Now! Then! Elizabeth Hodgson and William Reeston are excommunicated in St. Augustine’s, Hedon for having an illegitimate child

21 February 1718: Elizabeth Hodgson and William Reeston are excommunicated in St. Augustine’s, Hedon for having an illegitimate child

Godfrey Richard Park. 1895. The History of the Ancient Borough of Hedon. Hull: W.G.B. Page. Get it:

Excerpt

The name of Mr Sissison does not appear in any published list of Vicars of Hedon, but his name frequently appears in the register as Minister of Hedon. It would seem that the punishment of excommunication was resorted to at this time. There is a record in the register that

On Feby ye 21st, 1713, Elizabeth Hodgson and Wm. Reeston were legally excommunicated in ye Parish Ch. of Hedon for the bearing of a bastard child and his being the reputed father of it, and for contempt, etc. Signed, R. Sissison, Minr.

And again on 8 January, 1715, Ann Jackson was excommunicated legally

for bearing a bastard child and not finding a father for it… On ye same day Elizabeth Bradley was excommunicated for bearing a bastard child, and for contempt, etc., by R. Sissison, Minister. Memm. Bradley has done penance and is absolved.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.
Abbreviations:

ER: East Riding
GM: Greater Manchester
NR: North Riding
NY: North Yorkshire
SY: South Yorkshire
WR: West Riding
WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar has seen sources which I have not:

On 12th July 1714, Elizabeth Hodgson, a single woman of Hedon, was sentenced at Hedon Quarter Sessions to be stripped to the waist and whipped with birch or willows from the Town Hall to Harrison Lane and from there to the jail and to remain in jail at hard labour until ‘sufficient security’ was found for her good behaviour. Her crime was to give birth to her 4th illegitimate child. There is no record of any punishment for the father. An Act of 1792 forbade whipping females for any reason whatsoever.

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Original

On Feby ye 21st, 1713, Elizabeth Hodgson and Wm. Reeston were legally excommunicated in ye Parish Ch. of Hedon for the bearing of a bastard child and his being the reputed father of it, and for contempt, etc. Signed, R. Sissison, Minr.

And again on 8 January, 1715, Ann Jackson was excommunicated legally

for bearing a bastard child and not finding a father for it… On ye same day Elizabeth Bradley was excommunicated for bearing a bastard child, and for contempt, etc., by R. Sissison, Minister. Memm. Bradley has done penance and is absolved.

153 words.