The Sun.
London, England, 1823-08-28 00:00:00

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PETTY SESSIONS.—CLAPTIAM, Aua. 27

ORDER OF FILL ITION AGAINST TILE REV.
WILLIAM FARMER.

A Petty Sessions was yesterday holden in the Vestry Room
of the Parish Church of Clapham, for the purpose of hearing
and determining a charge of Bastardy which had been made
before a Magistrate of the district, against a Dissenting Clergy-
man, whose name is Arilliarn Fanner, and who holds a Chape7
at Newcastle, in Staffordshire.
There were five Magistratespresent—namely, Thomas Har-
rison, Esq., John Thornton, Lsq., John Rogers, Esq., Jan
Hedg,er, Esq. and John Ravenhill. Esq.
Thomas Harrison, Esq. presided as Chairman.
The defendant, who had been brought by warrant from his
residence in Statthrdshire, was present, and was attended by his
Solicitor, Mr. Richardson. Mr. Adolphus appeared as his
Couniel. Mr. Hewitt, the solicitor, appeared on the part.of
the parish, and opened the case against the defendant in a very
few words, and with, great delicacy. lie extremely regretted,
he said, the painful task he had to perform, and in the fulfil-
ment of his duty should abstain from urging any topics which
were calculated to excite unnecessary premdlee, or to aggravate
the charge under which the defendant laboured. Be should
content himself with calling his witness, who would swear that
the defendane.was the father of a Male child, of which she had
been delivered in the month of July last, and having establish.
ed this fact, it would remain with the Justices to make such
order as they thbught proper.
Hannah Forster, a decent looking woman, • although not
possessing any peculiar personal attractions, was then called
and sworn. She appeared to be about 34 ycarsof age, and.
was accompanied by a fine boy, nailer more titan a month old.
She was evidently much affected by her situation, and shed
tears profusely. From her evidence the following story was
elicited :—The defendant was a married man ; the lied known
him about thirteen years, and had lived in his service three
years and a half; this was seven years ago, at Leeds. While
under his roof he had seduetti • her, but their intercourse had
not exceeded five or six times. On hia quitting Leeds she left
Min, and Ultimately came to live with the Rev. Mr. Phillips,
Dissenting. Clergyman, on Clapham Common. On the
same:Common lived a Mr. James Ogle Robinson, who lent
married the sister of the defendant• in the whiter 0144 year,
the defendant, from ill health, cattle Op with his wife to *petal,
a short time with Mr. Robinson, and was an occasional visitavr
with him at the Reverend Mr. Phillips's. On Tuesday, the
sth of November, Mr. Phillips having been unwell, Mr.
Fanner agreed to preach for lint in his chapel, which•was at a
short distance from the house. A party of ladiesaod gentle-
men were assembled at tea the parlour, previeus to the
evening service ; 31r. and Mrs. Farmer were present. After the
'tea, the deponent accidentally went into an adjoining room,
and there unexpectedly found the defendant. lie renewed his
acquaintance with her; and, after sonic conversation, he ap.
pointed to meet her the next evening at seven o'clock, near the
church on the common ; he then went to chapel. The next
evening she went to the place appointed, but the defendant did •
not arrive; she waited for a considerable time, and at length
crossed the road to the shop of a.tradesman near the Plough,
when by the light from the window site saw the th Pendant, who
had just alighted from the Clapham coach ; this was about eight
o'clock; she joined him, and they walked across the common
till they came opposite to a gentleman's house, when that oc-
' curred which led to the present inqufry. She then returned
home, and got into her master's house before nine. She did not
See him afterwards. She subsequently went to live with 111 r.
Borrowdale on the Common, and on the 24.1t1 of July last was
removed from his house to ie workhouse, where she was deli-
vered of a male child, of which she now solemnly swore the
defendant was the father.
In the cross.examination of the unfortunate woman it ap.
geared that she had shorn great reluctance to admit she was at
all pregnant! and still greater reluctance to implicate the de.
fendant, until forced to make a disclosure by the parish officers.
It also appeared by calculation that the child was but a seven
and thirty weeks' child. She positively denied ever having
had intimacy with any other man besides the defendant. With
respect to her connection with the defendant while in his ser-
trice at Leeds, she said that it had been discovered by her mis-
tress ; but that nevertheless her mistress had given her a good
character six months atter.

Mr. ADOLPHUS addresed the liench on behalf of the de-
, Pendant at great length, and with much ingenuity. Ile ob
served, that independent of the improbability' of this woman's
own story, he should be able to give a complete and satisfac-
tory contradiction to her statement. He then proceeded to
point out those points of her evidence which struck him as in-
consistent with truth. He particularly alluded to the state of
Mr. Fanner's ill-health, and asked whether it was at all likely
that he would have had the baseness, almost within the hear-
ing of his wife, and under the roof of brother clergyman, for
whom he was about to celebrate divine service, to make so in-
famous an appointment as the deponent had represented ? Ile
would ask also, watt it within the verge of possibility, first,
that after her seduction, and living three years and a half In
the house of the defendant, intimacy had taken place between
her and her master but six times; and next, that after Mn.
Farmer had discovered the profligacy of her husband, she
would have given a character to this partner of his guilt, and
thereby enable her to pollute another respectable family, by her
presence. After some further remarks, the Learned Counsel
said, that he should call witnesses, from whose testimony it
would appear, that it was utterly impossible the defendant could
have been on Clapham Common at the time stated by the wit-
netts, inasmuch as he slid not leave Charing-cross till after eight
o'clock, and did not reach Clapham till past nine, a period
long after that which this wretched woman had thought proper
to fix for the consummation of her kruilt.
Mr. Kitcherman,. a Clerk in the house of Ransom and CO.
Bankers, was then called. He stated himself tohave been long
acquainted with theißev. Mr. Farmer, and that on the titli of
November he cattle to spend the day with him, as he was
finally to take his departure from London on Friday, the Bth.
They went to see different Exhibitions in the morning, and
dined at a chop-honse. After dinner they proceeded to wit-
ness's bowie' at Pimlico, to tea. In their way, however, they
Called at the Ship -at Cluiring-cross to know at what time the
Clapham coach departed. They were told at eight o'clock.
Witness accompanied Mr. Farmer to Charing-cross, and saw
him get up on one of Mrs. Butler's coaehex.
In cross-examination, witness said, he had no other reason
for fixing the day than that it was the 'Wednesday previous to
the Friday on whith Mr. Farmer returned into the country
He did not know that it was a Holiday at the Bank, lie haul
obtained leave of absence from his employers. Mrs. Kitehir-
Man was present at tea.; she was tun here as a witness. He
did not hear the clock strike when he left Mr. Farmer, nor did
be see the coach go. •
Mr. l'arratt, a Medical 0 entlernan, proved that lie was called,
in to Hannah Forster, at Mr. 13orrowifale's, on the Morning of
the 21st of July. She complained of pains iu the lower part of
the abdomen. lle asked herif she was pregnant, and she said,