The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-13 00:00:00

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST THE VICAR OF

MOTTRAM.
For the heat seven or eight months an affair has
been the subject of much discussion and excitement in Mot-
tram, as involving nothing less than a charge of adultery
against the Rev. D. Seddon, vicar of that parish, a married
man, with a family. It seems that in May last a man, named
Isaac Ashton, • labourer, in the service of Mr. Motley for
the last 21 years, stated that his illegitimate daughter, Mary
Oree was enceinte, and that she stated the father to be Mr.
Seddon, the vicar. The churchwardens determined to lay
the matter before the Bishop of Chester, the vicar's diocesan.
I Accordingly, a sort of ecclesiastical CODIMNIMOR was issued
b. four beneficed clergymen, who held a court of inquiry at
Mottram, to which the public were admitted. Tins court
having been formally opened in the parish church, was ad-
Ijourned, for obvious reasons, to the Sunday schoolroom con.
nected with the church. At this court, which occupied the
greater part of two days, the 15th and 16th of June last,
the Rev. Chancellor &likes presided, the other members
of the court being the Venerable Archdeacon Wood, of
Northwich ; the Rev. C. K. Prescot, rector of Stockport ;
and a fourth beneficed clergyman, whose name we have not
beard. The court was crowded to excess during both days.
At this inquiry, a great number of witnesses were examined,
including the girl herself, who, of course, gave the principal
evidence, and who, as to various times at which she bad
been alone with the vicar, both at the vicarage and at her
father's house, was corroborated by other witnesses, in-
cluding the parish chrgy and a number of girls, attendants
at the church Sunday school, at the Tuesday evening lec-
tures at Broadbottom, and at • class which practised singing
en Monday evenings at the vicarage, and on Thursday even-
ings at the church. As to the actual offence, there was, of
course, no witness except Mary Green herself; she stated
it had been committed on the night of the 16th of March,
after the lecture at Broadbottom, in an old ruined building
or cottage a few yards from the vicarage. To rebut the
charge, two girls were called, to prove that, on that
night, they walked home with Mary Green, past
the vicarage, and saw no one there. It thus be-
came, as to the night in cpustion, a matter of
conflicting testimony. During UM' proceedings it was
sought to be shown that there was ill-feeling in the parish
against the vicar, and that, in fact, this proceeding originated
in a conspiracy against him amongst certain of his parishioners.
While cross-examining Mr. Stott, one of the churchwardens,
with this object, the court intimated that Mr. Stott had con-
ducted himself very fairly, and expressed a wish that Mr.
Stott might not be further questioned, as to any alleged ill-
feeling in the parish.—The defence having been closed, the
four clergymen forming the court retired to consider the evi-
dence, and their own decision upon it; and after an absence
of about forty minutes they returned into court, and the
Rev. Chancellor Itsikes is reported to have pronounced the
opinion of himself and colleagues to the following effect:
" People of Mottram and its vicinity, we have patiently and
assiduously, as you all know, investigated the charges against
your minister, we hope in the fear of God and to your satis-
faction. The conclusion we have come to is not to recom-
mend to the bishop to institute any further inquiry."
Of course, though this might aispose of the case to the
satisfaction of the rev. gentlemen making the inquiry, and
to that of the bishop, the matter could not rest tnere. On
the 30th November last, Mary Green gave birth to a male
child, and, as she declared that no one but Mr. Seddon was
the father, it became necessary, in due course, for the over-
seers of the township to bring her before the magistrates for
the usual affiliation. This hearing took place at Hyde on
Monday last.
HYDE PETTY SESSIONS, JAN. 10.—(Before Mr. J. Tur-
ner, of Godley, chairman; Mr. J. Howard, of Brereton-
hall ; and Mr. R. Ashton, of Hyde).—The fact of this in-
vestigation coming before this court, caused the new court-
house to be densely crowded. Amongst those present were
two other magistrates, and a considerable number of clergy-
men and surgeons.—Mr. Hudson, solicitor and coroner, of
Stockport, appeared to make the application for the affilia-
tion order; and Mr. Greene, barrister-at-law, appeared for
the rev. defendant.
Mr. Hudson stated the case, and applied for the usual
order of affiliation. After stating generally the nature of
the evidence to be adduced, he observed that, in cues of
this kind, the legislature properly required that the evidence
of the mother should be corroborated in some material
points (though of course it could very rarely be as to the
actual commission of the offence) to the satisfaction of the
magistrates. He should call a number of witnesses to prove
that Mary Green and the defendant had been alone together
on various occasions under suspicious circumstances, both at
the vicarage and at her father's house. It had been said
• that this case was the result of a conspiracy in the parish of
Mottram against the vicar. What possible object contd&
poor girl have in entering into any such conspiracy ? This
affiliation was enough of itself to show that she would have
every kind of difficulty thrown in her way in seeking legal
redress. He must utterly deny that there was any suck con-
, spiracy. It was also said that no one could be safe, if, upon
such testimony as this girl's, such a charge could be cast upon
a clergyman to disgrace him in the eyes of his parishioners,
and to destroy his usefulness. If Mr. Seddon were guilty,
he had no just ground of complaint, whatever might be the
consequences to himself, but must be answerable for his mis-
conduct.
Mary Green, the mother of the child, was then called, and
was under examination upwards of three hours. She is
described as a quiet, docile, intelligent girl of 20, with pale