The National Register.
London, England, 1814-07-03 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL RFGISTER.

JULY 3.

ARCHES COURT, DOCTORS' COMMONS.

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SMITH V. SMITH.

This was a snit for a divorce at the instance of Louise, the wife
of George Thomas Smith, Esq..of Devygyfilehi, in the county rof
Carnarvon, Wales, against him, on the ground of cruelty and adal-
tery.
It appeared. that the parties were married in October, 1791, at
Sr, Mary's Chapel, Walcot, in Somersetshire, Mt Smith being thee
under age; and Mrs. Smith, a widow, of the name of Morgan.
They took up their residence in Glocester-street, Portman-square,
where they continned until the latter end of 1795, and had one
daughter. About that time, Mr. Smith entreated his wife to make
an alteration in his favour with regard to some property over which
she retained a right by her marriage settlement, and upon her re-
fival, began to treat her with eonsiderable harshness and cruelty ;
one instance of which in particular occurred in Jannaey 1796, whet;
he forcibly locked her up one morning in her dressing•room, and
went out ; but upon his return flooding she ',art been liberated by the
servants, and was then at supper, he asked her angrily how she
dared to conic clown stairs ; awl moon lour replying she thought she
{lad a fight to do so in her own house, he lent hold of her with
great violence, awl dragged her to the bottom of the stairs ; hoot
the servants having opened the street door, and alarmed the neigh-
bours, she was rescued from further violence by the interference of
Mr. and Mrs. Dashwood, who resided in the adjoining hone. A
deed of separation was afterwards entereq into between them, and
she made him an allowance from her separate property of '2OOl. per
annum. through the medium of her trustee, under the marriage
settlement, He then formed an improper connection with a person
of the name of Trefusis, since deceased, and lived with her at his
house in Montagne-place, until the spring of 1800, when he aban-
doned the connection ; and Mrs, Smith lees induced, through the
interference of his father and mother, to resume her cohabitation
with him, and egecnte a deed releasing all the remaining property
she possessed independent of him. They continued together at
their residence at Pendy Fryn, in Wales, and in 1807 had A daugh-
ter born. About this time a person of the name of Hannah Dodd
came into the family, in the capacity of dairy maid, and was short-
ly afterwards made housekeeper. Mr. Smith having accustomed
14111$811 to a separate bed during his Witi.'9s ,confinement, persistol
in doing so after the child was weaned, and this first excited suspi-
cion in the family of an undue intimacy between him and Hamedo
Dodd. His behavionr to his wife was also materially changed, and
in July, 1808, broke out into violence. The connection with Han-
nah Dodd becoming matter of observation in the neighbourhood,
wawat length discovered by Mrs. timith, who insisted on her being
dismissed the house, Wilda Mr. Smith at first refused, but at length
acceded to through the remonstrance of friends, and she quitted
their eervice in August, 1801, He followed her not long after-
wards, abandoning his wife and child, awl they lived together at
West-end, Hampstead, until February, 1809, when Mrs. Smith,
having till then continued at Peudy Vole with her child, quitted it,
and repaired to the house of her brother, J. H. Burt, V,4q, at Colton,
Stalliarrdshire, awl Mr. Smith then resumed his residence, at Pendy
Fry') with Hannah Dodd, In April, 1811, Mrs. Smith reme.ved
with 'her child to Leamington, in Warwickshire, where she received
I a visit from her husband, wbo insisted upon Ocing the child honu:
with him, and she finding resistance useless; was ipiAliCett to accom•
pant them. Upon their arrival at Peudy Fryn, she obtained a
separate apartment foe herself and the child, Mr. Smith end Hall-
DOthl haying likewise separate apartments, which they kept
leeked, but were occasionally beard going into each other's mow,
Matters continued in this state until August, 1811, when Mr. Si"
t•leptived his wife of the society of her child, and ordered its bed to
be cam ried ieto his own room. Her only motive fur residing in the
saineto44.SC witty Lino -being thus removed, she quitted it, and hi
as
ever since lived with her brother at Colton ; Jr. Smith gill eon-
tinning Ws cosmeetioor with Hannah Dodd.
A eaaitty of witnesses *wee .examioed iii support pf this case or,
Use pert of Mrs. Smith, •
No,defence was offered, but 'the enamel for Mr. Smith ,obseeved,
t;oat the telly act of violence relied coo, appeered to have occurred if
eonsiderahle !nee since, but as the rest of the circumstances were
so fully t.orovekl it would in useless le eai‘e an argument npon this
single objectioeable
Sir Jelin Nieboll then eccapitulated the eirenuistances of the.case,
and beieg opinion that they were fully bete oat
,tlke evidenceadel;teed,
adolneed, pronounced fur the divorce.

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