The Sun.
London, England, 1830-12-11 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

Yesterday a commission de lunatic() inquiretado was executed
at the'hiermaidTavern„'Hackney, before Commissioners Messrs.
PHICLIMORE, BLumr, and WINSLO'W, and a highly re-
spectable Jury, to determine whether Miss Jane Nanney was of
unsound mind, and how long she had been so. The commission
further directed inquiry to be made as to what real property she
was possessed of, and whether she had alienated any part of it,
and under what circumstances.
The case as it proceeded excited the greatest interest, from the
painful origin of the malady, and the singular manner in which
Miss Nanney, after being lost to her friends for many years, was
at last accidentally discovered.
Mr. CAItRINGTON opened the case, by observing that he
appeared for Mrs. Hartley, the sister of the alleged lunatic. Mrs.
Hartley and the object of the present inquiry wero the only
daughters of the Rev. Mr. Nanney, a gentleman of ancient
family and very large property in South Wales, and who besides
held the living of Golgelley, in Merionethshire. Miss Nanney
was born in 1781. and received an education in every respectlbe.
fitting a lady. During; the latter part of his life Mr. Nanney
became Infirm in mind, and at that time a man named Matthews,
a bankrupt tallow-chandler, was received by:him into his service
and conhdence, and soon act mired a great ascendancy over him.
This mem, in 1803, accomplished the seduction of Miss Nanney,
and ever since that period his unfortunate victim had been in-
sane. She was removed to a distant part of Wales till her ac.
couchement, and in the following year she accompanied her father
and Matthews to London for the latter still retained his aseen.
dancy over the Rev. Mr. Janney. In 1813 Mr. Nanney's son, a
Captain in the Royal Navy, came home, and happening to meet
Matthews while out shooting, he levelled his gun at, and shot
him, but the wound did not prove mortal.
Mr. Commissioner PHI LLIMORE objected to the introdue_
lion of these matters as irrelevant.
Mr. CARRINGTON accordingly passed from the subject, and
proceeded to observe, that Mrs. Hartley had lost sight of her
sister ever since 1815 till about a year back, when she was dls.
covered to be residing at No. 11, George-street London-fields, (The Learned Counsel then proceeded to detail the
circumstances of her discovesy, and the proofs he professed
giving of her insanity.)
Mr. Griffith Jones examined—l reside in Bank.buildings, and
am solicitor to Mr. and Mrs. Hartley. In ISI2B Mr. Hartley was
high sheriff of Merionethshire; and, as I was then acting as his
agent, ho directed me to endeavour to discover, if possible, the re-
sidenceof Miss Nanney. I madeevery inquir but could learn no-
thing of her; and It was not till September, ith, that I accidentally
discovered her. At that time I was residing at Wilton, and on
a Sunday afternoon took a walk in search of a friend's house;
and entering George-street, I was looking about me, when I was
accosted by a voice from a first-floor window. The words were,
" How d'y do; how d'y' dor" uttered rapidly. On looking up I
saw a person al an open window with a white hat on,'arai having
more the appearance of an old gentleman than a lady, I replied,
" I have not the pleasure of knowing you." The person answered
rapidly,'" Not know me, not know me!" I thought from the
manner it was an insane person, and walked away. Shortly after
I again passed the house, when the voice called to me, " Don't
you know me ?" I replied, " I do not." The person then turned
I away, and called out, as if speaking to some person within the
room, " Mrs. Nanney, Mrs. Nanney I" I had known Miss Nan.
ney in her youth, and, upon hearing these words, I immediately
recognized the person who had an strangely addressed me to be
her. I knocked at the door, anti having made myself known,
was invited to walk up stairs, where I saw Miss Nanney, and her
mother.in-law, Mrs. Nanney,—(The witness proceeded to state
the demeanour and conversation of the young lady, both of which
showed a state of mental weakness approaching to childishness.
tier memory appeared to be completely destroyed.)—ln coati.
nuation, the witness said Miss Nanney is descended from one of
the most ancient ancient and wealthy families in South Wales,
and had received every accomplishment of a lady. I recollect,
when a boy, hearing of her seduction, but I know nothing of it
except from hearsay.
No Counsel appeared on behalf of the lunatic, and Mr. Com-
missioner PHI LLIMORE, in consequence, questioned the wit.
ness must minutely as to the ground if his belief in her insanity.
Several pertinent questions were also put by the Jury; but the
answers In every instance tended to strengthen the original
evidence.
Dr. Ramsbottom examined-4 am a physician, and on the 4th
of October I saw Miss Nanney. I asked if she knew me, and
she replied " Yes; your name is Bill Dennett." My name had
been mentioned to her just before. I took hold of het hand
gently, to feel her pulse, and she instantly jumped up and threw
herself upon a sofa, In a reclining posture, with her legs upon
chair. I took hold of her wrist, and she instantly jumped up,
and resumed her former seat, and called me, on my following
her, a diabolical wretch. On my asking if she had seen Mr.
Matthews lately, she said readily, " Oh, yes, I saw him yester-
day ; he came here to see me, and drank a great deal of wine."
I asked her abruptly if she had seen her son lately. She re-
plied, " Have I seen my son lately l'- what a question."
said, " You have a son, have you not r" To which she an-
swered, " Have you a son P" I said," No," and she replied," Go
and get one." Soon after she began to unfasten her clothes, and
on my asking if she was going to undress before me, she said,
" Yes / • and if you don't like to see tae, you may go out of the
room.' From the whole of what I saw of her, I consider her
of unsound mind.

Mr, Kingdon, of Dank-buildings, City, surgeon, considered her
to hoof unsound mind.
Mrs. Viney examined—l reside nxt attitudes, to Miss Nanney.
She would throw herself into strange trample over the
flower-beds, and pick up pebbles and put them in her bosom.
All that I could ever make out from her muttering was, some-
thing about ti a dear baby that was in Heaven.
Mr. Huxtable, surgeon, of Hackney, had attended Miss Nan.
ney since Sunday last, in consequence of her having dislocated
her wrist. He was of opinion, from what he saw of her, she
was of unsound mind.

(The dislocation of the wrist arose, we understood, from a fall
she sustained in attempting to escape from the house on Sunday
last.)
At this stage of the proceedings It vim proposed to examine
;he alleged lunatic, who had been brotight to the_ place at alt
early part or the day ill a earriAge,scoompallled Nanney
and another lady. list last witness was deputtci to introduce
her, and accordingly retired for that purpose, but returned
some minutes afterwards, and stated that she was still in the
carriage with the other ladies, and although fur some hours past
they had been endeavouring to prevail on her to alight, she
legalrefseti. This difficulty was at last got over by Miss !Janney be..
revailed upon to get out of the cartilage. On her being in.
traduced into the room, she stared wildly round at the Jury. She
was placed in'a chair, and questioned as follows by Mr. Commis.
stoner l'H ILIA MORE :
These gentlemen are the Jury of Middlesex, and have come to
inquire how you ate, and about your property.. 4 know nothing
about It.
Where is your property le—The Lord. Chancellor knows all
about it.
"What, are,yeu a Ward in Chancery P—Yes ;it is all in Chan-
cery. leave it all to thp Lord Chungiler.
We arc told yettr nallle )0 N.4lwri?—Noi fur 1 havo been

ow -"
long have you been marrie4lP—That is to be inquired into.
How many children have you P—l sha'n't tell you.
Are they boys or girls P—l don't think any of them are boys.
In what country are they now P—l can't tell, I leave It all to
the Lord Chancellor.
Who married you P—l am married; ask the Lord Chancellor.
Do you know Matthews I,—They tell mehe is dead.
In answer to further questions.' she referred them to the Lord
Chancellor, who she said, had the care of her property, and
paid for every thing she required, and knew all about her.
Mr. 40Nt4:4 stated that this was altogether a delusion, as she
had tio property in Chiencery,
Mrs. /*Tenney deposed that Miss Nanney bad resided with her
constantly from September 2, 1824. Mr. Matthews used to act
as her agent, and supplied witness with the requisite money for
Miss Nanney 'e support, rill about a year back, when he died; and
since then, witness herself had received her inmate.
The Jury expressed themselves perfectly satisfied, and returned
a verdict, finding that Miss Nanney had been of unsound mind
ever since September, 1924.