I believe that John Kendall in the book, Anne Orthwood’s Bastard: Sex and Law in Early Virginia, by John Ruston Pagan, is who the book is really about. I think the book is about John, because he was the only partner left of the extramarital sex issue after Anne Orthwood Passes away. Due to this mishap, a spiral of hardships and complicated court situations unravel for years and years to come. One of these court hearings included, a petition from John Kendall seeking exoneration from Anne Orthwood’s paternity charge which came before the Northampton County Court on August 29,1664 (Pagan, 103).
Without John Kendall’s existence, this book would not exist. John Kendall created the mess of which this book is about after deciding to have an intimate relationship with his indentured servant Anne Orthwood. This decision was much more morally wrong in the 1660’s than it was legally wrong. This statement is proven by the decision of the Ex Parte Kendall case.
The Ex Parte Kendall case deals with only John Kendall’s problems. One problem was regarding whether or John Kendall had to pay for Jasper’s living expenses until he could become an indentured servant. The second problem was whether or not John had extramarital sex with Anne Orthwood.
The decision of the 1664 case of Ex Parte Kendall states that “The law required them (the court) to hold John Kendall …show more content…
“Jasper spent his youth as a servant at Richard Patrick’s seaside farm, Homesett Plantation, learning how to cultivate tobacco and grain and take care of livestock” (Pagan, 131). John could have claimed ownership of Jasper and raised him as his own son. Then he would have had a quite reliable right-hand man for his plantation work. All of the issues of the case could have been avoided if John would not have been selfish and gave up a little popularity and owned up to what he
Without John Kendall’s existence, this book would not exist. John Kendall created the mess of which this book is about after deciding to have an intimate relationship with his indentured servant Anne Orthwood. This decision was much more morally wrong in the 1660’s than it was legally wrong. This statement is proven by the decision of the Ex Parte Kendall case.
The Ex Parte Kendall case deals with only John Kendall’s problems. One problem was regarding whether or John Kendall had to pay for Jasper’s living expenses until he could become an indentured servant. The second problem was whether or not John had extramarital sex with Anne Orthwood.
The decision of the 1664 case of Ex Parte Kendall states that “The law required them (the court) to hold John Kendall …show more content…
“Jasper spent his youth as a servant at Richard Patrick’s seaside farm, Homesett Plantation, learning how to cultivate tobacco and grain and take care of livestock” (Pagan, 131). John could have claimed ownership of Jasper and raised him as his own son. Then he would have had a quite reliable right-hand man for his plantation work. All of the issues of the case could have been avoided if John would not have been selfish and gave up a little popularity and owned up to what he