The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-18 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

Mr. Jones, the restry-clerk of the parish of St. Ste-
phen Coleman-street, applied, upon the part of the
parish, to the Lord Mayor, relative to an Irishwoman
named Mary Piunket, who had, with two of her chil-
dren, been a burden upon it for a considerable time ;
and although she had no claim, could not be prevailed
upon to remove, but was determined to stay, and still
further to increase the pauper population of the neigh-
bourhood.

The LORD MAYOR observing that the woman was a
person of a very clean and decent appearance, asked
whether she had a husband

Mr. Jones said that the parochial authorities under-
stood, from what she had stated to them, that she had
a husband in Ireland, although, no doubt to suit her
own views, she now denied, or rather doubted, that she
was a married woman. At all events, she occasionally
lived with a man named 11PLochlin, who was a labourer
in England, and by whom she had two children, who
had been supported in the parish of St. Stephen's Cole-
rAan-street, and two who were in the parish of Shore-
ditch. There was, as a matter of course, no settlement
for her or her children in England.

The LORD MAYoß—Certainly not, if she has a hus-
band in Ireland.
Mr. Jones stated that he had taken her examination
at considerable length, and entertained not the slightest
doubt as to her having been married in Ireland.
INPLochlin, the father of her children, would willingly
marry her if he thought she was single, according to her
own account, but she would not satisfy him on that par-
ticular. In the meantime she was an intolerable burthen
to the Union, and had already cost upwards of lOW. in
one way or other, and would become a standing nuisance
if not sent to her own country, or if the parish were not
exonerated from the charge. The Union, he was
authorised to say, would not only send her to Ireland,
but give her money to put in her pocket, fur her assist-
ance upon her arrival there.

Mary Plunket said that she could not think of going
to Ireland, as she had neither friends nor acquaintances
there.

The Loan MAYOR—You have got your husband
there. Mary Plunket—l don't know any thing about
him. He was never a husband to me at all. I don't
think I was married to him at all.

The LORD MAYOR—What do you mean by not
being married to him ? Mary Plunket—Why, it wasn't
done in a chapel, whatever was done, was done in a
room.

The LORD MAYOR—Do you mean that the marriage
ceremony was performed in a private room ? Mary
Pluuket—l do, my Lord.
The LORD MAYott—Well, what then ? The mar-
riage was not illegal on that account. The priest was
at liberty to marry you in a room. Mary Nunket—
But sure I don't know that he was a priest at all. How
do I know what he was ?

The LORD MAYOR—Oh, you knew very well what
you were about. Mary Piunket—Sure nobody knows
anything at all about it. There's no proof, no witness ;
besides we were not married with a ring.
The LORD MAYOR—Was there not a ring put on
your finger ? Mary Plunket—Not at all. We had
no such thing as a ring. So that, for many reasons, it
was no marriage. I had only a room key put on my
finger, and it was taken off immediately after.
The Loan 11IAvott—No doubt the priest was a judge
of his business. The ring of the room key had as much
efficacy as any other ring ; but certainly they have odd
ways of doing many things in Ireland. Mary Plunket
—I can't go to Ireland. The man I have lived with is
able to support me and his family when he is in work ;
but he is now out of employment, and that is the reason
I trouble the parish.
Mr. Bradfield, the Relieving-officer of the parish,
said that the woman made a mere convenience of the
parish. She and M‘Lochlin had (been lately together,
and he suspected that the consequence would be
another addition to the family. The number of Irish
with which the city parishes are of late troubled, ex-
ceded any influx ever before known, and the fact was
that if women like the woman before his Lordship were
not discountenanced, there would be no support for
the legitimate claimant for parochial relief. The Rev.
Mr. Day who visited the Union poor, had distinctly
stated that he apprehended much danger from the ex-
ample of Mary Plunket, to the young women who were
unfortunately dependant upon the parish bounty.
Mr. Jones—l offer her, upon the part of the Union,
not only a passage to Ireland, but money
The LORD MAYOR—My good woman you had
better accept the offer.. If you do not the consequence
may be very bad to you. Mary Plunket—l won't go,
I am sure.

The LORD MAyoft—Then you must get the father
of your children to support you and them.
Mary Plunket—l'll look to the parish. I'm sure I
won't go to Ireland.
Mr. Jones—Under these circumstance?, my Lord,
the Union will neither receive her into the poor-house
nor relieve her any further.
The Loan MAyol.—l cannot at all blame them:; she
has no claim whatever upon the Union.
Mr. Thomas Collins, who it will be recollected
charged two notorious thieves named Sarah Jones and
Mary Brown with having robbed him of a bag contain-
ing about 231. in gold and silver, waited upon the Lofty
MAYOR to thank his Lordship for the scrupulous man-
ner in which his Lordship had investigated the case, and
at the same time to express his regret that he had been
induced by the attorney to allow the prisoners to plead
guilty, by which indulgence they had received a measure
of punishment not at all proportioned to their guilt.

. .
The LORD MAYOR said that he felt convinced all
through the investigation, that the women did not utter
one word of truth. His Lordship never heard evidence
more satisfactory than that given by Mr. Collins, and
in his behalf by the other witnesses, and never saw
women who deserved more to be made examples of than
the two prisoners.
Mr. Collins said he lamented that the two women
would be let out upon the public in a few months, al-
though they deserved to be put away from society
altogether.
The LORD MAYOR—I must not say anything about
what took place elsewhere ; but I sent them there from
this room, perfectly convinced that the Central Crimi-
nal Court was the place in which they could best be
done justice to.