Hello Matt, My records were from the Midlands Historical Data -- Poor Law Records. I found 5 records for some Horne records from Stratford on Avon. Horne Family were from Bishopton. Horne is my maiden name. There were payments of 40 pounds in 4 of the cases but 100 pounds in the other in 1648. This would have been an absolute fortune back in those days. Hope this clears it up for you. Anne [email protected] wrote: > Hello Anne, > > I don't think I've ever heard of a Bond of Identity. If you saw it referred to in an original document, do you think you might have misread Bond of Indemnity? > > If not, can you supply some context for the term? Where have you seen references to it? > > Matt Tompkins > > >

Yes, thank you Anne, that is indeed enough context to enable me to answer your question. English law knows of no Bonds of Identity, but Bonds of Indemnity were common, so I think it must just be a typographical error, or maybe the person who originally calendared these documents misread Indemnity for Identity (easily done if, as was common in those days, the first 'n' and the 'm' were left out). A Bond of Indemnity was just a document in which one person guaranteed to repay expenses incurred by another person in certain defined circumstances (that's the indemnity part) and bound himself to pay a specified sum if he did not repay them (that's the bond part - the amount specified in the bond was always a large one, much more than the expected liability under the indemnity, in order to give the indemnifying party an incentive to pay up under the indemnity). You'll find an explanation of how Bonds of Indemnity were used in 17th-century poor law administration in this website, which I think refers to the very records you have found (scroll down to Settlement Papers and Certificates): http://shakespeare.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=95&Itemid=95 Matt -----Original Message----- From: Anne Chapman <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 2:02 Subject: Re: [WAR] BONDS OF IDENTITY Hello Matt, My records were from the Midlands Historical Data -- Poor Law ecords. I found 5 records for some Horne records from Stratford on von. Horne Family were from Bishopton. Horne is my maiden name. here were payments of 40 pounds in 4 of the cases but 100 pounds in the ther in 1648. This would have been an absolute fortune back in those ays. Hope this clears it up for you. Anne [email protected] wrote: Hello Anne, I don't think I've ever heard of a Bond of Identity. If you saw it referred to n an original document, do you think you might have misread Bond of Indemnity? > If not, can you supply some context for the term? Where have you seen eferences to it? Matt Tompkins List archives are at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index/WARWICK ------------------------------ o unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] ith the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of he message

Thank you Matt & Gus for your wonderful explanations. I have just gone back and had a look to find out that these records are in fact Bonds of Indemnity. I am not sure why I wrote down Identity, my apologies for the oversight. What you have both sent is wonderful, thank you once again. I will certainly have a good look at the website that you sent, Gus, have had a quick look, but have just got back from moving some yearling calves, and now have to feed the dogs. Matt, do you know of any of your relations living in NSW, my 1st cousin is married to one, (a Psychiatrist)? - the same spelling. Thanks once again for your wonderful help. Anne . [email protected] wrote: > Yes, thank you Anne, that is indeed enough context to enable me to answer your question. > > English law knows of no Bonds of Identity, but Bonds of Indemnity were common, so I think it must just be a typographical error, or maybe the person who originally calendared these documents misread Indemnity for Identity (easily done if, as was common in those days, the first 'n' and the 'm' were left out). A Bond of Indemnity was just a document in which one person guaranteed to repay expenses incurred by another person in certain defined circumstances (that's the indemnity part) and bound himself to pay a specified sum if he did not repay them (that's the bond part - the amount specified in the bond was always a large one, much more than the expected liability under the indemnity, in order to give the indemnifying party an incentive to pay up under the indemnity). > > You'll find an explanation of how Bonds of Indemnity were used in 17th-century poor law administration in this website, which I think refers to the very records you have found (scroll down to Settlement Papers and Certificates): > > http://shakespeare.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=95&Itemid=95 > > Matt > >

Hello Anne, >From what you give below - and the date - these are almost certain to be Bonds of Indemnity, as Matt suggested. They were most usually requested as part of obtaining a Marriage Licence or becoming Administrator of an Estate where the deceased had died without leaving a valid Will. [And, in passing, would seem to be one of the earliest examples of the labour-saving 'pre-printed form'.] The sums stated were not paid. They only became payable - to the Bishop (presumably to recompense him for his embarrassment) - should it transpire that the statements made when applying for the marriage licence were untrue, or if the Administrator failed in his duties. Think of them as as being - roughly - "Guarantees of Truthfulness or Good Behaviour". Gus ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anne Chapman" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, June 21, 2010 2:02 AM Subject: Re: [WAR] BONDS OF IDENTITY > Hello Matt, > My records were from the Midlands Historical Data -- Poor Law > Records. I found 5 records for some Horne records from Stratford on > Avon. Horne Family were from Bishopton. Horne is my maiden name. > There were payments of 40 pounds in 4 of the cases but 100 pounds in the > other in 1648. This would have been an absolute fortune back in those > days. Hope this clears it up for you. Anne > > [email protected] wrote: >> Hello Anne, >> >> I don't think I've ever heard of a Bond of Identity. If you saw it >> referred to in an original document, do you think you might have misread >> Bond of Indemnity? >> >> If not, can you supply some context for the term? Where have you seen >> references to it? >> >> Matt Tompkins >> >> >> > > List archives are at > http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index/WARWICK > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message