CH. II.] BASTARDY. 145 



The woman falls very considerably in the estimation of 

 her neighbours, and a pecuniary consideration would never 

 induce a labourer to marry one of this class. 



The bastard children are subject to taunts, and a small 

 farmer would have a great objection to give his daughter to 

 one of them in marriage. 



A female bastard is never reproached, and the gentle- 

 man's bastard is more reproached than the poor man's. 



County of Mayo ; examinations taken by John Spencer, Esq., and Wilson 

 Gray, Esq. ; parish of KHmore Erris, barony of Erris. Eighteen 

 witnesses. 



A magistrate stated, that within the last three years at 

 the petty sessions for the half-barony of Erris, containing 

 a population of 23,000 persons, about twenty-five applica- 

 tions for wages for nursing bastards had been made by the 

 mothers against the fathers. 



The mother's oath affiliating the child is taken, but it 

 must be supported by other circumstantial evidence, or 

 some implied acknowledgment on the part of the father, 

 before proceedings can be taken against him. 



It is questionable whether the law authorizes the church- 

 wardens to issue an order to seize the property of the fa- 

 ther ; nevertheless they do this, and the judge always ap- 

 proves it. 



The wages granted vary, according to the father's abi- 

 lity to pay them, from 5s. to Us. a quarter; and this al- 

 lowance is made for eighteen months or two years. 



The father invariably refuses to marry the mother of the 

 child, and the influence of the priest alone can bring him 

 to consent to it. It is an invariable practice for the two 

 parties to go to confession before marrying. 



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