The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-03-07 00:00:00

"INQUIRY MEETINGS."

In the divorce court, on Friday, thecae.) of Hawkins
v. Hawkins and IVliewdl, was heard.
Mr. R. A. eritehard was counsel for the petitioner
Edward Hawkins. who sought a divorce from his wife,
Maria Hawkins, n the ground of her adultery with
the Rev. John Whewell, formerly Congregational
minister at Coventry. The respondent did not file an
answer, but the co-respondent answered and denied the
adultery.
It appeared that the parties were married at
Driffleld in Yorkshire, in the year DI-18, and there are
three children issue, two of whom are girls. After a
time the petitioner and his wife went to reside at
Coventry, where the former carried on the business of
a watch manufacturer. His blisiness often called him
away from home, and on his return from a journey in
May last be WM a notice in one ssf the newspapers to
the effect that the co-respondent had resigned his
ministry. He asked his wife the cause, and she
appeared confused. The petitioner said he was sur-
prised at her not being infs. lined on the matter, as she
was a member of the chapel. The respondent stated
that she would tell him in the morning, and when that
time arrived she told him what practically amounted
to a confession of her infidelity. The petitioner at
once instituted inquirtes, and then learnt that two car.
renters were employed about 7.30 in the evening in
May, at the chapel, attending to the blinds. That was
the evening set apart for inquiry meetings. They had
from the chapel a view of the vestry, and they were
both now eaamtnesl as Witoosses, and spoko to seeing
the respondent and the co-respondent breaking the
Seventh Commandment. Subsequently two of the
sleacons determined to sift the matter for themselves,
ensi took up a position from whieh they hal a view of
the vestry. They NM Mrs. Hawkins enter, and they
were eye-witnesses to her infidelity with Wheweld
They went in, ansl the respondent asked for mercy,
and that the matter shoutl not be bruited abroad. The
co-respondent was told that he must never officiate
again, and subsequently he resigned These facts were
fully proved, and the contents of a letter from the co-
respondent to the petitioner was also read. In it he
expresses! his regret for what had happened. and offered
Mr. Hawkins E2O towards his expenses if be would
forego proceeding with his slivorce suit. Mrs. Hawkins
also wrote the following letter which the petitioner
identified as being in her handwriting. There wan no
date to it:
"Edward, my own dear Edward,—l come to you to
kneel in spirit at your knees. Pass your hand over my
head as in the ether slays, my heart is faint and sick. I
come to you with tears, bitter tears, of remorse and agony,
such tears an the eyes cannot, dare not shed, the tears
that are the hardest of all—the unseen. Oh deer, oh dear
Edward, in your tenderness think of our years of love:
think lam the mother of your children. I have nursed
them and cared for them with a love and tenderness that
nothing could exceed, I have ever loved you, dearest,
through all the thirty years of our lives; I feel my heart
will bleak. Oh, Edward, as you hope for mercy, be merci-
ful to me, forgive me the peat, and I will prove to you by
the future days, be they many or few, my contrition. My
grief and burden is more than I can hear long. Let me
show you how I repent by obedience,
and by never again
saying a quick and hasty word. I know God forgives all
who repent. I repent in Isitterness and grief. Will you
love me snore I Will you take ins to your heart and soul I
If not, if you cannot, tell me, and I shall pray my God to
take in mercy from me • life that is full of despair and
sorrow. 06, Edward, oh, Edward, forgive, forgive your
unhappy 'MARIA.
Sir James Hannen shortly addressed the jury,
iointing out that it was no business of theirs to punish
a co-respondent for his crime: but simply to assess as
j
best they could the money loss the petitioner had
sustained.
The jury found for the petitioner with £5OO dam-
" Sir James Rannen granted a decree nisi for a
solution of the marriage with COMA.

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