Bastardy 1
A lewd and disorderly person
Another category of behaviour which was dealt with robustly, as revealed in the records of the Quarter Sessions, is that of "lewdness" resulting in illegitimate children who were likely to need support from parish funds.
An example of the sort of treatment meted out to such women is shown below.
Breconshire
Quarter Sessions
Midsummer 1785
Powys
County Archives
B/QS/O/5
This extract, from the Order Book of the Breconshire
Quarter Sessions of 1785, reads as follows:
"County- Mary Kinsey having been lately delivered of
a Female Bastard Child in the Parish of Llanspithit [Llansbyddyd]
in the said County and she having given different accounts
as to the Father of the said child and it appearing to this Court
that she is a lewd and disorderly Person It is therefore Ordered
that she be taken into Custody and confined in the House of Correction
to hard Labour for the Space of one Month."
An example of the treatment of a father of an illegitimate child is shown on the next page
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