Sheffield and Rotherham Independent

28 Jan 1871 page 7 column d

SHEFFIELD TOWN Hall [Magistrates’ Court]

FRIDAY…

A SON DENIED HIS PARENTAGE,-- George Holland, master tailor, 64 Broad Street, was summoned for the non-maintenance of his father, who had become chargeable to the Sheffield Union… ..

The complainant, who admitted that he had not acted as a father towards the defendant said he was 61 years of age. When 18 or 19 he married “Bessy Simpson”, who was the mother of the defendant. The defendant was born about give months after the marriage, and in the same year that defendant was born he went for a soldier, and served eight years.

Shortly after he went away his wife died, and the child was afterwards put in the Charity School by his Grandmother, where he saw him three times while he was a soldier. On obtaining his discharge about 1833 he bound the defendant apprentice to Mr. Sparrow, Tailor, and was present on a subsequent occasion when the indenture of the apprenticeship was cancelled.

This he acknowledged was all that have ever done for the defendant, and did not even remember having called to see him during his apprenticeship…

This was not an ordinary case arising from ingratitude on the part of the child, but in reality it was a question whether the complainant was the defendant’s father or not. Indeed he could call witnesses who would sate that the defendant was born during the time the complainant was away as a solider and while his mother was living with another man …

He then called an elderly woman called Simpson, who stated that was sister-in-law to the complainant She married complaint’s wife’s brother, and remembered the defendant being born. At that time his mother was living at Blonk Island with a man named Lofthouse, with whom she remained until the time of her death. The child was then taken by his Grandmother, and was afterwards placed by her in the Charity School.