The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-07-27 00:00:00

BREACH OF PROMISE.

At the Carlisle Assizes, the cause of " Hope r. Watson"
has been heard before Mr. Justice Brett, and was an action
for • brew,, of promise of marriage, to which the defendant
pleaded that the promise had been reminded

It appeared from the opening speech of the learned
counsel and from the evidence, that the plaintiff was
the widow of Joseph Hope, farmer, of Wath, in
Cumberland, who died in 1866, who fanned about 160
to 200 acres of land. By his will he left his property
to his widow for her life, and after her death to be
divided among his children. There were three ions and
a married daughter. After his death Mrs. Hepe carried
on the farm with the assistance of her sons. The
defendant was the owner of the " Greyhound " Inn
at Wath, which he managed himself, and also a
blacksmith. He was a widower, his wife having died in
June, 1871. Mrs. Hope was a friend of hers, and a fre-
quent visitor at the defendant's house. About a month
or six weeks after his wife's death it appeared that he
proposed marriage to Mrs. Hope and was accepted by
her. Her sons, however, who were grown up, greatly
objected, and used threats when he visited her, and
otherwise annoyed him. The defendant, however,
said he cared nothing for the sons, and the engagement
was continued, and by the defendant's advice she gave
noti7s to quit her farm at the following Michaelmas,
and sold off her stock before the expiration of the notice
in the following February. While annoyed, it ap-
peared, by the conduct of the sons to him, the defend.
I ant, in July, 1871, wrote the following and only letter
produced to Um plaintiff :

" With Brow Top, July 3, 1871.
"My dear Mrs. Hope,—l now sit down to inform your
daughter of what took place last night. My heart at pre-
sent is full of trouble, for when this report geta out I will
not have a heart to meet my friends. I thiuk what has
passed betwixt us it will be your duty to cling to me for
your future welfare, for I am sure I came to you with a
true and toning heart not for to take anything from you
but on the contrary to make You a loveing busband and a
comfortable home both for yourself and me for the re-
mainder part of our lives. I think you will take into con-
sideration the offer I have made to you will be an advan-
tage to you for the remainder part of your life I think you
most not let your family stand betwixt us. Please send by
lire Meow your daughter's address. I would have wrote you
a much longer letter, but at present my heart is so full of
trouble. I cannot find words to express myself in the manner
I should de, so I shall conclude by wishing you good-by and
ever remain yours until death: I hope I shall always be able
tome you—Yours, JoSENI WATSON."

It seemed, however, that his affections had cooled by
the following Christmae, and the defendant began to
pay attention to Mrs. Smith, a widow, who was the
owner and landlady of the Brow Top publichoute at
Wath, and reported to have in addition £l,OOO of her
own, while Mrs. Hope had only a life interest in pro-
perty worth about £6OO. It was suggested that the
defendant, after much pondering, had mane to the con-
clusion that Mrs. Smith, with a monopoly of the two
publichouses in the village—heretofore rivals in trade
—and with a larger property, was the better match of
the two, and that therefore at Christmas last he had
broken off his engagement with Mrs. Hope, who in
consequence has lost her farm and comfortable posi-
tion, and had in February last married Mrs. Smith.
The plaintiff, a healthy middle-aged woman, proved
the facts opened on her behalf in her examination in
chief, and on her cross-examination admitted that her
eons had mai., a great deal to do about her engage-
ment with the defendant, and one of them had
threatened to shoot Mr. Watson, and to poison him
and "rip him up," wad he had been compelled to have
him bound over to keep the peace towards him ; and that
one of her eons, having got some drink, had on Christ-
mas-day beaten her became of Mr engagement, and she
had sent for the defendant ; but she denied that the de-
fendant had said to her that the had better remain
as she was for there was going to be nothing but de-
struction in the family, and that they haul better re-
main as they were, or that she had agreed to the pro-
posal; and she denied that she had afterwards said to
mveral persons named that she had done with the
defendant, and that their engagement was at an end.
But after this interview she had tent fcr some blankets
back which she had previously sent to the defendant's
house. She had not seen the defendant afterwards
except on some business tuatters, to settle some ac-
counts between them. She was then asked by Mr.
Herschell, if she did not object to state it, how old she
was; to which she replied, "I am younger than his
first wife, however." (Laughter.)
Well, that does not let us know. Will you tell me
your age ?—I am younger than his first wife.
May I say 60 !—Now you are too far.
His Lordship: How old is your eldest son ?—He is
dead; my eldest son living is 24.