FAMILY HISTORY: NORRIS

THE FAMILY OF MARGARET ARMITAGE

 

Margaret Armitage was born in Croston in 1863, the daughter of Catherine Armitage, an unmarried lady. There is some confusion as to her exact date of her birth as the baptism register at St Michael and All Angels Church in Croston records the date as 5 March 1863 while the Order of Filiation records the birthdate as 1 May 1863.

Apparently Catherine could not support her child and the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of Croston issued the following Order of Filiation:

 

ORDER OF FILIATION:
2 3 6

17 6

________

3.1.0		 Lancashire, to wit.
Whereas complaint hath been made unto us, two of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace
and Quorum in and for the said County of Lancaster, residing next unto the limits of the
Parish Church of Croston within the Parish of Croston in the said County, by the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of the Township of Croston in the Parish and County aforesaid, that Catherine Armytage single-woman hath lately been delivered of a female bastard child, in the said Township of Croston in the Parish and County aforesaid, which is yet living and chargeable to the said Township of Croston

AND, WHEREAS, the said Catherine Armytage this day came voluntarily and of her own free will and accord before us and then and there upon her Examination upon Oath, did declare that she the said Catherine Armytage was upon the first day of May last delivered of a female bastard Child in the said Township of Croston in the said Parish and County; which said child is now living in and heretofore hath been and still is chargeable to the said Township of Croston and likely so to continue: And that Richard Cottom of Croston in the said County, labourer, did beget the said Bastard on her body, and is the father of the same. And WHEREAS the said Richard Cottom hath been duly summoned to appear before us the said Justices to the end that upon the examination of the cause and circumstances of the premises we might take such order as to right doth appertain; and hath not appeared before us nor shewed any sufficient cause why he should not be adjudged the reputed father of the said bastard Child.

We therefore, the said Justices, upon due examination and consideration of the premises, as well upon the Oath of the said Catherine Armytage as otherwise, do hereby declare and adjudge that the said Child was born a Bastard upon the body of the said Catherine Armytage in the said Township of Croston in the Parish and County aforesaid, and is now living and heretofore hath been and still is chargeable to the said Township of Croston and that the said Richard Cottom is the father of the said bastard Child. Thereupon we Order as well for the better relief of the said Township of Croston as for the sustentation and relief of the said bastard Child that the said Richard Cottom shall and do forthwith upon the notice of this our Order Pay or cause to be Paid unto the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said Township of Croston or to some of them the Sum of two pounds three shilling and six pence for and towards the charges and expenses incident to the birth of the said bastard Child, and the maintenance of the said bastard Child from the time of her birth to the time of making this our Order, the further sum of __________ for and towards the costs of apprehending and securing the said Richard Cottom and the sum of seventeen shillings and six pence for and towards the cost of this Order of Filiation; such charges, expences, costs, and sums of Money respectively having been duly ascertained on Oath before us the said Justices to be reasonable. And we do likewise hereby further Order that the said Richard Cottom shall well and truly Pay or cause to be Paid unto the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said Township of Croston or to some one of them for the time being the sum of __________ weekly and every week from this present time for and towards the keeping, sustenance, and maintenance of the said bastard Child, for and during so long time as the same shall be chargeable to the said Township of Croston. And we do hereby further order that the said Catherine Armytage shall likewise well and truly Pay or cause to be paid unto the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said Township of Croston or some one of them for the time being the Sum of __________ weekly and every week from henceforth so long as the said bastard Child shall be chargeable to the said Township of Croston in case she shall not nurse and take care of the child herself.

GIVEN under our Hands and Seals at Rufford in the County of Lancaster, this fifth Day of May in the fourth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the fourth by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty Three


[signed]

Call Jno Waddington, Thos. D. Hesketh, Wright Alty, Joshua Thomas Horton

 

NOTES:
1: The parts of the above text in italics are written in by hand on a pre-printed document.
2: The signatures of the Justices are very difficult to read and I may have misinterpreted them.
3: Catherine Armitage and Richard Cottom were not ordered to pay weekly support for Margaret which may mean that Catherine and her family were going to support the child themselves.
4: The above information is taken from the original document held at the Lancashire Archives.

 

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