FORNICATION AT WADENHOE
On the last page of the Wadenhoe parish register can be found the following:
Penances:
1 May 1719 William Bunyan and Mary Bales perform’d ye panance before ye congregation, for being guilty of ye filthy sin of fornication before marriage.
13 June 1740: Thomas Crouston, sojourner in this parish performed his penance before ye congregation in a white sheet by Order of Court, having been guilty of Fornication. Sarah his wife performed her penance at ye same time and in the same manner, tho’ without an Order of Court, which was not granted her upon the account of her non-appearance.
12 May 1751 Robert Haydon and Elizabeth his wife performed penance being guilty of fornication before marriage.
12 June 1753 John Weekley performed his penance having been guilty of fornication with Susan Smith of this parish.
20 June 1756 John Weekley ….ditto …. guilty of fornication a second time with Susan Smith
31 May 1757 John Weekley ….ditto … guilty of fornication a third time with Mary Ward of Weldon
16 July 1758 John Weekley ….ditto… guilty of fornication fourth time with Mary Ward of this parish
16 July 1763 John Weekley and Sarah his wife … ditto… before the congregation having been guilty of fornication before marriage.
The results of all this fornication can be seen in the parish registers.
13 May 1752 Ann baptised, spurious daughter of John Weekley & Susannah Smith
8 May 1755 Sarah baptised, spurious daughter of John Weekley & Susannah Smith
12 Nov 1756 John baptised son of Mary Ward (at Weldon)
27 Dec 1762 Elizabeth baptised, natural daughter of John Weekley & Sarah Ward
John Weekley eventually married Sarah Ward 8 April 1763 and went on to have at least seven more children with Sarah.
Fornication – where it produced an illegitimate child – was frowned upon because it usually meant that the child and the unmarried mother would have to be maintained at the parish expense. So by forcing the ‘guilty parties’ into performing a penance and thus shaming them, it would, they hoped, act as a deterrent.
Judging by the number of illegitimate births in the register and the number of pregnant brides, one could assume the penance had little effect. Perhaps it was just the tardier of the local clergy who tried to enforce this – but even they could not control human nature!
MIDDLETON CHENEY
1 Nov 1770 Matthew, son of Daniel and Prudence Neal
1 Nov 1770 Daniel, son of John and Elizabeth Heath
1 Nov 1770 Ann, daughter of john & Elizabeth Knib
At the bottom of the page is written: Three christenings on one day was an unusual occurrence and the number probably occasioned the mistake in the above entry where Matthew should be Daniel. And Daniel, Matthew. For Daniel And Prudence Neal had a son Matthew but their son Daniel, answering this date is now living at Middleton. And Matthew, son of John And Elizabeth Heath, now of Evenley, came this day Oct 3 1808 to search for his father’s marriage and his own baptism. And his said father, john was married to Elizabeth Blabey Feb 12th 1765, see marriage register. Their son Jonathan bapt July 20 1766, John born May 23 1768, both now deceased and Matthew, whose apparent age agrees with the above entry, was here today making these inquiries, in hopes of succeeding as heir to a person who died intestate. N Churton. Vicar.
AM Oct 2025