Further bastardy hearing reports against James Holmes

[Meggiejayne]

I have found a newspaper report for the bastardy hearings in Boston where Sarah Bellamy of Coningsby petitions James Holmes of Walcott for maintenance of her illegitimate daughter Emma. There were 4 further children, who I believe were all illegitimate but fathered by James. My great great grandmother Roseanna lists James as her father on her marriage certificate, but as deceased, even though records show he's not.

I've not had much luck in searching for any such reports/petitions for Roseanna, Ann Rebecca, Matthew or Susan. All who I believe to be children of Sarah and James. I don't know if there are any or whether anybody has come across any others?

Despite endless looking I have to assume all of these children, whilst having the same father seem to be illegitimate as I have been unable to find a marriage. There is another James Holmes around and he marries a Sarah, but not my James and Sarah.

There is also the fact that Roseanna lists her father as deceased on her marriage which leads to wonder whether she had anything to do with her father at all and certainly after the death of her mother in 1860.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[QueenoftheWest]

Here is Rosanna's birth registration:

BELLAMY, ROSANNA  HOLMES     - 
GRO Reference: 1850  D Quarter in HORNCASTLE UNION  Volume 14  Page 453

She is given James' surname as a middle name, which supports his being her father, but the lack of a mother's maiden name indicates that she was illegitimate.

An Emma Holmes Bellamy was registered in 1844 in Boston, Lincolnshire, a Susan Holmes Bellamy in 1842 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, a Matthew Holmes Bellamy in 1854 in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, and an Ann Rebecca Holmes Bellamy in 1858 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire - all had mother's maiden name blank.

Can't see any further Holmes-Bellamy children.

Queenie 

[Meggiejayne]

I have Roseanna's birth certificate and I believe a lot of mothers gave their children the father's surname as a middle name to get the father on the birth certificate.

I'm struggling to figure out why they never married. James never marries and remains unmarried in the 1881 Census. Roseanna obviously believes her father to be dead when she gets married so I can only assume that she had very little to do with him.

I am assuming that he is the father of all 5 children because she petitions him for Emma and then all of the other children have his surname as a middle name. I just wondered if there were any petitions for the others. However I suppose he could have just agreed to be responsible for the others?

Just puzzles me as to why they never married.

[Meggiejayne]

BELLAMY, ROSANNA  HOLMES     - 
GRO Reference: 1850  D Quarter in HORNCASTLE UNION  Volume 14  Page 453



An Emma Holmes Bellamy was registered in 1844 in Boston, Lincolnshire, a Susan Holmes Bellamy in 1842 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, a Matthew Holmes Bellamy in 1854 in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, and an Ann Rebecca Holmes Bellamy in 1858 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire - all had mother's maiden name blank.

This is interesting. Is it the same in those days as it is now in that births had to be registered in the registration district they were born in? I hadn't noticed the big difference in localities. I know Sarah was born in Billinghay, according to 1851 Census. Emma has birth place of Boston. Susan and Roseanna have birth[place of Billinghay so I wonder why the different registration districts?  I'd figured at some point that Sarah must have moved as she is buried in Sutton St Edmund.

Is there anyway I can find out where she lived between the census returns, or is this information not available?

[rosie99]

Baptism in Billinghay 14 Aug 1842 for Susan Holmes Bellamy mother Sarah (single woman)

[Meggiejayne]

Baptism in Billinghay 14 Aug 1842 for Susan Holmes Bellamy mother Sarah (single woman)

So we can assume that in 1842 Sarah lived in Billinghay if the baptism was there?

[DCB]

The 1841 census has Sarah living in Billinghay with her mother, Susannah. She was baptised there on 17th April 1825, daughter of Richard and Suzan (Susannah Harrad), which is on a number of online trees.

In 1851, she was with her mother, Susan, in Coningsby.
Sarah, her mother, and daughter, Susan, were all born in Billinghay, together with Emma in Boston.

In 1841 James Holmes was living in the Hamlet of Walcott, Billinghay. Also in later years, unmarried, and buried there on 31st May 1882.
One of the newspaper articles about the maintenance gives him as a farmer from Walcot.

David

[Meggiejayne]

The 1841 census has Sarah living in Billinghay with her mother, Susannah. She was baptised there on 17th April 1825, daughter of Richard and Suzan (Susannah Harrad), which is on a number of online trees.

In 1851, she was with her mother, Susan, in Coningsby.
Sarah, her mother, and daughter, Susan, were all born in Billinghay, together with Emma in Boston.

In 1841 James Holmes was living in the Hamlet of Walcott, Billinghay. Also in later years, unmarried, and buried there on 31st May 1882.
One of the newspaper articles about the maintenance gives him as a farmer from Walcot.

David

Thank you I have all of this information. A bit of further reading of the 1851 Census shows that Sarah and her mother were annuitants, had to look this up as I hadn't heard of it before and found out that it means they were in receipt of a pension/annuity which I assume is from the farm, possibly left to Susannah by her husband. So as they also have a servant it would be a fairly decent amount.

James' mother and father farmed between 175 and 182 acres. Still baffles me why they never married. I did think that maybe Sarah was considered beneath James but now Im not so sure.