The National Register.
London, England, 1816-06-10 00:00:00

14

1-111 I.N-1'13.1.1(4:ACE.

COURT OF KING'S IVrItINESPtI,

11A NV OIRBER%ON r. L. CHARLTON, V.Q.

'Tlie plahatiff is a widow residing in Queen-street. Brom/flan :
Ow defendant is a person of property. The action sv.iS to re-
e.,ver damages for the seduction sf the plaintifra daughter.
tins A tomes -Genet al, in opening the phiintiffs e-ase, stated,
that the ilefeiniant was not %nil:titian in Westinivater-liall, his
thane Laving fotitierly appeared to u ts:ansaetion lent teary db.-
Ili mike to the present ; he had au ample fortune, tesaill.fie prin-
cipally upon his estate at Ludlam!, neat Imilltra, and having
tilleel the important office of high sheriff for the comity of Wins
cyst, r a shunt time ago. The charge uttaitast him wits Or a
most flagrant nature; and the ease diaelosed a scene of pro-
them. y mid immorality scarcely equalled in the Inanity of the
comas where mien injuries were redressed. The plaintiff lost
her habitand mils a few months ()cline the still more atflieting
calamity which luau given rise to this action. She resided in a
house at Monsoon, obese she anal her husband had t•arried on
trade for upwards of 20 years, and was assisted io the hissiat as
and the household thinks by a sou. a lad, anal three daughters,
Mary, Hannah, and Charlotte, the hist about et), the second
shoot Hi, and the last not muie than 15 seats old. ,airy
would scarcely belies e that the boo last had become the vic-
tims of the seductive arts of the defendant and his friend Cap-
tain Seymonr, of the guards; the-e two gentlemen had mated
their exertions in the most cold blooded, deliberate, and per-
severing attempts to gratify unbridled licentioubilets ; lan-
guages was unequal to the eXpreSSIOn Of the baseness of the
design, the cruelty of the execution, and the misery that had
testified from it. The two younger daughters of the plaintiff,
Hannah and Charlotte, had bee a walkit.g in Hyde Park when
they were at eosted by the defendant anal Captain Seymour,
who in vain endeavoured to learn whet e they 'eyed ; the gen-
tlemen consequently followed them home, watched every op-
oi torift hi:speaking to the young female a in the abst ice of
their motile', their elder sister, or other ads isei a, writing the
most passionate and pressing letters, professing that eternity of
attatiamait which last. only to the moment of gratification, and
making those most flattering promises ahirh are intended only
to da•luelt and betray. !laving at length succeeded in over
e "mint the samples of Miss Hannah GisbelSOn (for it was to
her that the defendant paid his assiduous addresses, while Cap-
tain sey molar devoted himself 10 ChallOtte), he prevailed upon
her to quit her home, that she might proceed with hint to Ball!:
and her sister consented to the same inaprodent step with her
admirer. In pursuance of the plot of these gentlemen, how-
ever, they dial not final it convenient to leave London on the
clay of the elopement, but runtime(' until flee next to lodge
theyeanig ladies at the hause of a frit aid. The jnry would nut
Lc astonished to hear, that that limke was the hagnio, called
the Key, in Chandos•street, where the guilty design of the de-
fendant was perpetrated. Within u day or two afterwards,
:11r. Charlton exeunt d himself on the ground of pa essitig busi-
ness, which called hint immediately into Wurcesteraltire, and
Ire and Capt. Seymour, tanning these, two injured and unpro-
tected females into a lodging in Seyntutir-place, there aban-
doned them, making them answerable to the SVOIIIOn of the
house, where they were lit:•rally conlitted fur some months,
being unable to pay for the accommodation afforded.
learned counsel then read some of the letters of the defendant,
and made many severe remarks upon their contents; ;yarn an-
lady one part which recommended, in couise terms, that Miss
tithberson should throw herself into the satins of some other
snap. Ile lett the Cabe to the jury to decide upon the question
of damages.
bonus Coleraine was the first wittiest called. He mac
stewinal to the defendant, and with elisions relnetance proved
the hand-writing of his master to the lettere. He said, that he
Mad managed the estate of Mr. Charlton fur five or aip years,
ever Flltee that gentleman wise of age. The estate at Li:Moral
was worth about 20001. a year, and tittle were 209 mac. of
park attached to the dwelling; Lucien Duonaparte had been
In treaty to rent it.
Mrs. Mary Cooke said that she lived in Sloane-street: she
• knew the plaintiff, her three danghters, alitt one Son :it sip-
reared to her to be a ail! ae slated sunnily. The husband of
the plaintiff before his death raveled on the business or a tailor.
Sirs. Susan Hoge Ulf and Mr. W. Taylor deposed to the acne
effect.
Mks Hannah Gibherson said, that her mother, had been
a widow since last July; she, her two sisters, one older and
one younger, with their brother, lived at Inane: the witness
completed her lith year last July, and her sister Charlotte
was a year younger : last Christmas-day- was the first time she
saw the de tendant she was a alking aitlt her sister Charlotte
in Hyde-park, when the defendant and Captain Seymour came
lip and asked where they lived: the witness roused to tell,
end the defendant alai his friend followed them home. Tu
peseta his coming next day, the witness and her sister pro-
rinsed to meet them in Bond street; but the weather being wet,
the defetulunt came to the house of the plaintiff; the servant,
who opened the door, Witt the defendant they were out. The
next tune she saw the de:readmit aas in St. James's-street; the '
witness's sisters Mary and Charlotte, wet e with her: the de-
fendant stopped Charlotte, and afterwards met them again in
bond street ; anal as they were going to tea in Berkeley- atreet,
lie said he WOllll.l est•ort them. Thu witness appointed to meet
Lim at 10 at nigli•, when they came away, anal he walked
Lame with theta- aometimes be walked with the witness alone.
He told her he was leaving Londou fur Woreestershii e, asked
her to go w ith him, and promised he weula take care of her
for life: lie Wittig!, that he had never seen a girl he liked
better, at the same time disclosing hia Dante and address at
Ltielt'urtl. 'flue a itness refused, bait the defendant again
pressed his proposal, Raying that tl:e witness should never
want a shiiling as long as he had one, anti that after his death
he would provide for her. He begged lease to st rate, but she
said her l.rother opened all her letters, lint not those of her
t•lder sister, and the witness consented to send his letters
ender cas't'e. Ho asked, alien they met stain, if the witness
and her sisters ever welt to the play; atal Charlotte who was
,with her, said they could if they had orders. 'lbis passed a 0
the Monday; and on the 11*(4111e:day the witness, walking
with her bitter Charlotte in lturlingtotogiglif.-ns, met the de-
fendant again with Mr. Seymour, whom tire; had {tiniest; six
weeks bet ore. 'The defendant again entreat( d the %sinless to
leave her home, promising her every protection. Captain
Feymour obtained Lekets tor the play In the way hour, wiry 'i
Charlotte accepted, but the witness rejected. On Wedneaday
debt the witness sent bac!, the tickets to Cureon-strect,
• and in "'Addy mining the first letter was received; in con-
sequence of which the witness met the deft tadaut next day in
basing made souse enense to her mother;
Chit ii 'lit with her. The defendant and Mr. Se.,nivur
wire both tie re. and the witness promised w meet loin on
Sarialay iEa the Clerk ; and they ;net accooliegly. The de-
te,.; tot a-;.• witness to proceed with him to bath, as
•%!:a was tittle, had persuaded Charlotte to go Were
sa.„