| Abstract | Settlement Bond for Thomas Worrall of Peldon 20 March 1713 transcribed from ERO D/P 287/14/1
Transcription by Elaine Barker December 2023
The Bond is partly in Latin
Abstract
This settlement bond [Note 1] made 20th March 1713 concerns Thomas Worrall, a ten year old poor child living in Peldon, who is being placed with Peldon farmer and yeoman, Edward Digby, by the parish. The parish is represented by Lord of the Manor, Samuel Reynolds, and John Wayland. Digby is to home Thomas until the boy reaches the age of 24. If Digby fails to honour this bond he is to pay the parish £30. In practice the child would become Digby's servant in return for board and lodgings. Often the parish would be approached to pay for the child's clothing. The bond stresses that Digby is not offering an apprenticeship as such.
[See Settlement Bond for Sarah Worrall of Peldon 1713 for that of Thomas's sister. It is likely the children's father has died for that March a 'Widow Worrall' is in receipt of 2s 6d from Comyns Charity. See Comyns Charity Recipients 1713/1714 ]
[Obligation in Latin]
1. Nov[er]int Univ[er]si p[er] p[re]sentes me Ed[ua]rdum Digby de peldon in Com[itatu]
2. Essex yeom[an] ten[er]i & firmiter obligari Samuel Reynolds de peldon p[re]d[icti] arm[igero]
3. et Joh[ann]i Wayland de ead[e]m yeom[an] in Trigint[a] libris bone et leglis monet[e] magn[e]
4. Britan[nie] Solvend[ur] eisd[e]m Samuel Reynolds & Joh[ann]i Wayland Seu eoque alteri vel
5. eoque \alt[er]ius/ certo Attorn[atis] Ex[ecu]toribus Administratoribus vel Assign[atoribus] eorum ad quam quidem Solu[c]ionem bene
6. et fidelit[er] faciend' obligo me Haered[es] Ex[ecu]tores et ad[ministra]tores meos firmiter p[er] p[re]sentes
7. Sigillo meo Sigillat[] Dat[] vicesimo die martii Anno r[eg]ni d[omi]ne n[ost]ri Anne Dei
8. Gra[tia] magn[e] Britan[nie] &c[etera] decimo tertio Annoque Domini 1713 ./.
[Obligation - translation]
1. Know all men by these presents [documents] that I Edward Digby of Peldon in the County
2. of Essex, yeoman, am held and firmly bound to Samuel Reynolds of Peldon aforesaid Esquire
3. and John Wayland of the same, yeoman, [in the sum of ] thirty pounds of good and legal money of Great
4. Britain, to be paid to the same Samuel Reynolds and John Wayland or to one or
5. other of them, their certain attorney, executors, administrators or assignees, to which payment well
6. and faithfully made I bind my heirs, executors and administrators firmly by these presents
7. Sealed with my seal 20 March in the thirteenth year of the reign of our Lady Anne, by the grace of
8. God, of Great Britain &c[etera] and in the year 1713
[Condition]
Whereas Thomas Worrall a poor Child belonging to this parish of peldon abovesaid
being of the Age of tenn yeares or thereabouts was att a vestry or parish meeting
lately held for the Said parish appointed to be placed out an apprentice to the above
bound Edward Digby being an Inhabitant & occupier of a farme within the said
parish who is willing to take Care of and provide for the Said Boy Untill his Age
of four and Twenty yeares But not to take him as an Apprentice The Condition
therefore of this obligation is Such That if the above bound Edward Digby his
Ex[ecu]tors and Ad[ministra]tors Shall and Doe Soe well and Sufficiently maintain or otherwise
bind place out or provide for the Said Thom[as] Worrall So that he shall not be
Chargeable to the Said parish Untill his Said age of four and Twenty yeares That
then this obliga[t]ion to be void or else to remaine in full force power and vertue
Sealed and delivered (being first Stamped Edward Digby
with the double Sixpenny Stamp) in the
p[re]sence of us
Jos[eph] Rich
Robert Wright
Note 1: Bonds are always made up of two parts:
- The 'obligation'. In the obligation, the names of the parties are given, the obligor states that he is bound to the obligee, the penal sum is given, and the date. This part of a bond was in Latin until 1733, except during the Commonwealth period in the mid-seventeenth century when it was in English
- The 'condition'. This part of a bond gives the details of what the obligor is promising to do. At the end, a clause states that if he does what he promises, the bond will become null and void. If he does not, then it will remain in force and he becomes liable to pay the penal sum. This part of a bond was normally in English, even in the medieval period
Early bonds usually had the obligation on one side and the condition on the other side, but by the seventeenth century the two parts were written on the same side, one above the other.
|
