Genealogy Chat

Jess Fortunately I don't know what that symbol means, dear!

Oh, I really must get Broadband, this dial-up is very restrictive, you have all been having fun whilst I have been doing mundane chores and talking to myself. And I certainly could do some fun. Anne, I keep trying to return your echo but it just bounces back - is it a boomerang in disguise, do you think? BASTARDY BONDS If you google for Bastardy Bonds, you wont probably find much. Bastardy Bonds were relatively rare and were only taken out where the putative father had a bit of dosh, or had a relative with a bit of dosh. The practice of Bastardy Bonds had virtually vanished by the mid 1850s. For the common-as-muckers, look for Bastardy Orders and Affiliation Orders. Lancashire is rich with these, ha ha, mostly down to MY rellies. A2A is an excellent place to start, in fact I never go anywhere else. If you can find a Bastardy Order on A2A, it almost always gives you both parents names and often, but not always, the child's name too. You will find them tucked in the Quarter Sessions records. Olde Crone

Talking of Bastardly Bonds lol, I was reading this last night, and came to the conclusion that you would have had to be very brass-necked indeed to be a slapper in the early 1900s. TINNING In the 1900s, the practice of 'tinning' was still prevalent in Catholica Ireland and Scotland and in many rural English communities. If a young woman became pregnant outside marriage there were two clear reactions. If the woman was engaged to be married, or the young man was also a member of her community, then the pair would be pushed rapidly up the Aisle and in due course would be delivered of a premature child. Everyone in the community would pretend to believe this fiction. No harm done. However, if the young woman had been foolish enough to become pregnant by a stranger, or even worse, an unknown man, then 'tinning' would take place. As soon as her condition became apparent, the locals would gather outside her house, carrying tin trays, which they would bang, until her family brought her to the door. She would then be dragged out and driven over the parish boundary by a mob banging the tin trays and shouting insults and abuse. She would never be allowed to return to the Parish. Some of these girls made it to Liverpool (Irish) but many finished up in the Workhouse, or even worse, in a Convent. Nice, eh? Olde Crone

Luverly thread. :-) ***little weeeeeed***

Tinning!!!! Thats awful poor girls to be bum rushed out of town like that, would their family have kept in touch or would they have disowned them? Crone As for the echo did'nt think it was a boomerang, maybe you are not throwning it high enough, remember it has to go over a mountain! Ann ;-)

Ann No, sadly, that was it for most of the girls - they were dead as far as their families were concerned. the villagers would not have allowed them to return and the family itself would have been ostracised if it had allowed the girl to return. Notice there is nothing said about the MEN!!!! Which reminds me lol! When I lived in Scotland in the early 1960s, there was a local Sherriff (Magistrate) who was known for his idiosyncratic punishments - he was known as the 'Hanging Judge'.. A young woman appeared before him, asking for maintenance for her illegitimate child. The man in question appeared, all suited up, with several mates, who all solemnly got into the Witness Box and swore on the bible that they too had enjoyed her favours. The poor girl was in floods of tears and her respectable mum was practically fainting. The Hanging Judge cast his eye around and said in deceptively reasonable tones that, given the evidence, sworn on the Holy Book, he really did not have the expertise to decide which one of these young men was the father. He would ask for blood tests, which would take about six months (he said) and in the meantime, as ALL seven men had enjoyed her favours, they could ALL pay her fifteen bob a week (the going rate) till it was sorted out. There was uproar from the mates (and their Dads) which resulted in six of the seven men being fined for perjury!!! Oh, how I LAUGHED!! Olde Crone

Crone you really are a mind of information, i have been searching for my gg/granmother so didn't see your reply until i gave up on her. but i can go to bed with a smile so thank you Ann :-)

Hi Old Crone. I just loved your last story. The biter or biters bit!! :-) Keith