Betty, the first name appearing on a Bastardy Bond is almost always the father. I have the book by Camin & Camin and am not sure why the reputed fathers are not identified - the original bond almost always states "reputed father." If you write to the NC Archives you can get a copy of the original and it will probably answer any questions you might have. 2nd and 3d bondsmen were usually family or friends of the father but sometimes were related to the mother. If the reputed father did not maintain (support) the child, then 2nd and 3rd bondsmen could be held liable to the courts for maintenance of the child. Best regards, Faye At 06:45 AM 2/27/00 +0000, Betty A. Pace wrote: >I have an ancestor who appears in first bondsman position in 1873 in the >Rowan Bastardy Bonds (a book of the bastardy bonds of many NC counties). >Is first bondsman always the alleged father of the woman's child? There >are also 2nd and 3rd bondsmen. > >Betty Pace