Filiation Order: Hugh Norris

ORDER OF FILIATION:

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 Church-wardens and Overseers of the Poor of the Township of Croston in the Parish and County aforesaid, that Ann Norris Single-Woman hath lately been delivered of a male 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 Ann Norris 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 Ann Norris was upon the Twentieth Day of September last delivered of a male 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 John Cottam of Croston in the said County Husbandman, did beget the said Bastard on her Body, and is the Father of the same. And whereas the said John Cottam, Husbandman 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 Ann Norris as otherwise do hereby declare and adjudge that the said Child was born a Bastard upon the Body of the said Ann Norris 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 John Cottam, Husbandman 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 John Cottam shall and do forthwith upon the Notice of this, our Order pay or cause to be paid unto the Church-wardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said Township of Croston or to some one of them the sum of Three pounds Twelve Shillings 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 his birth, to the time of making this our order, the further sum of Two Shillings for and towards the costs of apprehending and securing the said John Cottam and the sum of Thirteen Shillings 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 John Cottam shall well and truly pay or cause to be paid unto the Church-wardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said Township of Croston or to some one of them, for the time being, the sum of Two Shillings 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 Ann Norris shall likewise well and truly pay or cause to be paid unto the Church-wardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said Township of Croston or some one of them for the time being, the Sum of Two Shillings 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 Leyland in the County of Lancaster, this Sixteenth Day of February in the Fifty fifth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord GEORGE the Third, 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 fifteen

Signed 20th Feb'y

Samuel Rigby, Rd. Clayton, [third name illegible]

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:	The above information is taken from the original document held at the Lancashire Record Office.