Bastardy Maintenance Bond 12th July 1723

This Indenture made the 12th day of July in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty and three Between William CHURCHILL of Fordington in the county of Dorset Husbandman of the one part, Thomas TIRRELL and Charles PITFIELD Yeomen Churchwardens of the parish church of the parish of Fordington aforesaid Thomas ROBERTS carpenter and Giles TOLLERVILLE roger? Overseers of the Poor of the same parish of the other part Whereas George ROSE late of Trinity College in the University of Cambridge Gent Dent? Did heretofore in his life timeby his Indenture of lease bearing date the third day of July in the ninth year of the reign of our late Soverign Lady Queen Anne over Great Brotain etc anno domini One Thousand seven hundred and ten for the consideration therein mentioned demise grant and to farm let unto the said Willim CHURCHILL and Mary his wife (since deceased) All that Messuage or tenement and garden with the appurtenances late in the possession of Robert LETSON deceased and then in the possession of the said William CHURCHILL situate lying and being in Fordington aforesaid in a certain street called Mill street bound on the east side with a house then in the possession of Meriam MOORES widow (since deceased) on the west side with a house in the possession of William CHURCHILL and on the south side with the street Together with all houses outhouses buildings ways paths passages easements profits comodities and advantages to the same premises belonging or appertaining To hold the said messuage or tenement garden and premises unto the said William CHURCHILL and Mary his wife their executors administrators and assigns from the day of the date thereof for term of fourscore and nineteen years there next ensuing If he the said William CHURCHILL, Mary his late wife, and John Burd son of William BURD of Fordington aforesaid husbandman or any or either of them should so long live under the yearly rent of two shillings and eight pence and the performance of divers covenants therein contained as in and by the said receited Indenture of lease relation being thereunto had more at large appeareth And Whereas upon examination of Charity CHURCHILL of Fordington aforesaid widow lately taken upon oath before John GOULD Esquire one of his Majestys Justices of the Peace in and for the County asforesaid it appeared on her confession that she was with child which child when born would be a bastard and was begotten on her body by the said William CHURCHILL and may then be chargeable to the said parish of Fordington Now this Indenture Witnesseth that the said William CHURCHILL in consideration thereof and toward the Indemnity and saving harmless the said Thomas TIRRELL, Charles PITFIELD, Thomas ROBERTS and Giles TOLLERVILLE Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said Parish of Forthington and their successors for the time being and other inhabitants of the said parish of and from such trouble loss cost and damages as they any or either of them shall or may be put unto bear or sustain touching or concerning the birth nourishing and maintenance of such child as the said William CHURCHILL hath bargained sold assigned set over and by those presents rents doth bargain sell assign set over unto them the said Thomas TIRRELL, Charles PITFIELD, Thomas ROBERTS and Giles TOLLERVILLE Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor aforesaid ALL that the said Messuage or tenement and garden with the appurtenances And all that estate right title interest property claim and demand of him the said William CHURCHILL of and to the same together with the receited Indenture of Lease So Have and to hold the said premises with the appurtenances unto the said Thomas TIRRELL, Charles PITFIELD, Thomas ROBERTS and Giles TOLLERVILLE Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor aforesaid their successors and assigns from henceforth for and during all the rest residue and remainder of the said estate and term determinable as aforesaid Subject to the rents reversion conditions and agreements mentioned to be paid and performed by the said William CHURCHILL his executors and assigns in and by the said receited original Indenture of Lease In Witness whereof the party first above mentioned named to those presents Indentures interchangeable have set their hands and seals the day and year first above written

The mark of William CHURCHILL

Sealed and delivered being first written on triple sixpenny stampt paid in the presence of us Thomas EAMES; Edward CHAFFEY and Jonathan HILLARY

Bastardy Bond 23rd August 1723

The preamble to the bond is written in Latin but the bond binds William CHURCHILL of Fordington and is dated 23rd August 1723. The obligation is written in English:-

Whereas Charity CHURCHILL of the Parish of Fordington aforesaid widow hath lately been delivered of a male bastard child within the parish aforesaid of which child the above bound William CHURCHILL stands charged according to law to be the father Now the condition is such that if the said William CHURCHILL his heirs executors and administrators or any or either of them do or shall from time to time or all times hereafter acquit discharge and serve harmless as well as the above named Thomas TIRRELL, Charles PITFIELD, Thomas ROBERTS and Giles TOLLERVILLE Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of the parish of Fordington aforesaid and their successors for the time being as also the inhabitants & parishoners of and from all costs charges and troubles whatsoever for and by reason of the birth maintenance nourishing and bringing up the said child and of and from all such demands whatsoever touching or concerning the same Ten this obligation to be void else to remain in full force

The mark of William CHURCHILL

Sealed and delivered in the presence of us Thomas EAMES; Morgan HARBIN

Genealogical Notes:-

(1). Images of these documents are also now available on Ancestry.com for members but may not be straightforward to locate:-

Click on 'Card Catalogue' on Ancestry Home Page in the right hand box under Record Collections
On the Ancestry Card Catalogue Screen provided Insert the word ' Dorset ' in the Title box provided and press the 'Search' button
Go down the list of available files provided and click on ' Dorset, England, Parish Poor Law Records, 1511-1997 '
In the box on the right of the screen Under 'Parish or Poor Law Union' Heading use the drop down menu to select 'Fordington St George'
In the box underneath use the drop down menu to select 'Overseers of Poor'
From the file listing provided select 'Overseers of Poor Bastardy Maintenance' - it is the only record currently (July 2012) attached (still the only record Dec 2017)

(2). Charity CHURCHILL is the widow of John CHURCHILL of Fordington. John CHURCHILL married by licence 5 miles north of Fordington on 23rd Nov 1714 in Holy Trinity church in the parish of Godmanstone to Charity TIBS and they settled in Fordington where they raised two children before John died. The only suitable burial I can locate for a John CHURCHILL in Fordington is on 14th May 1717. Their children were :-

(1) Gawler Churchill (1714- ?) the son of John & Charity CHURCHILL baptised St Georges church 2nd Jan 1714/5.
(2) William Churchill (1720-1723) son of John & Charity CHURCHILL baptised 11th July 1720. I can only assume that William was born within 9 months of his fathers death and baptised later in 1720. Buried at FStG 3rd Oct 1723

(3) Charity CHURCHILL Widow gave birth to a bastard male child whom she named Joseph and had baptised at Fordington on 21st July 1723. Joseph married Christian CLARK from the parish of Abbotsbury at All Saints church in Dorchester on 29th March 1749.

(4) Charity CHURCHILL was buried at Fordington on 14th July 1759.

(5) William CHURCHILL had married Mary BIRD at FStG on 3rd Jan 1705 and as stated in the above bond took possession of a property to farm in Mill Street on 3rd July 1710. Mary his wife died and was buried at FStG on 20th Nov 1717. William then remarried to Jane BIRD at FStG on 10th Nov 1718.