Whereas it hath been duly made
to appear unto us the said justices, as well upon the complaint of the
churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the parish of Westalvington
in the said county, as upon oath of Mary Crocker, alias, Fitzwater,
single woman, that she, the said Mary Crocker, alias, Fitzwater,
on or about the third day of November now last
past, was delivered of a female bastard child, in the said parish,
and that the said bastard child is now chargeable to the said parish, and
likely so to continue; and further, that John Mitchelmore of
the parish of Churchstow in the county of Devon,
Labourer, did beget the said bastard child on the body of her the
said Mary Crocker, alias, Fitzwater And
whereas the said John Mitchelmore hath
appeared before us, in pursuance of our summons for that purpose, but
hath not shewn any sufficient cause why he the said John Mitchelmore
shall not be adjudged to be the reputed father of the said bastard child.
We therefore upon examination of the cause and
circumstances of the premises, as well as upon the oath of the said Mary
Crocker, alias, Fitzwater, as otherwise, do hereby adjudge him the said
John Mitchelmore, to be the reputed father of the said bastard
child.
And thereupon we do order,
as well for the better relief of the said parish, as for the sustentation
and relief of the said bastard child, that the said John Mitchelmore
shall and do forthwith, upon notice of this our order, pay
or cause to be paid to the said churchwardens and overseers of the poor,
or to some or one of them, the sum of eleven shillings and sixpence,
as and for the reasonable charges and expenses incident to the birth of
the said bastard child, and also the sum of one pound twelve shillings
and sixpence as and for the reasonable costs of apprehending and securing
the said John Mitchelmore and of this our order of filiation;
and the further sum of twelve shillings for the maintenance of
the said bastard child to the time of making this our order; all which
said charges, expenses, cost and maintenance, have been duly and respectively
ascertained, as well as on the oath of John Edwards, one of the
said overseers of the poor, as otherwise before us the said justices,
and are hereby by us allowed. And we do also hereby further
order that the said John Mitchelmore shall likewise pay or cause
to be paid to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the said
parish, for the time being, or to some or one of them, the sum of One
Shilling and sixpence weekly and every week from this present
time, for and towards the keeping, sustentation, and maintenance of the
said bastard child, for and during so long time as the said bastard child
shall be chargeable to the said parish. And we do further order, that the
said Mary Crocker, alias, Fitzwater shall also pay or cause
to be paid to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the said parish,
for the time being, or to some or one of them, the sum of Sixpence
weekly and every week, so long as the said bastard child shall
be chargeable to the said parish, in case she shall not nurse and take card
of the said child herself. Given under our hands and
seals the day and year first above written.