Vol. Williford and Saml. An illegitimate child can be recognized in birth records and when they seem out of place in the census records. Slavery's reach is still with us, and part of the gift of doing African-American genealogy, "The past is not dead. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. Finding Answers in Bastardy Bonds - North Carolina Genealogical Society The courts then will go to her family and require them to get a number of signatures of men who state they will see to it that the child is cared for until it becomes of age. Bastardy bonds are not always available depending on the area but can be a good resource. The South Carolina Department of Insurance requires brokers to post a $10,000 insurance broker bond. Bastardy bonds, 1837. Bonds and records typically give the name of the father, his bondsman, as well as that of the mother and child, and the amount of the bond posted. Join the community of family history enthusiasts and FamilySearch employees to ask questions and discuss potential product enhancements. For more details, see the flier here, and you can purchase them here. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW! If you need a South Carolina money transmitter license in order to legally operate, you'll first need to post a money transmitter bond. Otherwise, youll want to check through the county court records. . In most cases, the bondsman is not the father, but only one who is willing to help raise the child and care for the child until maturity. North Carolina 1736-1957 Bastardy bonds and records, Cleburne County, Alabama 1884-1950 Miscellaneous loose files, Chatham County, Georgia 1890-1950 Miscellaneous bonds (bastardy etc), Tattnall County, Georgia 1801-1870 loose papers, Jefferson County, Tennessee Maintenance (bastardy) 1807-1857), Nineteenth century Tennessee: adoptions, legitimations, and name changes, Pendleton County, West Virginia 1866-1925 bonds (including bastardy), Findmypast.com - Apprentices in Education and Work, United States, Freedmen's Bureau Labor Contracts, Indenture and Apprenticeship Records, 1865-1872, District of Columbia 1812-1893 Indentures of apprenticeship, Washington County, District of Columbia 1802-1811 Indentures of apprenticeship recorded in the Orphans Court, Burke County, Georgia 1867-1919 Indenture and apprenticeship records, Allen County, Indiana 1824-1912 Business records including apprenticeships, Todd County, Kentucky 1820-1888 Indentures of apprenticeship, Carroll County, Mississippi freedmen apprenticeship records, New Madrid County, Missouri 1810-1910 apprenticeship bonds containing names of heirs, Fredericksburg, Virginia Apprentice Records, http://www.moonfleetonline.co.uk/history/illegitimacy/, https://lisalisson.com/2017/10/16/how-to-research-your-illegitimate-ancestors, https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Illegitimacy_in_the_United_States&oldid=4742210. Be the first one to, Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). There are record collections (some digitized) and books found on FamilySearch for Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and West Virginia: Cleburne County, Alabama 1884-1950 Miscellaneous loose files Once these are found, then they begin to want to fill out the details of the information on each of the individuals in their charts. Birth records were not as consistent as Quaker monthly minutes, but both places should be searched. As seen in the image above this post, newspapers are a great place to look for cases of people charged with bastardy. Search Tips: Use AND, OR, NOT, and ( ) to narrow or broaden your search: "expenditures, public" and "county finances" [narrows search to records having both terms] "political ethics" or "misconduct in office" [broadens search to records having either term] ; marriage not license [narrows search to records having the first term but not the second] Mountain Press and Southern Genealogy Books, Downloadable PDF file, Betty J. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2a15e9cac799df -George Burns, "Where does the family start? We often find children in a census with their mother whose paternity is unknown. She was examined under oath and asked to declare the name of the childs father. In the 1860 census, Roswell is listed as Roswell Elliott instead of Roswell Blair. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Microfilm of original records in the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh, North Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History You never know what you will uncover next! There is no one specific record type that will guarantee to have the information about the father. When an unmarried woman was found to be with child, she was examined and required to provide the name of the father of the child. FamilySearch makes every effort to enable access dependent on decisions of record custodians and applicable laws. Just go to my Vimeo page and make your selection. Its possible that someone could quickly assume that Elliott was Roswells middle name and he would still have the surname of Blair. And Edwin A. Camin, Soft Cover, Reprint, 1990, Full Name Index, 8 1/2 x 11, 252 pages. It is also possible that it would include the word illegitimate alongside the birth information. Death records are similar to birth records, as it is not likely that both parents names would be listed. Join me as I present this NEW webinar that covers why we miss our ancestors in these records and presents numerous strategies to assist in finding every clue in census records. The bonds below were abstracted from files located in the NC State Archives, Raleigh, NC. (Media Note: If you quote a post, please credit me by name, Robyn N. The record also associates Wesley Hall and Levin H. Waters with Dennis Waters, since they secured the bond of $80. for Spartanburg County.The compiler stated that these were loose papers and were file in no particular order, thus the dates skip around all over the place. Cohabitation Bonds and Records, 1866-1867 - State Archives of North There is also a nine-year age gap between Mildred and Roswell in this census to signal that Roswell may be illegitimate if his mother was not one of the other females in the household. is for you. North Carolina bastardy bonds : Camin, Betty J - Internet Archive Value? The Definitive Resource for South Carolina Municipal Bonds multiplesons1.5294187457446106E12 . 26 September 2021 [PAST EVENT]: Acclaimed genealogist Melvin Collier and I will be presenting an all-new 2-hour lecture titled More Than Just Names: Incorporating Social and Community History Into Your Research from 1:00-3:30 EST (please note it is Eastern Standard Time). State vs. Rachel WEST/James WOFFORD/James West On May 9, 1801 a bond was signed before Saml. If you read the foreward on image 10, you will get the note that 'the reputed father was required to post bond. You spot on the shelves a book titled Bastard Bonds. This item is available on microfilm at this FamilySearch center. Click to reveal My Vimeo ON Demand video page lists six videos you can choose from to watch for 3 months ($15 each): -Finding the Last Slaveowner: Guidance and Case Studies, -Cluster Research: Using Groups of People to Find Your People, -Using Deed Records to Uncover Your Family, -Putting it All Together: Making Sense of All the Research You've Done and, -More Than Just a Name: Incorporating Social and Community History Into Your Research. Due to courthouse fires and records loss, there are many counties for which we possess very few bastardy bonds. Lisa Lisson, "How To Research Your Illegitimate Ancestors," Are You My Cousin? This should cause a red flag, especially if the mother is beyond child-bearing age and there were no daughters that might be the potential mother.[3]. I'll illustrate transcribing deeds, show you how to find your county deed records on FamilySearch, and you will receive my PDF Beginner's Guide to Using Deed Records, a $12 value! the expense of raising the child. Depending on the circumstances and time period of the parents, an illegitimate child could end up in orphan records. Microfilm of originals in the North Carolina State Division of Archives and History in Raleigh, North Carolina. There are various court records available that could indicate more information about an illegitimate child. If the woman refused to name. In the comments, my readers, tell me in what other states you have seen these records? maybe.. 2 State vs. Wm. -Thich Nhat Hanh, evolve theme by Theme4PressPowered by WordPress, Maryland Genealogical Society Holiday Luncheon, December 2017-2, Washington FHC Annual Conference, May 2011, Baltimore Family History Conference, October 2017-2, International Black Genealogy Summit, September 2016-2, Carroll County Genealogical Society Dinner, June 2018, Baltimore Family History Conference, October 2017, Reginald Lewis Museum, September 2011-2.jpg, Maryland State Archives Family History Festival, October 2014-2, Central Maryland AAHGS Meeting, March 2013, Robyn, Vonda, Andrea and Glenn, NGS Conf., May 2014, Maryland Genealogical Society Holiday Luncheon, December 2017-1, Howard Comm. ", "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance! Join my mailing list below to learn about upcoming webinars. If you are researching in North Carolina, then the North Carolina Bastardy Bonds may be of great help in your research. Bastardy bonds and records (North Carolina), 1736-1957 Authors: North Carolina. Also, this record is indexed under the name of Dennis Waters. brought to the attention of the court, a warrant was issued and the . This item is available on microfilm at this FamilySearch center. {I've specifically dealt with the ones in North Carolina and cannot vouch for the other colonies.} It is not a guarantee, but it is possible that it may mention that a person raised their niece or nephew. Bastardy bonds (1 unlabeled volume) 1873-1878. birth of a bastard child. Bonds and records typically give the name of the father, his bondsman, as well as that of the mother and child, and the amount of the bond posted. Division of Archives and History, United States, North Carolina - Public records, United States, North Carolina, Guilford - Public records, FamilySearch Terms of Use (Updated 2021-09-27), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. web pages Location: 2A.311-312; MARS ID: 216.2. Ive taken back reclaimed some of that lost memory, especially that of my enslaved ancestors. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. on June 22, 2015, There are no reviews yet. If the childs named parent is the mother, then the child could likely have been born out of wedlock. The "Bastardy Bonds" of North Carolina contains bonds posted because of the birth or impending. A bastardy bond is more than a clue; it's actually a solid lead to the identity of an unknown father and confirmation that a child was born out of wedlock. Only the mother can give the assurance that this is the father. In this case, Walter Wallacelost and had to pay court fees, post bond and pay finesin addition to other charges. United States, Freedmen's Bureau Labor Contracts, Indenture and Apprenticeship Records, 1865-1872 Henderson County North Carolina Bastardy Bonds 1830 - 1870 - RootsWeb Currituck County Bastardy Bonds - NCGenWeb These persons may be family members who are over the age of twenty-one, friends, neighbors, and in some cases, the father of the child. 13,000 places. The microfilm may have been scanned, but have a contractual, data privacy, or other restriction preventing access. Lancaster, J. P. by Polly WOFFORD, Samuel SHEARBUT and James WOFFORD.The mother was Polly WOFFORD who had given birth to an illegitimate male. 2 (1985): 174. doi:10.2307/2712897. Bastardy bonds, 1873-1878 - FamilySearch There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You are the continuation of each of these people." I make extensive use of tables for organization, analysis and citation in my research, and they have proven very popular with genealogists. Normally the father was the 1st listed Bondsman. Bonds - MunicipalBonds.com We go to the courthouses, libraries and other sources of information to find out more about the individuals. Sherri Abromavage, "Bastardy Bonds in General," Genealogy.com, accessed July 03, 2018. Quaker records specifically can be very forthcoming about an illegitimate child. ***Downloadable PDF File. It is well known that many in the royal lines of any country are from these situations. This series consists of a bastardy or indemnity bond taken against the parents of an illegitimate child as insurance against that child becoming a charge of the district. In the 1850 census, Sally Blair would have been over the age of 40 to have Roswell Blair in 1844. Just like vital records, the church records may not list the fathers name, which would indicate illegitimacy. Cohabitation bonds and records document the efforts of freedmen to register and legalize their marital status with the county after emancipation at the end of the Civil War. No superior alternative has yet been found. A nosy neighbor? Linda Gordon, "Single Mothers and Child Neglect, 1880-1920." Genealogical selections from the acts of the Louisiana legislature, 1804-1879 North Carolina has one of the best collections of bastardy records. Start your year off with tips and strategies that can help you in the new year & beyond. See flier for more details. The bond indemnified or compensated the parish against any future costs until the child was thirteen years of age or had been apprenticed out. Vol. There in the thousands of names listed they will frequently find a name that rings a bell for them. American Quarterly 37, no. All of the court records mentioned might be retrieved though Interlibrary Loans. This screen shows the complete catalog entry of the title you selected. Slavery's reach is still with us, and part of the gift of doing African-American genealogy is recovering the stories of those caught in its grasp who could not in their own time leave their own witness.". Google can also be a beneficial way to see if they are available in the area youre researching. Vol. Other papers may include presentments against and examinations of . The WOFFORD family is totally over-represented here! These bonds are not yet indexed. Todd County, Kentucky 1820-1888 Indentures of apprenticeship Additionally, Family Search now has North Carolina Bastardy Bonds for most NC counties digitized and available online. United States & Canada 2nd Floor Film. This series consists of a bastardy or indemnity bond taken against the parents of an illegitimate child as insurance against that child becoming a charge of the district. It is a good reason to speculate and research further if a story is passed down that an ancestor was either adopted or illegitimate. Register now! The 1894 Bastardy record below names all four of Sank Summerlins children and provides their ages: And lastly, the 1899 Bastardy record below shows that some men denied the charges. Each is present in your body. Bastardy Bonds - A Look Thru Time To narrow down the search even more, include the state or the state and county that you are researching in to see what is available. VII, No. Division of Archives and History (Main Author) Format: Manuscript/Manuscript on Film Language: English Publication: Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1995-1996 Physical: 70 microfilm reels ; 35 mm.