Rick Wrote: >>>>>>If they had those bonds today-WOW. I don't think they even enforce the law in NC.<<< Rick, They enforce child support to day just as they did in the days of Bastardly Bonds. Women who had children out of wedlock in the old days were fined, today they get child support from the father. Bastardly bonds were required to ensure the child was supported either by the father or by the county. G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va.

It is my understanding that the bastardy bonds were required to ensure the child was supported by the father INSTEAD of by the county. "North Carolina Research" by Leary and Stirewalt, page 254 says in part "The bastardy bond was the principal means of "saving the county harmless" , as it required the individuals responsible for the children's births to support them." Jim Campbell - with roots in Haywood and Catawba Counties, NC My home page (just my lines, not everyone) http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jecralnc My GEDCOM (everyone, except the living, in my database) http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=jecralnc G. Lee Hearl wrote: >Rick Wrote: > > >>>>>>>If they had those bonds today-WOW. I don't think they even enforce the >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >law in NC.<<< >Rick, >They enforce child support to day just as they did in the days of Bastardly >Bonds. Women who had children out of wedlock in the old days were fined, >today they get child support from the father. Bastardly bonds were required >to ensure the child was supported either by the father or by the county. >G. Lee Hearl >Authentic Appalachian Storyteller >Abingdon, Va. > >