In court, the woman would be asked to swear who the father of the child was, thus enabling the man to be punished in similar fashion to the woman. It also enabled the child to take the father's name which was customary in the island. Sometimes a woman, for whatever reason, would refuse to name the father and the child would take the mother's name as in England. If both parties belonged to the same parish, the woman would sometimes stand in "penitential habit" in the church
while the man was incarcerated in Peel and then vice versa.
Sometimes along with the presentments there will be an account of the expenses incurred
for the midwife, clothes for the child and christening expenses including ale. This bill was expected to be settled by the man and needless to say some left the island before they could be presented in court. They could be sentenced in their absence in case they dared show up again in the island. As a matter of interest a child could be legitimised if the parents married within a certain amount of time. I think it may have been
within a year - someone out there is sure to know.