The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-03-03 00:00:00

SERIOUS CHAROE AGAINST A PORTLAND

CLERGYMAN.

DEAN OF ARCHES COURT,
WESTMINSTER.
___

WZDIMWIT.
(Botch) L)rd P
MI BISHOP Or ISALISBUIT V. OTTLIT•

This On, came before the Court upon letters of
rermeit by the Bishop of 9 'Rebury, and the defendeat,
the Rev. Thomas Alfred Ottley, Rector of Portland
5... John's, Dorset, wai charged with misconduct,
under the ithurch Diec'pline Act.
Mr. Charl,e, Q.C., end Sir. Dean appeared or the
Bishop, and zdir H. Giffard, 40., and Mr. deuce for
the respondent.
Mr. Charles said the defendant wee instituted nto
the vicarage of Portland St. John'e in December,
1874, and at that time he hal been married 15 years.
Several children had been born before his induction
to the vicarage. and some had been born since, the
last being born in September, 1832. Mr. and Elm
Miley lived in perfectly undisturbed happiness till
July, 1881, when differences arose, in consequence
melody of • friendship formal by Mr. o,tley for •
Mies Edith Raper, the daughter of the proprietress of
the Breakwater Hotel at Portland. In the month of
Jane, 1891, Mr. Ottley took Mise Raper to Lindon
and obteleed for leer • situation of nursery governess.
Miss Raper, however, returned s-on efterwards, and
took up her maiden** in • bones sloes to the vicarage
as • nursery governessiii the hone, of • Mr. Lane.
The friendship between Mr. Ottley and Misa Raper
was, undoubtedly, • Ronne of great unhappiness to
Mrs. (Riley. In August, 1881, Mr. Ottley proposed
teat Kies Raper should be engaged as nursery
tile. asses, but In oonsequenos of the entreaties of
Ottley, the mother of Miss Raper
declined to allow her to come. In July,
1882, Mr. Ottley was betrayed into an
sot of vicileticis towards hie wife, the mute of
which was that Mrs. Ott'', had not invited Miss
Raper to • party of some kind, Miss Raper being •
tisanes in the Sunday Schools. On the 17.13 of
January. 1883, Mr. Ottley wee intoxicated, and had
great difficulty in conducting the evening feervios, and
011 his return in the evening his violence was inch
that his wile went and hid in the cellar, and ultircately
went to some neighblurs and vent the evening there.
Alter that, for many months 51r. Ottley gcv. up
stisnalante. Is August, 1883, Mr. Ottley's mother
died, and he wed away for • week to attend the
111011.11. Subsequently to that, Mrs. Ottley found In
a drawer in biz. Ottley's study some wrdings in the
form of • diary in Mr. Ottley's heedwritiug. It was
imgaged, however, that the diary was composed by
Raper during Mr. Ottlen's ahs,nce and thee
copied by Mr. Ottley, an he might not thiolt it safe to
retain the originals. The letters were evidently
written for someone, as there were various endearing
term in them, such "My deeding. I know 111.
wrong to love you, bat I mama help It." The writ•
tug gave the most minute details of Mies Raper's life,
such at the time she got up in Vie morning nod the
time she bad breakfaat., .

Sir H. GlHerd raid the question wodld he whether
theme writings were genuine or s fahrioation. If they
were genuine they were indefen.ib'e, and not to the
oredit of the writer, se they contained indneet
allusions. .

ü;..cl..edahra while Mr. Ottley resumed
the use of ititnulants, sod hie conduct became so
violeat that his wife left him mai went to live else-
where, He charged him with Indulging in language
of the most violeut description to his wile, causing
grave scandal with some parsonal vtileitle, hot el to
that he had not mach evidence, and with in leo.ncy In
his relationship to Miss Raper.
Mrs. Mary Ottley, exantin,d by Mr. Dan, 'aid :
I was married to the HAY. Thom,. Alfred Ottley in
1864, sad we came to live at Portland in 1874. We
lived on very affeetionate term. ti 1881. I med.
the acqoantacce of Miss E 11th Rowr shortly aftrr
we got there. By my wish in Jule, 1881, Mr.
, Ottley took her t London to get ber • eitust,on. Mr.
°Way was away two days, and alter • short time Miss
Raper came back and went to live with her mother
at the Breakwater Hotel. Abut that time Mr.
Ottley said he wished her to coins and lire with us,
and take the plscs of Mi.. Si °peon, ths nursery
governed*, who ha 1 bews with them for ten piers. I
had an objection to her cowing. I liked her very
much however. I went t see Mrs. Raper about it.
My husband sad 'hid if I did not consent he would
break up the house and I and my children might go. I
went to Mrs. Raper and entreated her not to allow
her to come and she promised she would not Ist her
come. On the 30th my husband sad I went to Mr&
Roper, and she refuted. After that he told me he
would make me suffer for going to Mrs. lisp.., a, it
was all my fault,. I had been on a visit to Birming-
ham, awl when I returned he regarded we with room-
piste indifference. He also chanced his habit, NI to
drink and took spirits. I often told him that I curl.
bated the estrangement to Edith Raper. He said I
was mad, bet at other times he admitted his love
for Miss Raper. and sail he would rather spend
eternity in the lowest hell with her than
the highest heaven with me. Miss Raper alter.
wards went to a draper's shop in Weymouth, and
afterwards t her uncle's, Mr. Ltao'r. We bat three
servant. at the vlcarsge, • bow, and a governess. Nlr.
Ottley was very often excited by drink, but I did
not notice shy other effects at that time. In July, ,
1882, I remembered having some trouble with Mr.
Ottley shout • Bible Society meeting. It was because ,
I had net invited Miss Roper. He was very angry.
awl I sail that while I was mistress of the holm she
should never come into the house by my invitation.
He knocked me down.
_

Ru Lqrd.bip : SVas anyone present?
Witness: No.
lila Lordship : Ws must mmanher this is not
tustrfutoulsl court.
. . _

Is --November, 1835, on the 27th, I
again had some unplaagenture with my husband about
Mies Raper. I entre sled Mrs. Raper not to let her
got' Sunday School, and I mum see she told her all
abut it. Two of my daughters and MT son Harold
were pr,eent at the scene. He abused me, and when
tl.d to leave the to ,m be was very violent in his
manner to me. He took me by the throat; I 'assist°
the hell, and my husband forced me back. I heard
the children run out of the house and tell the neigh-
bours, and went Is bed. My child was born In 9 qt.
banber,lB32. and on that occasion my hatband, while
I wee In bed, came in and reproached me. Be was
very angry, but I don't recollect what be called me
on that day. The nurse was in the room. My bug-
bead hie celled me • d—b— of bell, and he has
cursed me in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the itdy Ghost.
Sir 11 (Mari : There Is nothing of this on the
partioalars.
His Lordship : There Is nothing of this sort;
nothing about cursing.
Witness : He has told me to go to hell and
stop there. I am not speaking of what took place
when I was confined. I cannot give the
dates, but what I hive dated were used
many times in the presence of other people. He said
be would rather see me starve then he would deny
her a defile luxury. He said he would gladly order
a double coffin for ate, and 119111 me six feet below the
earth. That wee In the presence of the servants an
my children. On the 17th of January, 18.83, my
hatband hod been drinking, and I thought he wee
the worse for It towards tea time. About five
o'clock he was the worse for liquor. I think we had
tea about six, but I don't kn .w that he had any.
He sent for some more brandy. The service
was about seven. I di I not mu him drink
any brandy before service, but he got worse at
teatime. He abased me a ro,d dui, and said dread-
ful things to a similar effect to that detail, d. I had
not been to church. When he came back I wee in the
drawing•ro m and be came in and frightened me so
with hl. words that I ran oat of the house and went
to the beck and went lown in the cellar.

- Thii;.i.blp: word, he
nead, but hie words were excited.
After I left the dialog-room he ran attar m-. Rot
he tbonght I had gone t the neighbours. I went into
the cellar, end remained there till ten. I went to
the spore bedroom, and took the c .ok with me, if ,
came and maid be would break the door open. He
came and "eke I la Viet --of • Iranian there? While
tbe cook wee arguing with blot I ran down stairs,
and got not of the kitchen wind ,w. I the came
back, and bid behind II clothe. h nee In the kitchen.
My husband came out of the kitchen, and said "Yen
-- fool where Cr., yen; I'll do for you." He left
the kitchen, and I went ont of tit, lann.e +Rh no drem
no, and went down to the Rev. Theme. Meigb',,
I made a statement to Mr. an Hrs. MOO), cob
I stayed there. an 1 the next conning went back. I
first saw my husband the next m .rning between 11
and 12. I vent e note to Mr. M-Igh asking him to
)
come, and be nuns and llw my bush int that morn.
lug. After that my bushiest b•came for ennetime
a total abstainer. Mr. Ottley's mother diet In Annum*,
1331, and Mr. Ottley proposed to go to Birmingham.
Whilst the mother was ill, he used to go from Mo-d ay
till Saturday the last few week.. I did not go with him.
silo died on the Friday folowing, and was boriscl, on
the Tuesday. He came back oaths Saturday after her
death. Autuet 25th. My husband attended the a.rvioe
on Runiay, and went nway on Monday, I think by the
11.30 troll. Before toy husband left he went into
bad stayed about half an hour. He cams bank on
Saturday night. On Tuesday the 4th Septesob.r, in
the morning I went to my huiband's study ab ,ut ten
o'clock. It wee Ms dresaing-room es well %I study..
My huabend wan not there. A 'errant was with me
whoa I steamed the envelope to open the patket of
letter' which I took from a drawer. I took the
letters into my room, after I had taken them from
the drawer, ani the ',resat fetched ma • 'met
lamp to steam them with. When I list went Into
my husband e'stuly I looked into two or three drawers.
They were locked Brae I looked int), but I
had • key • very long time age, when we were happy
together. I net this key, hut my humbled did sot
know that I (anal It sole. I looked In oae of the
drawers, and found a packet of lettere In a black-
edged envelope. I wee in the habit of looking in my
I husband's drawer'. as I knew there meat be lettere
for Mien Raper. I found nothing durina the week he
wee away. I teeemed she envelope+ in my room, and
found mute pipers tied • cheque for 40. My father-in-
Ism had given It to my hnabend to provide mourning.
I left the cheque behind me, I think lathe envelope.
I have been continually looking in my hulband's
drawers. When I got it In my heed I debated whe-
ther I would open it Of pot It beat agate es my hue.
band might come. I ultimately °pallid the pao_kit
end gal ow of Ike olilldroa to stead et the wladow