The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-07 00:00:00

AGAINST A CLERGYMAN.

Mr. Whateley, Mr. Skinner, and Mr. Cooke appeared
for the prosecution; and Mr. Keating, Mr. Sergeant
Allen, and Mr. Grey for the defendant.
Mr. COOKE having opened the pleadings,
Mr. WHATELEY stated the case. The plaintiff, he
said, was an attorney and solicitor at Berkeley, in
this county, and had practised there since 1835, and the
defendant was the vicar of that town. Mrs. Gaisford
was the daughter of a Mr. Ulph, a respectable timber-
merchant at Lowestoft, in Suffolk, and had been adopted
from infancy by the family of the late Rev. John Amyas,
rector of Theustead, in that county. In 1835 the plain-
tiff was introduced to Miss Ulph, and married her in the
September of that year. They lived most happily for
several years. They had four children—all sons. Un-
luckily for their peace and happiness, the plaintiff was
employed by the defendant, in 1840, to collect his tithes
and manage his professional business. This led to an
acquaintance and intimacy, which resulted in the ruin of
the plaintiff's happiness, and the blighting of all his
fondest hopes. The Learned Gentleman proceeded to
draw, in a very eloquent and affecting address, an out-
line of the various circumstances, which will be found
detailed in the following evidence:—
William Gaisford, father of the plaintiff, residing at
Worton, near Devizes, in Wiltshire. The plaintiff went
to reside and practise at Berkeley, in 1835, and in Sep-
tember of that year was married to Miss Elizabeth Ulph,
who had been brought up from infancy by the Misses
Amyas. Objected very much to the marriage, as plain-
tiff was very young, and she had no property. He was
then only 24.
Miss Elizabeth Amyas was daughter of the late Rev.
J. Amyas, rector of Theustead, in Suffolk. After the
marriage had frequently visited them at Berkeley. Till
1846 they lived very happy. Mr. Karr became vicar in
1839. Remember in 1844 a carpet was to be worked for
him. She was to work the centre. Was on a visit at
Mr. Gaisford's in 1849, in the spring. Observed some-
thing that attracted my attention—it was at the archery
meeting held in Mr. Gaisford's field. Did not think
Mr. Karr behaved as ho should have done to a married
woman. When she went to pick up her arrows I observed
him to take her hand as they were stooping. Observed
that more than once. Noticed nothing in his conduct
towards her but one evening—he took her hand and
sat very close to her. This was at Mr. Gaisford's. We
were seated at supper. Mrs. Gaisford sat at the head of
the table during supper. Mr. Karr was sitting at Mrs.
Gaisford's right hand. After supper they altered their
places—he got closer to her at the corner of the table,
and she moved her chair nearer to him. It was then I
observed lie was holding her hand under the table. I
said to Mrs. Gaisford, " Move your chair to your own
place." I saw Mr. Gaisford, who had been seated at the
foot of the table, get up and go to the closet, and return
by the back of the chair. When he returned to his seat
I saw him stoop and look under the table for a newspaper.
He dropped the newspaper, and then picked it up. Mr.
Karr did not remain long after Mr. Gaisford looked
under the tables. He went away soon after. Mrs. Gais-
ford did not come back to her former place when I spoke
to her. I was present at four or five archery meetings,
and Mr. Karr and Mrs. Gaisford were present at those.
After the supper party, when I saw the hand, Mr. Karr
was never admitted to see her alone. When Mr. Gais-
ford was at home and Mr. Karr called Mr. Gaisford
came into the room, and when he was not at home I
went in. Soon after the supper party Mr. Karr one day
went through to go into the office. Mr. and Mrs. Gais-
ford met him in the hall, and he gave her the bowstring.
Mr. Karr had called at the window two or three times
that day. I had spoken to Mr. Gaisford between Mr.
Karr's visits and his bringing the bowstring. In the course
of that day Mrs. Gaisford and Miss Hazeland were in
the room when Mr. Karr called. When Mr, Karr went
away I observed nothing in Mr. Gaisford's manner.
The next day he made an inquiry of me; he looked
very ill. Never before that had spoken to him about
what I had seen. It made him very unhappy. The next
morning the Linton water-party was to come off and Mr.
Karr came to the door. Mrs. Gaisford was seeing the
and she went and spoke to
thingsh im i
n
inu n
and went to the water-side.
very
_ to hall,n ,
Mr. Gaisford was very ill. They left me for a three
days' journey. Mr. Gaisford went with them. They
came back that evening—the same day they went. The
next morning saw Mr. Bigs, Mr. Gaisford, and Mrs.
Gaisford together. Learned that morning of Mrs.
Gaisford's going from home. She went the next morn.
ing with Mr. Gaisford. They were gone about a week
and returned together. After Mr. Gaisford was gone,
heard something that a groom had done. Saw Mr. Karr
pass by. I called him and said, " You have received
a note this morning from Mrs. Gaisford, give up the
letter the groom has given you." Ho said he had had
no letter. I said, " You have had a letter." He said
he had not, and if he had he had thrown it into the
fire or under the table. I told him I should call on the
groom, and then, at last, he said he had had it. I
begged of him to give it to me or send it to Mr.
Gaisford. He laughed. I told him he did not act
like a clergyman and ought to be ashamed of himself,
and was a disgrace to his cloth. lie only laughed
amid asked for the children to go out to fish. I told him
he ought to be very careful, for Mr. Gaisford was not a
man to submit. He said nothing to that. Was not at
Berkeley in 1847. At the interview which I had with
Mr. Karr he said he received a number of letters from
young ladies, and they were of no consequence, and he
threw them into the fire. Remember finding five pair of
white satin shoes in her wardrobe, at Berkeley, in 1848.
Saw a note written by Mr. Gaisford to Mr. Karr, with
the shoes, in which he said he returned five pair of shoes,
which he understood he had made a present of to Mrs.
Gaisford, as he could not allow her to accept a present
from him or to hold communication with him. (The an-
swer was then admitted to be to the effect requiring the
plaintiff to send in his accounts, and declining to allow
him to continue his agent.) After Mrs. Gaisford re-
turned from London, in 1848, her conduct was different
from what it was before. She had been very lively and
talkative before, and she was then very silent. She was
very kind to her children, very quiet towards her hus-
band. She left on the 10th of June. What I mean by
saying that Mrs. Gaisford was very quiet, was that she
seldom spoke to him. Mr. Gaisford left on the 9th of
June. Mrs. Gaisford left on the next day. She was a
lady with prominent teeth. She was very handsome.
On the morning of the 10th received a letter from Mr.
Gaisford; read it to Mrs. Gaisford, and soon after she
left home. She went to Bath to my sister, Miss Francis
Amyas, and has remained with her since.

Eliza Perry—Am housemaid to Mr. Gaisford, and
have been so for six years. When Mr. Gaisford was in
the habit of walking out in the afternoon, remembers
Mrs. Gaisford once sending us all—me, the cook, the
nurse, and the childrou out.

It was now six o'clock, aid the Court adjourned.
April 4.

The case was resumed this morning at nine o'clock.
Mr. George Hicks, solicitor at Berkeley, remembered
Mr. Gaisford's coming to Berkeley. He and Mrs.
Gaisford were visited by the respectable people of
Berkeley. The vicarage house is immediately opposite
to my house. Mr. and Mrs. Gaisford and Mr. Karr were
on intimate terms up to 1846. About 1845 and 1846
Mrs. Gaisford appeared to take a great interest in Mr.
Karr and his affairs. At the time of the general election
Mr. Gaisford was much from home. Miss Hicks, my
sister, lived with me. She and Mrs. Gaisford were about
that time on very intimate terms—more intimate than
before. When Mrs. Gaisford came to visit my sister,
Mr. Karr came over several times. She used to call
often on my sister. I did not observe, ou the part of