Item #56612 Memorandum, that on the 27th day of April in the 21st year of Our Sovereign Lord George the Second ... personally appeared before me, Thomas Bowen ... Charity Allen of Rehoboth in the county of Bristol, single woman. Jeremiah Allen, yeoman or Black Smith, and Richard Free, gentlemen; all of Rehoboth. Thomas Bowen, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the county of Bristol.

Memorandum, that on the 27th day of April in the 21st year of Our Sovereign Lord George the Second ... personally appeared before me, Thomas Bowen ... Charity Allen of Rehoboth in the county of Bristol, single woman. Jeremiah Allen, yeoman or Black Smith, and Richard Free, gentlemen; all of Rehoboth...

Taunton, [Mass.]: 1748. Pro-forma document (approx. 6¼" x 7½"), accomplished in ink in a neat and legible hand, concerning Charity Allen, a [single woman], evidently with child, and who, with her presumed father, a blacksmith, and one Richard Free acknowledge themselves to be severally indebted to the King for [five pounds] (Charity) and [50 shillings] each (Jeremiah and Richard), "to be levied on their goods and chattels, lands or tenements, and in want thereof upon their bodies ... the condition of the above Written Recognizance is such that if" [above bounden Charity Allen] "shall personally appear before the Justices ... to be holden at" [Taunton] "in the County of" [Bristol] ... "on the" [second Tuesday of June next] ... "to answer to such matters and things as shall be objected against her on His Majesty's behalf," [and more especially for her being with child of a bastard child]." I take this to be a subpoena, of sorts, obliging the pregnant Charity, together with her father, to appear before the court ... but why? Birth records for Rehoboth show Charity was born July 5, 1729 (so at the time she would have been almost 19), and that she gave birth to a boy named Jacob in June of 1748, the "reputed son of Thomas Peck and Charity Allen." The document is a certificate that we would know today as a bail bond. It indicates that Charity has agreed to appear for a trial in court and Jonathan and Richard have agreed to guarantee her appearance. If she does not appear the sheriff is authorized to take her and Jonathan and Richard property, enough to satisfy the amount guaranteed in the bond.  She is to appear for a trial or hearing relating to being charged for sexual intercourse outside of marriage. Item #56612

Price: $400.00