The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-01 00:00:00

STOATE T. STOATE.

The petitioner, Mrs. Sarah Selina Ann Stoate,
was represented by Mr. Sergeant Parry and Mr.
Swabey ; Mr. Denney for Mr. Wm. Stoate, the
respondent.
This was a suit for a judicial separation, brought
by Mrs. Stoate against her husband on the ground
of cruelty and desertion.
The petitioner was the daughter of respectable
parents, residing at Bristol, and the respondent was
a member of the bar, although he had never prac-
tised at it.
The following evidence was taken in support of
the petitioner :
Mrs. Sarah Selina Ann Stoate—My father was a
Merchant at Bristol. He died when I was quite
young, and I resided with my mother, after his
death, until she died in 1849. I have four brothers,
and they are abroad. I first became acquainted with
Mr. Stoate in 1846. He made me an offer soon
after. I was living at Ashleydown, near Bristol,
at the time. I afterwards went to Ramsgate, and he
renewed his offer in September, 1852. We were
married in that month at St. Lawrence Church,
and took lodgings at Southwood, close to Ramsgate.
It was at a very humble house. Shortly after our
marriage he became very violent, and used bad lan-
guage. On one occasion be said he would knock my
brains out, and on another occasion after he was in
bed, I went down stairs, and he- followed me, and
knocked the candle out of my hand, and gave me a
black eye. In December, he threatened to scald me
with boiling water. He shortly afterwards changed
his lodgings to Ellerton -road, near Ramsgate, but I
did not join him there, because I had heard it was
not a proper place. He said I might stay where I
was, and he remained there three weeks. I dined
with him at the second lodgings, and before he left
I slept there at his wish. About this time he told me
he was going to Bath, and I asked leave to go with
him, but he put me off, saying he was going hunt-
ing a little, and would come back and fetch me in a
month. He left me no money when he went the
next day. As I was walking towards the station
with him I asked for some money, but he said he had
none, and I had better go to the union, and then ran
away from me. That was in the early part of Jan.,
1853. I remained at Southwood until the following
April, and I received several letters from Mr. Stoate,
but lie never sent me any money there. In April I
came to London, and went to live in Craven-street,
Strand. Mr. Stoate subsequently arrived in London
to fetch me, but I would not see him. I received
several letters from him in April. The letters pro-
duced are his. [One was to the effect that a friend
of his wished particularly to know whether she was
with child, and. it concluded by saying that she had
better not act hastily, for that he had sacrificed a
lady of property for her. Another was as follows :
—" Sarah,—The servant would have more to do for
two than one." A third began, " Sarah,---The
sooner you comes down the better. I have made a
packet of cocoa last me nearly a month, without
milk or sugar." These literary productions of the
respondent were such as to entitle him to be called
an illiterate, rather than a learned gentleman.]
I afterwards changed my residence to Brompton
and at this time I occasionally received a
post-office order for a few shillings from my hus-
band, but not sufficient even to pay for my roores.
In July, I went down to Bath, and resided at No.
2, Belvedere-place, with Mr. Stoate. While there
he struck me several times, and once threw me out
of the door without clothes, and threw my clothes
out after me. This occurred between ten and eleven
at night, and I took refuge in a neighbour's house,
but I returned home the same night. There was a
woman named Mary Morris living as servant with
Mr. Stoate, and he treated her far better than he
did myself. He frequently struck me and threatened
to murder me. I had food but it was of the worst
kind. On the 29th of September I left Bath to
fetch my clothes from Mrs. Hammond's, at Bromp-
ton. She, however, kept the clothes, and I returned

to Bath early in October. I was denied admittance
at Belvedere-place, and I accordingly went to the
house of a friend and wrote to my husband, but he
took no notice of the letter. I however contrived

to get into the house one Sunday morning, and I
took away some of my things, and returned again
in the evening, when my husband said ho would
shoot my brains out if I attempted to come in.
There were hundreds of people round the door. I
made subsequent attempts to get into the house,
and at length succeeded while he was absent. Upon
his returning he said I should not stop there, and
he seized me violently round the waist. We
struggled a great deal, and at length he threw me
out of the door into a court. I was very much
hurt, and was taken to a friend's house. On the
following day I took out a summons against him for
the assault, and he was bound over to keep the
peace. I went back to Belvedere-place, and Mr.
Stoate was locked up. In January he came with
some men and nearly stripped the house. Out of
humanity the men left me some furniture, for which
my husband abused them very much. He after-
wards came and took away every thing, and sent a
person named Taylor to take forcible possession.
Taylor let some of the rooms to very low tenants,
but I still remained there. Mr. Stoate never came
back there. He sent me a notice-to quit in Octo-
ber, 1855.

Cross-examined—l first became acquainted with
Mr. Stoate at Weston. We came by the same
train to Bristol. I did not tell him I had a fortune
of £lO,OOO in my own right. He came to the house
with me, but he did not offer to send for some wine.
I next saw him at Bath, where I saw him several

mes. After the marriage he took a small place at
rent, only a parlour and bedroom. He might
'lave expressed.his dissatisfaction at people smoking
He left because he received notice to quit
consequence of his cruelty to me. After he left
me at Ramsgate I disposed of the furniture without
consulting him. It was very trumpery. I lodged
at various places in London after I came up. I
first went to Mrs. Payne's, in Craven-street, and a
very respectable person she is. On my subse-
quently leaving my h.-usband at Bith, I did not say
that I was going to my aunt at Clifton to receive
£lO,OOO. When I came back he did not say my
conduct was so indecorous, in going to London
alone, that he would not receive me. Lknow a lady
named Sargetson. Not being very proud of my
marriage, I may not have told her that I was a
married woman.

Lore.

Re-examined—l was in great distress when I
sold the furniture at Ramsgate. It only fetched
about 30s.

John Fort, a confectioner, of Lansdowne-road,
Bath, living exactly opposite 2, Belvedere-place,
deposed to having seen Mr. Stoate, at 11 o'clock at,
night, drag his wife out of his house by the hair of
the head. She was only half dressed, and he threw
some clothes out after her.
Some further evidence in corroboration of the
above testimony closed the case of the petitioner.
The respondent was examined in support of his
denial of the cruelty and desertion.
Mr. William Stoate—l first became acquainted
with Mrs. Stoate on the platform at Weston-super-
Mare. We travelled together in the train to
Bristol. I accompanied her home and gave her
some money to procure some wine. I think I gave
her a shilling. (A laugh.) I may have tasted the
wine. I think she drank the whole of it. I stayed
with her about an hour, and we 'afterwards wrote
to each other. The next time I met her was b3r
appointment in the Lowther Arcade, in the Strand,
where we walked about together. She was living
in the Old Kent-road. She came down to visit me
at Bath, and I found her very easy. (Laughter.)
She may have stayed three weeks. We afterwards
agreed to go down to Ramsgate. I went down