The National Register. — London, England, 1813-03-14 00:00:00

Tiff,' NATIONAL REGISTER. MARCH 14. DEPOSITION OF SAMUEL ROBERTS. lam a footman to the Princess of Wales. I remember the child being taken by the Princess. I never observed any particular appear ance of the Pt incess in that year—nothing that led me to believe that she was with child. Sir -Sydney Smith used to visit the Princess at Blat.kileath. I. never saw him alone with the Princss. He 'neve: stlyed after eleven o'clock. I recollect Mr. Cole once asking me, I think three years ago, whether there were any favourites in th:: ? I remember saying that Capt. Manby and Sir S. Smith were fre bitten! ly at Blackheath, and dined titer., oftener than any other persons. I Pever knew Sir Sidney Smith to stay later than the Lidies. I cannot say exactly at what hoar he went, but I never remember his staying alone with the Princess. SAMUEL ROBERTS. (Signed) Sworn at Lord Grenville'i House, in pown:ng•strect, June 7, ISCki, before us, (Signed) ERSKINE, GRENVILLE, SPENCER, ELLENBOROUGH. 11EPOgITION OF Tilam.kS STIKEMAN. I have been Pagc to the Prircess of Wales ever since she has been ia Fn e lacd. When I first saw the chill who is with the Princess, it ts altit four years ago. Her Royal Highness had a strong d sire to • have an infaiit, which 1 and all the house knew. I heard there was a woman wee) had twins, one of which the Princes; was desirous to bays, hut the parents would not part with it. A‘N onlan came to the gloor with a petition to get her husband replaced in the dock-yard, who had been remeeed ; site had a chid with her ; I took the child, I be iieve, and sheaved it to Mrs. Saunders. I then returned the child to 1 the woman. I 'mete inquiries after the father, and afterwards desir ed the WOIM:111 to bring the child again to the house, which she did. I The child was taken to the Princess ; after the Princess had seen it, she desired the %ennui to take it again, and bring it back in a few slays, and Mrs. Saunders was desired to provide linen for it. Within a few days the child W4S brought again by t he mother, and was left, and Has been with the Princess ever since. 1 do not recollect the child had any mark, but upon reflection, I do recollect that the mother said he was marked with elder wine on the h ind. The father of the child, whose name is Austin, lives with me at Pimlico. My wife is a laun. dress, and washes th linen of the Princess. Austin is employed to turn a mangle for me. The child was born in Brownlow-street. I never saes the woman to my knowledge before .he came with the Petition to the door. I had no particular directions by life Princess to procure a child ; 1 thought it better to take the child of persons of good cha. ' ratter than the childof a pauper. Nothing led me, from the appear ance of the Princess, to suppose she was with child ; but from her shape it is difficult to judge when she is with child. When she was with child of the Princess Charlotte, I should not have known it when she was far advanced in her time, if I had not been told it. Sir Sydney Smith, at me ti ne, visited very frequently at Montague House, two or three times a week, at the time the Princess was alter ing her room in the Turkish style. Sir Sydney Smith's visits were very frequent. The Princess consulted him upon them. Mr. Mo rel' was the upholsterer : Sir Sydney Smith came frequently alone. lie staid alone with the Princess sometimes till eleven o'clock at night. Ile has been there till twelve o'clock at night, and after, 1 believe, alone with the Princess. The Princess is of that lively vivacity, that she makes herself familiar with gentleincu, which prevented my be struck with his staying so late. I do not believe that at that time arsy other Gentlemen visited the Princess so often and stayed s a late. 1 have seen the Princess, when they were alone, sitting with Sir Sydsiey on the same sofa, in the blue room. I had access to the blue room at all times; there was an inner room which opened into the blue room when that room was not lighted up. I did not consider that 1 had a right to go into it. I had no idea on what account 1 was brought here. • I did not know that the Princess's conduct was questioned or gates. tionable. I was with the Princess at Ramsgate ; wise site was at East Clef. Capt. Manby was very frequently there ; went away as late as 1l o'clock. I do not remember Fanny Lloyd being called up any morning ta make breakfast for the Princess. I did not like Capt. Manby's coining so often ands aying so late, and I was un asv at it. I re member a piece of plate, a silver lamp, being sent to Captain Maeby ; I saw it in Sicard's possession ; he told me it wls for Captain Manley, and he had a letter to send with it. I have never sae:} Csirain Mar by at the Princess's, at Ramsgate, b,:fure nine in the worning, but I 166 have heard he h,►s been there earlier. I never had any suspicion of there being any thing improper, either from the frequent visits of Captain Maltby, or fr conduct. I was at Catherington with the Princess ; she used to go out generally in her own chaise. I think I have once or twice seen her go out with Mr. Hood, in his one-horse chaise ; they have been out for two hours, or two hours and an half together. I believe only a day or two elapsed between the time of he child bei►►g first brought again, and left with the Princess. lam sure the child was not weaned after it had been first brought. Ido no; recollect any Gentleman ever sleeping in the house. Ido not re member Lawrence the Painter ever sleeping there. The Princess seems very fond of the child ; it is always called Wiliam Austin. (Signed) THUS. STIKEMAN. Sworn at Lord Grenville's House, in Downing street, June 7, 1806, before us, (Signed) EItSKINE, GRENVILLE. SPENCER, ELLENBOROUGH. 1 I~ n♦ DEPOSITION OF JOHN SICARD. I have lived seven years with the Princess of Wales as House steward, and have been in that situation from the end of six months after 1 first lived with her Royal Highness. I remember the child who is now with the Princess of Wales being brought there ; it was about five months old when it was brought, it was about four years age. just before we went to Ramsgate. I had not the least suspicion of the object °flay being brought here. 1 had an opportunity of we ing the Princess frequently ; 1 waited on her at dinner and supper_.; I never observed that the Princess had the appearance of being with child ; I think it was hardly possible that she should have been with child without my perceiving it. Sir Sydney Smith used to visit very frequently at Montague House, in 1802, with Sir John and Lady . Douglas. He was very often, I believe, alone with the Princess, and so was Mr Canning and other Gentlemen. I cannot say that I ever suspected Sir Sydaey Smith of any improper conduct with the Prin cess. I never had any ouspicion of the Princess acting improperly with Sir Sydney Smith, or any other Gentleman. I remember Cap rain Matiby visiting at Montague House. The Princess of Wales did not for pay the expence of fitting up his cabin; but the linen fur niture was or.!ered by me by direction of the Princess, of Newberry and Jones. It was put by Newberry and Jones in the. Princess's bill, and was paid for with the rest of the bill by Miss Heyman. (Signed) JOHN SICARD. Sworn at Lord Grenville's House, in Down ing-street, June 7, MOS, before us, (Signed) ERSKINE, GRENVILLE, SPENCER, ELLENIIOkOUQH. COPY OF A REPORT, Made in 1806, by the four Commissioners appointed by the King, viz., Lord E►tsKINI, Challeell4ff j Lori ()RENVILLE. First Lord of the Treasury; Lord Si'E Nr En, Secretal yof State; Lord Eel. NBC/RI/VG 114 Chief .Justice of the Kind's Bench; to examine into the conduct of her Royal Ilighness the Princess tat WALLs. " May it please your Majesty, " Your 'Majesty having been graciously pleased by an instrument under your Majesty's Sign Manual, a Copy of which is annewl to this Report, to authorise, empower, awl direct us to iminire into the truth of certain written declarations touching the conduct of her Royal High ness the Princess of Wales, an Abstract of which had been laid before your Majesty, and to examine upon oath. such persons as we should see fit, touching and Concerning the same, and to report to your Majesty the result of such examinations; we have, in dutiful obedience to your Majesty's .commands, proceeded to examine the several wit nesses, the copies of whose depositions we have hereunto a n nexed; and in flintier execution of the •ski:d commands, we now , most respectfully submit to your Majesty the Rcpumt of these Esannuations as it has ap peared to its : but we beg leave at the .awe tittw, huttibiy to refer voile ithi c ,ty fur more complete information to the Esarninations themselves, in order to correct any error ultudgoicin into N bleb we may have uom tentimially fallen, with respect to any of this business. On a refeteute to the above-mentioned D.,!chtrations as the necessary tonndatioo of all our proceedings, we found that thee consisted in certain statements winch hail been laid before his Royal flightless the l'rince ke spectiog the condiset of her R yal litubncss the l'ritices of Wit:es; that thew statements, net only imputed tu . her Royal 11whoess great impro p;iety,. and indecency ut bohaviour, but expiessly as-erted, partly un toe ground of ;:titudi xleclaratitimi how the Princess's utsa -1 ' ,~„