Bond for Good Behaviour - 1748
Stafford Record Office D3359/12/1/251-260
Ann Wood, a single woman living in Hollinsclough, had several children by John Moss from Flash. Apparently there had been some “differences” between Ann and John presumably involving disturbances of the peace. Consequently Ann was bound to John for the sum of £40 and promised to pay this bond if she disturbed either John or his wife Dorothy in the future.
Until today I never realised that if you agreed a bond with someone then you were bound to them so for example being ‘bound over’.
This kind of bond consisted of two parts:
the obligation (which before 1773 was in Latin) states the penalty
the condition (written in English) describes the commitment
The Bond
Know all men by these presents that I Ann Wood of Holesclough in the parish of Alstonefield in the county of Stafford single woman am held and firmly bound to John Moss of Flash in the said parish and county husbandman in the sum of forty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid to the said John Moss or by certain attorney by executor administrator or assigne to which payment well and fathfully to be made I bind myself my heirs executor and administrators and every of them firmly by those truly sealed with my seal dated this twenty second day of February in the twenty second year by the grace of God King over Great Britain and so forth and in the year of our lord one thousand and seven hundred and forty eight.
Whereas Ann Wood hath heretofore charged upon both the above named John Moss to be the putative father of several of her children begotten by him upon the body of the said Ann Wood and several differences have there upon arisen betwixt them, and the said John Moss and Ann Wood have agreed to give each other Bonds for their good behaviour for the time being. Now the condition of the obligations is such that if the said Ann Wood doo or shall at any time hereafter molest or disturb the said John Moss or do any hurt or damage to him or to Dorothy his wife or any of his family or to his or their goods and chattels lands or tenements or speak any accountable words against them or any of them or defame the said John Moss or Dorothy his wife or any and to be of good behaviour towards them and every of them then the obligations so said otherwise to be and remain in full force and continue.
Sealed and delivered
In the presence of Ann Wood
? her mark
Wm Lomas