Genealogy Chat

Just came across this site when looking for something else - thought it might be interesting - looks like some type of church list of people doing "immoral" things in the 1600s!

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/mss/online/online-mss-catalogues/cats/an_presentment_bills_315.html

That's a really interesting site, I can't see any of my ancestors so far but it's making great reading!

I didn't realise people could not get into trouble for not attending church for more than a year. There also seems to be an awful lot of fornication going on!

Sam x

There does, doesn't there? How did they know, do you think? Perhaps more of the women fell pregnant than the writing suggests.

I feel sorry for the man who was summoned for letting an unmarried mother stay in his house while she gave birth (at least I think that's what it means) - he was probably just trying to be kind to her when nobody else would.

Amazing, too, how people are in trouble for going out to do farm work on a Sunday - I wonder if it had been bad weather and that was the only day they could do anything?

Very interesting
Not found any of my ancestors yet, but they must be in it somewhere.

I liked this extract, how many pages would it fill if they did the same analysis in todays society, made me smile

Bingham
Easter 1632
Churchwardens present the following: Bridget Baylie for having had a child begotten in fornication by Richard Leyland of Bingham, as the common fame goes; John Warde and Katherine Hardie for living together as man and wife, being unmarried.

You know, they must have been really nosy parkers, George. How did they know, for instance, that the John Warde and Katherine Hardie you mention hadn't gone to another parish to marry and then come back.

Unless it was some kind of county-wide observation - there do seem to be a lot of places covered. I wonder what "as the common fame goes" would be in modern English - perhaps it means they had sex in the usual way and got pregnant or something?

Kate
you are probably correct , nothing seemed to escape escaped the local vicar or whoever, right load of snoopers.
Still looking through the list though, and seeing that the vast majority of my ancestors come from the Nottingham area , im bound to find one, just hope he isnt the vicar.

nudge to book mark