Records of questionable behaviour

 

                                                     Bastardy Orders naming James Argent as the reputed father

It's going slowly, but I've started my initial steps to get ready for my research trip. Using a list of my main family names, I decided to see what information I already have and how I might be able to take my research further building on what I have already gathered. I began at the start of the alphabet with my Argent family. I know that my ancestors in this family line were in Halstead, Essex prior to my 3 x great grandfather, James, moving to London. His father was also named James and sometimes it's hard to keep it straight which one did what.

Keeping things straight was probably why James Argent was called "the younger" on some of the Halstead records which I have for him. After all, the justices of the peace wanted to be clear who was the reputed father of the female bastard child born to Hannah Putney on August 9, 1792. James was found responsible and ordered to pay 1 shilling and sixpence every week to the parish for the upkeep of the child. Hannah also had to pay but her payment to the parish was ordered to be sixpence a week.

James the younger was also named as the reputed father in two more Bastardy Orders, one in 1799 and another in 1801. The first was for a male child and the second a female. The mother on both of these orders was Elizabeth Goody or Gooday. The amount to be paid to the parish for both of these orders was the same as the first one in which James was named. I hope he had a well paying job, charges were starting to add up.

It is interesting to see these clues to James Argent the younger's life and I'm grateful to have them. Copies of these documents have been in my possession for a long time as they were sent to me by a fellow researcher looking into the Argents of Halstead back in the days when collaboration happened through email and snail mailed packages of finds. What further information will I be able to put together with our new speedy online methods of accessing sources?

Sources:

Bastardy Orders from Halstead, Essex presumably from Essex Record Office which can be searched at:  https://www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk