"1684 Nov 04. John Dyer, recent servant of Mr. Thomas Welburne, was prosecuted by Lt. Col. John West and Welburne (both church wardens) on complaint of the parish. By sufficient evidence, Dyer was convicted of fathering the bastard child of Ann Fishe, recent servant of Welburne. Several charges and disbursements had accrued to the parish for nursing and maintaining the child. Dyer was also convicted as the reputed father of Rachel Hosted's bastard child, for which charges had also accrued. In addition there were court charges to the parish for his prosecution. Ordered that the sheriff take John Dyer into safe custody where he was to remain till giving security to reimburse the parish for all charges already disbursed, for future charges and for court charges." (1)
"1684 Nov 7. John Dyer requested time to perform an order (granted against him at the suit of the church wardens) in which he was ordered committed to the sheriff's custody till giving security to reimburse and pay future charges to the parish [for the support of two illegitimate children]. John Stokley was accepted as security for Dyer, who was to appear at the next court to fulfill the contents of the former order." (1)
(1) JoAnn Riley McKey, Accomack County, Virginia Court Order Abstracts, 1682-1690, Vol. 7 (Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc., 1998), 51, 85-86, 89, quoting Accomack County, Virginia Court Order Book 7:30, 50-50a, 52.