The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-08 00:00:00

night's decision is likewise a plain notification the
the House is determined to show its respect fo
public faith, by insisting that Ministers shall kee
to their solemn engagements, whether as regard
the finances of the country, or in other matter
which more nearly concern the national characte
and honour.,

LAW INTELLIGENCE—June 7.

COURT OF CHANCERY.
(Before Vice-Chancellor Kinderaley.)

lEENAN Y. HANDLEY.

This suit was instituted by a young woman named Ellin
Keenan, to compel the defendant, Captain H. E. Handley
to perform an agreement into which he had entered witl
her to give her an annuity of £l5O for the support of her
self and her child, of which she said he was the father
The plaintiff deposed that whilst living in Michael's-place
Brompton—namely, in December, 1859 —she became ac'
quainted with the defendant, who visited her at her resi
deuce, and that she shortly afterwards, at his earnest solici
tation, was induced to enter into cohabitation with him 9
his wife, for which purpose he took apartments for her, i
the first instance, in Stanley.street, Pimlico. During the
period and now she was unmarried, and the defendant
during the same period, and until some time after making
to her the alleged promises of marriage and the relinquish
meat thereof, was an unmarried man. She also depeee
that during such cohabitation, and until after the birth C
her child, she at his request used the name of " Coverdale,'
being the same as that used by himself in all his sporting
transactions, he being then and now largely engaged itt
racing, by which name he was well known, and she We
also well known by the name of Mrs. Coverdale, and We
by him introduced under such name to some of his rely
+-ions and friends. The defendant, who has large estates ii
Lincolnshire, and an estate in Berkshire, denied that It'
had entered into any such obligations towards her as sh`•
set forth.

Mr. Glasse, Mr. Sergeant Ballantine, and Mr. HemiDg
were counsel for the plaintiff ; and Mr. Baily, Mr. Overend
and Mr, Toulmin for defendant.

The case was argued a month ago and judgment W3s re'
served till now.

The Vice-Chancellor, in giving judgment, said the ea'
curestances under which the bill was filed were these
The plaintiff, Ellen Keenan, lived with the defendant,
Captain Handley, as his mistress from 1859 till 1861. Be;
fore she knew the defendant she had lost her virtue, taw
had been the mistress of some other persons, and had home
a child to one of them. The defendant was a gentleman ei
fortune and much addicted to pursuits of the turf, and he
kept race horses. In December, 1859, an acquintance cow"
menced between the plaintiff and the defendant from
accidental meeting one evening in Piccadilly. The de'
fondant visited the plaintiff that night at her lodging, and,,
continued his nightly visits there about two months; as
in 1860 he took lodgings for her in Stanley-street, Pimlico,
N. here he continued to visit her. In March, 1860, herented
a cottage at Surbiton, where she lived with him as his rale•
stress, and there they resided and cohabited 12 months,
During their residence at Surbiton they were known as
Mr and Mrs Coverdale, and under the name of Coverdale
the defendant carried on his sporting transactions. The
defendant said it was usual for persons engaged in sporting
transactions to carry them on and to enter their horses for
races under assumed names. But the court was not aware
that it was the custom of these persons to assume such firtl'
tious names as the names by which they desired to
.be
known in the neighbourhood where they resided. While
the plaintiff and the defendant were living at Surbiton, ,1
infant plaintiff, Lucy Coverdale, of which child the cl.?•
fendant had always till after the institution of this Slit,:
acknowledged himself to be the father, was born.
shortly after the birth the defendant registered that fact,
describing the child as the daughter of Henry and Elie°
Coverdale. an October, 1860, the defendant caused the
child to be baptised, and on that occasion also he de'
scribed her as the child of Mr and Mrs. Coverdale. Having
resided at Surbiton upwards of twelve months the
plaintiff and the defendant went to reside at /simians, 1.11
Hertfordshire, and there the defendant resumed 111°
real name 'of Handley, and by his direction the plaintiff
always afterwards whilst living there passed under the
name of Mrs Handley. He addressed letters to her under
that name. On the 25th Deptcmber, 1861, when about to
leave home for a short time, he left a letter for her on the
table, in which he expressed his regret that her glee:
tion for him appeared to have cooled, and he proposed
that if she determined to leave him he would give her .an
annuity of £l5O for the support of herself and their ofnid.
Shortly after September, 1061, the plaintiff, with the e?:
oi
currence of the defendant, quitted Marlene, and went to St.
Leonards, and from that time the cohabitation ceased. In
accordance with the advice of the defendant she came to
London to have an interview with his solicitor, in order
that a deed securing to her an annuity of £l5O might b°
prepared. Both the plaintiff and defendant had intervlewe
with the solicitor on that subject, but the result was that
the defendant, without any reason, refused to carry out the
arrangement, and this bill was filed to compel him to WI
out the arrangement. It has been contended for the de-
fendant that there was no consideration for the annuity
claimed from him. But the court was of opinion upon the
evidence that there was a sufficient consideration. There
appeared to have been several discussions between them on
the subject of marriage, and the defendant seemed to have
given her a promise of marriage. But the plaintiff had re:
leased the defendant from such promise on consideration 01
his panting her an annuity. The conclusion at which the
court felt obliged to arrive on the whole case was that there
must be a decree for an annuity to the plaintiff to cow'
mence from March 25, 1862, the deed to secure such annuity
to be settled in chambers. The defendant must pay the
plaintiff's costs.