The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-07 00:00:00

BRENTFORD PETTY SESSIONS

LEGALITY OF ROMAN CATHOLIC MARRIAGES.—On
Saturday a case of considerable importance to parishes
generally throughout the kingdom, involving the lega-
lity of Roman Catholic marriages, occupied a consi-
derable portion of the time of Mr. G. Baillie, chairman.
Patrick Daly, an Irishman of respectable appear-
ance, about eighty years of age, appeared before the
Bench to answer a summons at the instance of the pa-
rish officers of Isleworth, to show cause why he re-
fused to support and maintain Rosina Daly, his wife.
W. L. Lewis, assistant-overseer of Isleworth, deposed
to the fact of Mrs. Daly having been chargeable to that
parish for the last fortnight.
It appeared from the evidence of W. L. Daly that she
was married to the defendant in 1833 by the Rev. John
Wiring, the Roman Catholic clergyman of Isleworth.
She was the defendant's second wife.

A solicitor, who attended on behalf of the defendant,
submitted that he could not be compelled to support the
female who called herself his wife, inasmuch as the
marriage was an illegal one, it not having been per-
formed—as required by the provisions of the statute of
George IV., cap, 76, sec. 22—by a person in " holy
orders, nor under the authority of a " license,"inor in
accordance with a " publication of banns," nor is " a
church," &c.
In the course of the litigation which had taken place
between the parties, the opinion of Mr. Gibbon, the
barrister, had been taken on the point, who was de-
cidedly of opinion that the marriage was null and void,
in which opinion Mr. Sergeant Shee and Mr. Petersdorf
fully concurred.
The Bench decided that as the marriage of the de-
fendant and the female now claiming relief from the
parish of Isleworth, took place previous to 1837, when
the New Marriage Act, which repealed the
statute of
the 4th of George IV., came into operation, it was an
illegal one. They, therefore, refused to make any order
on the defendant. The summons was consequently dis-
missed.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
BO W-STREET.

William Curtis was placed at the bar before Mr.
Henry, charged with stealing a gold watch and chain, the
property of Mr. Eccles, of Soho square, and Isabella Hoold
and Joseph Styles were charged with receiving the same,
knowing them to be stolen.
It appeared that on the 28th of Augast last the pro-
secutor was bathing at the Holborn baths, and while he
was in the water his watch was taken from his trousers
pocket. On discovering it he gave information to Ken-
worthy, a constable on duty at the baths, whose suspi-
cions fell upon the prisoner Curtis, who was employed
in the engine-room. Kenworthy ordered one of the
other workmen to watch him, but he succeeded in
making his escape by getting through a trap-door.
About two hours after the robbery the chain was sold
by Styles to a pawnbroker in Drury-lane, and the next
day the watch itself was sold to a watchmaker in Tot-
tenham-court road by the same prisoner. When taken
into custody he gave information which led to the ap-
prehension of Curtis and Hoold, who lived together as
man and wife.

Mr. HENRY ordered Curtis and Mold to be taken out
of Court while the other prisoner made his defence.