when some priests were paedophiles, as many a choir boy / altar boy has testified.
Viktoria.


Offline Skoosh

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Re: "A fugitive from church justice"
« Reply #4 on: Friday 26 March 21 11:02 GMT (UK) »
As the lassie was left holding a wean which, unless her folk helped out, would be kept by the parish. "Its the rich wot get the pleasure while the poor wot get the blame" an age-old problem. The Session generally sent elders in pursuit of the Lothario to pay up or marry her! Robert Burns was so hounded!  ;D

Skoosh.

Offline KGarrad

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Re: "A fugitive from church justice"
« Reply #5 on: Friday 26 March 21 11:33 GMT (UK) »
There is an article in RC Reference Library on the Manx version "Presentments for Fornication". (Wot I wrote ;) )

As Skoosh said, it was all about chasing the errant fathers, and getting them to pay for the upkeep of their illegitimate children.

The Manx women were charged with having to present themselves to their local vicar (or curate, or whatever!) in order to "confess" the name of the man.
Failure to do so resulted in a fine of 2s 11d.
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline Skoosh

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Re: "A fugitive from church justice"
« Reply #6 on: Friday 26 March 21 11:45 GMT (UK) »
Burns was certainly cheesed-off by the kirk's discipline and, from memory, wrote,

"So gently scan your brother man, likewise your sister woman,
They didnae gang a-kennin wrang,
To err is only human! ;D   or something.

A Dumfries barmaid gave birth shortly after his wife Jean had twins, to duck the country-clash Robert presented Jean with an addition to the family.

Offline KGarrad

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Re: "A fugitive from church justice"
« Reply #7 on: Friday 26 March 21 11:55 GMT (UK) »
Just adding a link to the original thread:
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,743215
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline Josephine

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Re: "A fugitive from church justice"
« Reply #8 on: Friday 26 March 21 22:51 GMT (UK) »
Interesting! Thanks, all.

I understand why they did it back in the day but reading the entries still bothers me.

Guilty men were required to wear sackcloth and sit on the naughty seat, too. They also had to pay a fine.
England: Barnett; Beaumont; Christy; George; Holland; Parker; Pope; Salisbury
Scotland: Currie; Curror; Dobson; Muir; Oliver; Pryde; Turnbull; Wilson
Ireland: Carson; Colbert; Coy; Craig; McGlinchey; Riley; Rooney; Trotter; Waters/Watters