County of Northampton to wit.
The Order of us whose Hands and Seals are hereunto set, two of his
Majesty's Justices of the Peace in and for the said county, one whereof is of
the Quorum, and both residing in or next unto the limits of the parish church,
within the parish of Desborough in the said county, made the Second day of May
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty one concerning a
male bastard child lately born in the parish aforesaid, of the body of
Lucy Nursey single
woman.
WHEREAS it has been duly made appear unto us, the said Justices, as well upon
the complaint of the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the said parish
of Desborough as upon the oath of the said Lucy Nursey that she was delivered of
a male bastard child, in the said parish, on the twenty eighth day of March last
past, and that the said bastard child is now chargeable to the said parish and
likely so to continue; and further that Benjamin White of Market Harborough in
the county of Leicester did beget the said bastard child, on the body of her the
said Lucy Nursey.
And whereas the said Benjamin White being now present, hath not shown any
sufficient cause why he should not be the reputed father of the said bastard
child, We therefore upon examination of the cause and circumstances of the
premises, as well upon the oath of the said Lucy Nursey as otherwise, do hereby
adjudge him, the said Benjamin White to be the reputed father of the said
bastard child.
And thereupon we do order, as well for the better relief and indemnifying of
the said parish of Desborough that the said Benjamin White shall and do
forthwith, upon notice of this our order, pay or cause to be paid, to the
churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the said parish of Desborough or to
some one of them, the sum of thirty shillings for the charges and expenses
incident to the birth of the said bastard child, and also the sum of
for the reasonable costs of apprehending and securing the said Benjamin White
and the further sum of eight shillings the costs of this order of filiation
(such charges, expenses, and costs having been duly ascertained on oath before
us) and also the further sum of
for the maintenance and sustenation of the said bastard child to the time of
making this our order.
And we do hereby further order, that the said Benjamin White shall likewise
pay, or cause to be paid, to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the
said parish of Desborough for the time being, or to some or one of them, the sum
of one shillings & sixpence weekly, and every week, from this present time, for
and during so long a time as the said bastard child shall be chargeable to the
said parish of Desborough And we do further order that the said Lucy Nursey
shall pay or cause to be paid, to the said churchwardens and overseers of the
poor of the said parish of Desborough for the time being, or to some or one of
them, the sum of ninepence weekly, and every week, so long as the said bastard
child shall be chargeable to the same, in case she shall not nurse or take care
of the said child herself.
Given under our hands and seals the day and year first above written.
J Wagg
G E Hanmer
Notes:
Lucy's son was named
Benjamin White
Nursey. The 1841 census shows her as of independent means. Later
that year she married a widowed baker, Robert Russell of Brigstock,
where the family was living in 1851. By 1861 Lucy was widowed and she
and Benjamin had returned to live at Desborough.
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