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Lucy Soper had a male illegitimate child, born 2 Dec 1804 at Kingsclere.
A warrant was issued in 1805 to apprehend the father, John Hughes of Sonning, Berkshire, a miller.
John appeared in front of Justices of the Peace 29 Mar 1805 and declared the father. [Hampshire Records Office ref 49M76/PO7/45, see document below]
He was ordered to pay �2 19s 6d, and after that, 1s 9d per week to the Kingsclere Overseers of the Poor, 'as long as the said bastard child shall be chargeable to the parish'. Lucy was to pay 1 shilling a week, if she did not nurse the child herself. [an agricultural laborer's weekly pay was around 8s source]
On 18 Oct 1815, William Ruddle, a Kingsclere Overseer of the Poor, demanded �4 17s 4d, regarding John Hughes's refusal to pay for the maintenance of Lucy Soper's child. [HRO ref 19M76/PO7/127, see document below] : Lucy had died 1809. Perhaps the child was supported by the parish after Lucy's death? 1815 would be around the time that a child would normally stop being supported by being apprenticed to someone
Overseers of the poor in 1805 Lovelace Bigg Wither Esq, Rev John Orde & Clement [Cottrelle?]
Overseers in 1815 William Ruddle & John [Ardew?]
- The child was John Soper : bapt 23 June 1805, he married Jane Smith 1836 & died 1882, all at Kingsclere
- Presume this is the Lucy Soper, bapt 18 Feb 1784, Kingsclere, the youngest daughter of John Soper & Martha Hunt (who m.8 Aug 1768. Kingsclere). she never married & was buried at Kingsclere 23 Feb 1809, so aged about 25
- Sonning is 18m NE of Kingsclere. (there were Thames powered mills there)
- There were several John Hughes in Berkshire and Hants at this time. A John Hughes married Anne Seward at Kingsclere in 1811.
- A John Hughes aged 70-74 was in Kingsclere's 1841 census with his family, He was a miller, born outside Hampshire transcript
- There were several mills at Kingsclere, fed by streams coming from the downs. There were also windmills on the higher ground. They employed skilled workers, perhaps John came to work in one
- Lovelace Bigg Wither Esq. [1741-1813] Owned the Manydown Park Estate, via grandfather Lovelace Bigg's 1684 marriage to heiress, Dorothy Wither (son, Harris Bigg-Wither [1781-?] famous as fianc�e of Jane Austen (for 12 hours in 1802) - he was dumped, but gained an epitaph for posterity. Rich, but "big & awkward")
- Rev John Orde : a Rev John Orde married early 1800s. He was 'of Winslade', Hants (13mSE) at his daughter's death 1825
- Clement Cottrelle no info, perhaps spelling wrong?
- William Ruddle overseer in 1815, perhaps the William Ruddle born Kingsclere 1749
- John ?Ardew?
Below is the examination of Lucy Soper, 1805 : [HRO ref 19M76/PO7/11]
Scan of this page not available here but available from Hampshire Record Office. The document is a bastardy examination concerning the male child (born 2 Dec 1804) of Lucy Spear, singlewoman and John Hughes of Sonning, Berks, miller
Below is the order of 29 Mar 1805 : [HRO ref 49M76/PO7/45]
Return to Hampshire Sopers