The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-06 00:00:00

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

Males ••• ••• ••• ... 784
Females ... ••• •• • 807

Total ... ... 1,591
*ln this number are included 19 by Scarlatina, 31
by Typhus Fever, and 17 by Diarrhoea.

HEATHCOTE'S DIVORCE.
HOUSE OF LORDS, March 4.
This afternoon their Lordships heard counsel and wit-
ntßtl es s
their Lordships'
ogseeehri
,H,na
Lmost
Peersonah,
ri . i
tdds
Mb
peßdt
present
i Eee. vbaas
ToaeaturrnrAmleht
Lei
eoonnwfne
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iee,
anddn—,
supporti net sThbseLhto
stating
honour
iLodun
tnogghsori
ad
u:
hyprt Chancellor,
othecai
fatannisnado
case for
sekfp
foeeel
or, oareorrt.
ainLf vvegßoperi
aell Lord
e
for the divorce of Captain Edmund Heathcote from his
wife Elizabeth Lucy. Doubtless their Lordships had
read the previous proceedings of this unusually painful
case, and therefore he might be relieved from entering
into a detail of certain distressing portions of the circum-
stances, which he should be glad, with their Lordships'
permission, to be spared. With their Lordships' sanc-
tion, then, he would at once enter upon an outline of the
case which he was prepared to prove by evidence.
The petitioner was a commander in her Majesty's
navy, and a member of a highly respectable family in
Hampshire, and who in the year 1844, being on the New-
foundland station, had become acquainted with the
lady who had subsequently become his wife, Miss Eliza-
beth Lucy Law, the daughter of Colonel Law, a gentle-
man holding an official appointment in Newfoundland.
The ceremony of marriage was performed, with the ap-
probation of the members of the lady's family, by the
Bishop of Newfoundland. After the marriage the par-
ties resided at the house of the lady's family far some
time, and until the then Lieutenant Heathcote was or-
dered off to the West Indies. Lie went, leaving his wife
at her father's, where she remained till 1846. A son
was born in April, 1845, and in the year 1846, Mrs.
Heathcote quitted Newfoundland for England, in the
company of Mrs. Spearman, where she was to meet her
husband. Having reached Portsmouth, Captain Heath-
cote and his wife went to Fritham, where he had pur-
chased a house and grounds, that place being only
about two miles distant from the residence of his
father at Bromham. The stay of the captain, however,
was but short, in consequence of his having been ap-
pointed to the Constance, and he set sail again on the
let of August, 1846, bound for South America. Mrs.
Heathcote remained at Fritham surrounded by every
luxury and comfort that a lady could desire. She was liv-
ing in the vicinity of her husband's family, and was visited
by and visited all the neighbours. Up to that moment
there was no reason to doubt but that the warmest
affection was felt by Mrs. Heathcote towards her hus-
band. In the course of April, 1847, a second child was
born. Affection and harmony of feeling still reigned,
but in the month of October, 1848, the lady's brother,
George Francis Law, returned home, after an absence
of six years' service in India, when he paid a visit to
Mrs. Heathcote, at Fritham, at which place it would be
proved thatthe most improper and criminal conduct had
taken place between the two; and, although this con-
duct would be proved to have taken place from day to
day, and from month to month, and although the suspi-
cions of what was going on amounted to positive know-
ledge, yet those suspicions had been entirely confined to
the servants, and had not come to the knowledge of Mr.
Heathcote's family. The consequence bad been, there-
fore, that during the whole of the time that this crimi-
nality of conduct was proceeding Mrs. Heathcote had
continued to visit the family of her husband, who, of
course, were in total ignorance of the acts of the lady.
Captain Heathcote returned to England on the 24th of
November. 1849. and having resumed his place
at home. continued, in the fullest reliance in
his wife's faithfulness, to live with her up to
the 15th of May in the last year. About that
time he had gone to pay a visit at Bath, leaving
his wife with the knowledge of her pregnancy, with the
firm conviction that he was himself the father of the in-
fant to which in due time she would give birth. On his
return home on the 18th of the same month, the Cap-
tain was informed by one of his servants that Mrs.
Heathcote was extremely ill, and had become so during
the preceding night. He went instantly to her room,
and in the most affectionate terms inquired how she
was, and was lying on the bed with her hand in his,
when he saw the nurse, and presently heard the cry of
an infant. He looked at his wife in a feeling of despair,
struck with the conviction of her faithlessness to him.
Utterly unable to speak, he turned upon his wife one
more look, and left her for ever. From that time to the
present Captain Heathcote had never seen his wife; he
had not seen her since that fatal day. Subsequently he
had an interview with the nurse, from whom ho ascer-
tained the lamentably criminal faithlessness of his wife.
Measures were subsequently taken, and Mrs. Heathcote
was eventually removed to Jersey, where some mem-
bers of her own family were then living. It would
be his duty to put in a letter from Mrs. Heath-
cote, addressed to her husband, in which, in terms of
the bitterest pain she confessed her guilt, and pointed out
the party who was the father of her child. That letter it
was not his intention to read, unless under the command
of their Lordships, before whom a copy had already been
laid. An action had been brought against Mr. George
Francis Law, and a verdict for 1,0001. damages re-
covered. Not one farthing of those damages had been
obtained, for the defendant had since been convicted of
fraudulently obtaining money under false pretences, and
was at the present moment undergoing his sentence of
seven years' transportation. The Learned Counsel then
called the following witnesses :
Mr. Charles Bush Lee—l am a solicitor, and conduct
this bill for Captain Heathcote, the petitioner. I know
Elizabeth Lucy Heathcote. I served her with a copy of
the bill and the order of the House.
Mrs. H. Spearman—l remember being resident in
Newfoundland. I remember the marriage of Miss Lucy
Law. I was present at the marriage. lam a member
of the Church of England. It was solemnised by the
Bishop of Newfoundland. The father of the bride,
Colonel Law, was present. I was acquainted with her
family previously. The marriage took place with the
consent of the father of the lady. I knew them after the
marriage. It fell to my lot to accompany Mrs. Heath-
cote to England in 1846. While they were in Newfound-
land they lived at Colonel Law's. They
lived upon
terms of affection and goodwill. We came to the port
of Bristol. I did not afterwards go to Portsmouth. I
remember the birth of a child a year sifter the marriage.
It was a son. He came with us to England.
William Arthur Heathcote—l am a magistrate for the
county of Wilts, and brother to the petitioner. I think
it was in July, 1846, when my brother and his wife ,
arrived from Newfoundland. He came home in the
Eurydice. I saw them at Fritham and Bromham.
Fritham is between two and three miles from Bromham.
My brother was appointed to the Constance on the Bth 1
of July. 1846, and he sailed on the Ist of August follow-
ing. He was in England some five or six weeks only.
I am the elder brother of the captain.
aDtußrirnograthhaamt.time I met them frequently at my father's
They were living, I consider, on the most amicable
terms. The Constance was bound for the South Ame-
rican
wifery remained atihneerds
.a t
EveryFritham at hicomforts
station. When he (my brother) went away his
I
have met her at my father's house frequeutly. lam my
father's executor. He died the 27111
house. She had
oehotmheewas27 provided
of
1846. I corresponded ' with my brother in conse-
quence of his death. I heard from my brother from
South America very shortly before ho came home.
wHaes bornenmelBthin 1850. I know George
Francis Law. I saw George Law in company with
Mrs. Heathcote the first time at Salisbury. That was in
November,ofmay, 1849. The child
November, 1848. I afterwards saw him in June, 1849,
at Fritham, while I was on a visit there. He was living
there for some months. After Captain Heathcote came
home I had opportunities of seeing him and his wife to-
gether. They were then upon the most affectionate
terms. I always treated her as a sister-in-law. lam
married, and my wife treated her as a sister. I remem-
ber being at Bath in the month of May, 1850. I was
living there. I remember leaving Bath on the 18th of
was going to Bromham • , my brother to Fritham. My
brother came to me the day after we parted on Salisbury-
to Fritham subsequent to
May. I parted with my brother on Salisbury-plain. I
saw Mrs. Heathcote. My
Ie
did not see Mrs. Heath-
cote. that.rl Salisbury-
plain. itnh. e
rulwp
was
sne mi
n thate
tmheb
occasionesrtagbolein, gh
cote. Mrs. Heathcote told me she could not tell what
had possessed her—it was a sort of infatuation. Having
committed the first fault she could not withhold. She
confessed that her brother was the father of the child.
The children were taken away from Fritham and
brought to my house. I took Mrs. Heathcote to South-
ampton, thence she went to Jersey.
By Lord BaouGsast--I saw my brother within a week
after his return in November, 1849. I received a letter
from him within a month of his coming home. That let-
ter came by post.
Mr. Thompson—This witness produced the logbooks
and the musterbooks to show the time when Captain
Heathcote was out of the country. An entry could not
be found in August, 1849, either in the log or muster-
books in consequence of the petitioner having been pro-
moted to the rank of commander, and his name would
not appear.