Not to be overlooked is the fact that in those instances where the male
refused to help, finance or acknowledge the paternity in any way, the court
acted as a powerful tool by which to gain at least the medical and "laying
in" expenses for the mother.  Of no small importance in such matters, there
was (and probably remains) a legal presumption that a mother KNOWS who was
the father of her child.  

So it was that if a woman (or her parents) were of even lower or moderate
standing in the community, upon the designation by the woman of a certain
man as the father of her bastard child, it fell to that male to establish
that he was NOT the father.

Though I have no information as to the reasons or legal actions surrounding
the matter, a year or so after the birth of a child, a NC court ordered that
a direct ancestor of mine should so pay.  He seems to have done so, since
the records do not reveal any further courts' actions in that matter.  It is
thought probable that the woman in this instance was a neighbor. 
***************        

Subject: [VA-ROOTS] Informing of Bastardy

Why would someone inform the court of a woman's bastardy?  Would there be
any implication of paternity?  

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