The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-08 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

A Commission of Lunacy was opened at eleven o'clock
on Saturday, at Gerrard's Hall, Basing-lane, for the
purpose of inquiring into the state of mind of William
Fenwick, Esq., late of Bombay, in the East ladies,
and now of Gerrard's Hall. The Commiscioners were
Messrs. Phillimnre, Bligb, and Whitmarsh.
Mr. Calvert appeared in support of the Commis-
sion. Mr. Austin, a solicitor, and the brother of the
alleged lunatic, were present to watch the proceedings,
but not to oppose them.
Mr. Secondary POTTER having read the warrant of
Commission, and the Jury being sworn,
The CHIEF COMMISSIONER explained to the Jury the
precise points to which their minds should be directed
in the course of the investigation.
Mr. CALVERT addressed the Court, and said that he
had to submit to it as distressing a case as any that had
ever been brought before a judicial tribunal. The
gentleman, whose sanity of mind they were called upon
to investigate, had been a public officer in Bombay,
and one who, in the discharge of the duties of his
office, bad acted in a manner calculated. to give the
greatest satisfaction to those under whom he was em-
byed. Mr. Fenwick, the gentleman in reference t o
whom this investigation hai been instituted, was a
Master in the Court of Equity in Bombay, a clerk
in the Small Cause Court, and he also
acted as an officer in the Ecclesiastical Court
there. The severe duties which he had to perform in
the said several situations, exhausted his mental and
physical powers to such a degree, that in the year
1835 signs of debility were manifested in him, and the
result was, that in that year he obtained leave of ab-
sence, and went for the improvement of his health to
St. Helena and the Cape of Good Hope. After re-
maining in these places during the year 1836, he re-
turned to Bombay in 1837, but in May, 1837, he
again exhibited signs of debility, and again he obtained
leave of absence, and proceeded to fne Cape of Good
Hope, where be resided with his family. It was
during this second residence at the Cape that he mani-
fested insanity, and was, in consequence, placed under
restraint. He, however, subsequently returned to
Bombay in 1838, hut owing to his incapacity, from
mental and physical infirmity, to perform the duties of
I. of his office, he was sent home to England, where he
arrivel in October, 1839. He went to reside at the
British Hotel, Jermya-street, where he remained
for some time, and where it would be proved
he had .acted in a manner inconsistent with

the conduct of a sane person. At other places he
disphyed the same conduct, and two medical gen-
tlemen, name'y, Dr. Munroe and Mr. Steadman,
said they were of opinion that the unfortunate gentle-
man was decidedly insane. Tae lunacy under which
Mr. Fenwick suffered exhibited itself under the form
of two delusions ; one was that poison was constantly
administered to him in his food, and the next was that
he was in constant communication with a celestial
being. The facts which he had stated to the Jury
would be proved in evidence, and if so, they would then
be obliged to bring in a verdict declaring Mr. Fenwick
to be a lunatic and unfit to manage his own affairs.
Mr. Warden deposed that he knew Mr. Fenwick,
1:1 that Mrs. Warden was Mrs. Fenwick's sister. He
knew Mr. Fenwick fot the last twelve or thirteen years.
Witness was in the Bombay civil service, and Mr. Fen-
wick had been a Master in Chancery at Bombay. He
also filled two other situations connected with the
Courts there, which occupied his time constantly frcm
six o'clock in the morning till eleven o'clock at night.
The only hours of relaxation which he enjoyed,
being those during- which he took his meals. The conse-
quence ofthis incessant labour was that his mind and body
gave way under it, and in January, 1836, his memorywas
completely gone ; so much so, indeed, that the moment
alter he had taken his broth he would forget it. In
that month he proceeded to the Cape, and returned to
Bombay in 1837. Wltne3s called upon him at his
office, but he did not appear improved. In reply to a
question put by witness, he said " that he was now
keeping the lawyers in order."—(Laughter.) Wit-
ness shorly afterwards proceedett:to the Cape of Good
Hope for the benefit of his health, and in May, 1837,
Mr. Fenwick arrived there. His health continued
poorly, bat it was not unfl November in that year,
that he manifested signs of insanity. In that
month Mrs. Fenwick was confined, and he then
told witness that Mrs. Fenwick had turned him out of
doors. He said he knew that his wife had prayed for
his death, and that he had been informed of the fact
through the medium of a celestial being. He said that
he had direct communication with Heaven, and that his
former wife (for Mr. Fenwick had been previously mar-
ried) was the celestial being to whom lie referred. The
witness then deposed to Mr. Fenwick having treated
his is ly cruelly in consequence of the delusions
which he was suffering from ; and also that he
said that Lady Dervan, the Governor's lady, had
gone to church at Cape Town, and had paid him
divine honours. Mr. Fenwick took a dislike to
witness, and he did not see him often after Nov. 1837,
but he did see him aiteraards with a strait-waistcoat
on him, Mr. Abercrombie, his medical attendant, hav-
ing deemed it desirable that he should be so restrained.
Mrs. Fenwick was ultimately taken away from Mr.
Fenwick. Witness afterwards saw Mr. Fenwick at
Bombay, and subsequently, in London, but he never
spoke to him since Christmas, 1837. His opinion was
that Mr. Fenwick was never able to manage his own
affairs from Nov. 1837.

To a Juror—Mr. Fenwick was always a temperate
mar.

To Mr. PHILLIMORE—Mr. Fenwick was always
upon affectionate terms with his wife up to the morning
after her confinement at the Cape of Good Hope.
James Noble, waiter at the British Hotel, Jermyn-
street, deposes to Mr.. Fenwick coming to the British
Hotel in October, 1839. He remained there about
ten weeks. He was accompanied by his daughter, a
young lady of 19 years of age. Mr. Fenwick's brother,
the clergyman, called, as did also his father-in•law, Ge-
neral Lodwick. Mr. Fenwick had portraits of his wife
and daughter, and when be was angry with them he
used to turn the faces of the portraits to the wall, and
displayed other eccentric acts. He also complained that
poison was put into his fish sauce and his food generally.
He went away at the end of ten or eleven weeks, and
returned about July, 1840. He then seemed to get
more eccentric. He used to go to St. James's church
every day, and said that the church used to be con-
stantly crowded, and that the object of the persons
who came there was to pay him divine honours. He
said upon one occasion that he had been insulted by a
person staring at him in churc'a. He gave a descri[-
tion of this person, and witness described Lim as a me-
dical gentleman, named Davis ; and ever afterwards
Mr. Fenwick used to say that Mr. Davis was con-
stantly giving him poison in his food. When Mr.
Fenwick went away the first time he paid his bill cor-
rectly, and so far acted rationally. Sir Astley Cooper
and Dr. Munroe saw Mr. Fenwick at the hotel.

Mr. Cherry, the proprietor of the British Hots 1,
also deposed to the delusion under which Mr. Fenwick
Laboured,; in reference to poison being administered to
him in his food. He said that the witness was instru-
mental to the poison being administered, and that he
would have to answer it at the place of judgment, and
that he (Mr. Fenwick) would be a witness against him
on that day.
The proprietor of the King's Arms, Bagshot, the
chambermaid at that inn, and the
rorietors of'. the
Green-man, Blackheatb,deposea to Mr. Fenwick being
at the hotels mentioned, and that at each of them he
declared that poison had been put into his food.
The Rev. John Peregrine Fenwiek deposed that he
saw his brother upon his arrival in England, and that
he told him individeals were (Alger' to go to church
to pay him divine honour!. His brother's manner and
geaeral demeanour were quite rations'. He knew what
his property was, and was quite capable of looking to
his accounts and of drawing choques.
Mr. 'Austin, the alleged lunatic's solicitor, was. also
)
examined, and he deposed that up to that da
is perso
be laboured under the delusion that
were obliged to go to church to
pay him divine
I o iourg,
and nisi) that poison was constantly placed in his food.
So much was be under this latter delusion that he had
declined to tike any food for several days. Ho was
quite reduced by it. The present proceedings were
taken with the consent of all parties connected with
Mr. Fenwick, for it was clear he could not manage his
his own affairs, and the trustees under his marriage skt-
tleme• t had deelin7d to pay him any money, on the
ground of his not being able to give them a legal release.
Genaral Lodwick gave similar testimony.
Mr. Calvert then produced a petition which had
been written by Mr. Fenwick addressed to the Queen,
in which he claimed a pension for the loss of his situa-
tion in Bombay. The petition, which came from the
Home-office, displa3 ed au extraordinary compound of
sanity and delusion, but the composition as a whole
placed the lunacy of Mr. Fenwick beyond a doubt.
Dr. Munroe and Mr. Steadman were then examined,
and they unhesitatingly gave it as their opinion that
Mr. Fenwick was insane. The former gentleman said,
that ability to cast up accounts and draw cheques was
not incompatible with positive insanity.
Mr. Fenwick was then introduced to the room. He
seemed under
was a gentlemanly-looking personage, apparentlyi,ad
a
50 years of age. He was placed in a chair,
perfectly composed.
The CHIEF COMMISSIONER communicated to him
the result of the present inquiry, and said thai it would
be necessary to ask him some questions.
Mr. Fenwick—'l hen the questions had better be
put to, me in writing and I will answer them in the same
way. As the investigation is an important one, I
should like that my answers should be precise.
This arrangement having been acceded to, the ques-
tions to Mr. Fenwick
were written, and he replied to
them in the same ways- which had relation.hen those questions were
t of his insanity.
was labouring, his answers eft no doubt --`- e delusions under.
.which he
He was then taken away. •
The Jury shortly-eonseutnidei when they returned a
verdict " that William F t
scud had been so since MO ' 'tn. was a lunatic,