The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-29 00:00:00

FROM THE

respondent.
Mr. J. Neale stated that the respondent was the
son of Mr. Henry Coape, who had made a large
fortune, upwards of £300,000, in the sugar-refining
business, and that the lady, formerly 'Miss King,
was the daughter of General Sir Henry King, the
fourth son of an Irish earl, who for his distinguished
services had been appointed Groom of the Bed-
chamber to George 111. and George IV. Mr. Coape,
who moved in the best society, met Miss King, and
was attracted by her personal charms and great
accomplishments. His suit was not at first success-
ful, and he had recourse to the lady's stepmother,
Lady King. Miss King was at last induced to
consent to the marriage. Her fortune was £2,500.
Mr. Coape's father proposed to settle £10,030 upon
the lady, and Mr. Coape promised when his father
died her jointure should be raised to £l,OOO a-year.
The marriage took place on May 27, 1835, at Mary-
lebone, and about 12 months afterwards, while they
were in Paris, the lady gave birth to a seven
months' child, which died. In the following year
she had another premature confinement, and this
child also died. Mr. Coape's affection for her dimi
nished from this time forwards, and was changed
first to indifference, and then to dislike; her health
became impaired, signs of consumption showed
themselves, and she was ordered to go abroad. The
learned counsel then described the various acts of
cruelty of which the petitioner complained, as they
were afterwards stated by her in evidence.
The Earl of Mountcashell, a relation of the peti-
tioner, proved that he was present at the marriage.
His daughter was one of the bridesmaids.
Mrs. Coape stated that in 1841 she was suffering
from coughiand spitting of blood, and her physician
ordered her to winter at Rome. She hired a maid-
servant named Hemsley to go with her. One night
when they were at Florence she had gone to bed in
a double-bedded room, and she awoke in the middle
of the night with a violent chill. She found her
husband sitting on the sill of the open window
kissing his hand to Hemsley, who was at the oppo-
site window. She repeatedly asked him to send
Hemsley home, and he told her that she might go
herself, but that Hemsley should not. In Nov.,
1841, they were at Rome lodging in the Piazza di
Spagna. Captain Ricketts and his daughter were
with them. On the night of Nov. 22 she heard
something which induced her to get up and to go
into her husband's room, which was next to hers.
She did not find him there, nor in the dining-room.
She heard voices in an adjoining room, where
Hemsley slept. Soon afterwards her husband came
out of the maid's room. She charged him with his
misconduct, and he denied the charge. She then
went towards the maid's room to go in. Her hus-
band came behind her, and put his arm round her
waist, and flung her from the door to the other end
of the room. She fell down, the side of her head
struck against a chair, she was stunned, and be-
came delirious. When she came to herself the next
morning she was sitting on the floor of her bedroom
with Miss Ricketts's arm around her. Mr. Coape
sent a message, and she saw him in the presence
of Captain Ricketts. He said, " Madam, I de-
, sire to know your wishes and intentions." I said,
" After what passed last night I demand a separa-
tion and to be taken back to my parents." He
said, " Madam, I shall be very happy to grant both
your requests. iam attached to the girl ; I don't
deny it, and I have been indifferent to you for a
long time." He then went out and brought the
girl into the room. I told her not to presume to
come into my presence. He held her and said she
was quite as good and as innocent as I was. Cap-
tain Ricketts said, " Don't insult her, Coape ; things
arebad enough already without making them worse."
The next day I told him that I did not wish Hems-
ley to be left at Rome to go to ruin, but that I would
have her sent back to London. He said the girl
should not sent away, but he would protect her and
take her home with us. I Said I could not submit
to such an outrage, and I would take measures to
send her away myself. He said, "You will do so
at your peril. If she leaves the house I will leave
with her ; I will take the passports and all the
money, and you will be turned into the streets,
where you may starve." I said, "It will be useless,
for me to say more, but I distinctly enter my protest
, against the insult." Two or three days afterwards
we left, and Hemsley with us. We went from Na-
ples to Civita Vecchia by sea, and the voyage
so increased my illness that I entreated that the
rest of the journey might be performed by land.
He said he would not alter his plans for me. We
went by sea to Leghorn, and I again entreated him
to take a carriage. He said my life was nothing to
him, and I should have thought about the sea
voyage before I made .such a d—d fuss about his
conduct at Rome. We went by sea from Leghorn
to Genoa, and when we arrived there I was so ill
that I had to be carried on shore. When I was in
bed at the hotel he sent me a message telling me to
be ready early the next morning to proceed by sea
to Marseilles. I sent word that I could not move.
He came to my bedside and said, " What is all this
d—d nonsense about P You will go on by sea," I
said, " I cannot bear the suffering any longer, and
I would rather stay at Genoa and die. I will not
go by sea unless I am carried by force to the ves-
sel." He went away, and in two or three minutes
returned and said, "We will go on by laud, as
I don't choose to give you the opportunity of
making a scene ; but you will not gain by your
move, for I will travel you night and day over
Mont Cenis, and I doubt whether your health will
benefit from the change." The next morning I was
put into u diligence, and we went o'er Mont ci)lls,

travelling three nights and two days consecutively.
My husband's conduct continued to be very insult-
ing. He paid the girl every kind of attention, and
handed her things in the carriage across me, and
fetched coffee for her when we got out, but gave
me nothing. I once travelled all night without any
refreshment. The motion of the carriage made me
so ill that I once asked the coachman to let me out,
and told my husband that I would rather stay
there and die. I was put on the snow for a little
while, and my boots got very wet. He told me
those who made such a fuss about virtue generally
had very little of it ; and said, " I don't know how
your vertu sauvage would resist an attack." When
we arrived at Chambery I was very ill indeed. I
wept for hours together, and my strength was quite
exhausted. We went on to Lyons, and there I
became delirious. He then took a private carriage
and we went on to Paris. I was attended by Sir
Robert Chermside, the physician to the Embassy,
who said brain fever was to be feared, and I must
be kept quiet and have no, irritation. One night
Miss Ricketts was going to the Opera, and I felt
such a horror at the idea of being left alone that I
clung round her. My husband seized hold of me,
dashed the door of my room to, to fasten it, and
locked me in. I shrieked, and I don't remember
anything more. The physician would not allow
him to come into my room, but before I left Paris
I had an interview with him, and said I desired to
forgive him as a Christian before we parted. He
replied, "It is useless to talk of forgiveness. My
conduct to you has been such that no wife can for-
give it." He had several times brought Hemsley
into the room when we were at table and had made
her sit down with us, and I left the room. When
I arrived in England steps were taken for a sepa-
ration. A mutual fi irnd, Mr. Powell, inter!ered to
bring about a reconciliation, and I consented to
return to my husband, but stipulated for a separate
room. He and I both wrote letters to Mr. Powell.
(In Mr. Coape's letter, dated February 5, 1842, he
acknowledged that his conduct at Rome was alto-
gether unjustifiable and inexcusable, and gave an
assurance that the causes which led to their tem-
porary separation should be removed.) I went to
his house in Wimpole-street at one o'clock one
day. He did not come in until the following
morning, and then he said—" So, Madam, you
have thought fit to return to my roof ?" I said,
" Yes, at your request." He said, " I thought you
were too clever a woman to be duped in this way.
Did you think I really wanted you to come back as
my wife ? My only object was condonnation. You
have ;passed a night under my roof, and condoned
everything, you have lost the whip hand over me,
and now the sooner you go back to your family the
better. They may maintain you, for I shall not
pay a farthing." From Wimpole-street we went to
Harley-street, where I was taken ill with the small-
pox from nursing one of my brothers, who died of
the complaint. My other brother, Col. King, nursed
me, and my husband did not come near me for three
months, except once, when he came as far as the
door of my room. On Dec. 19, 1843, he wrote me
a letter in which he said he had made up his mind
not to live with me any more, and suggested an im-
mediate separation. A temporary arrangement was
made in 1844 for a separation until the death of Mr.
Coape's father. Under that arrangement I had an
allowance of £5OO a yeer. In Feb., 1845, the father
died. Mr. Coape then proposed that we should
separate, and that I should have £BOO a year. The
proposition was referred to my legal advisers and
friends, and Mr. Coape was asked the amount of
property he had inherited from his father. He re-
fused to state the amount, and insisted on naming
the terms of the separation. I refuted to separate
on those terms. In 1846 Mr. Coape went abroad,
and I instituted a suit for restitution of conjugal
rights. [Some correspondence was read between
the proctors and attorneys for Mr. and Mrs. Coape,
from which it appeared that Mrs. Coape obtained
a decree in that suit, that Mr. Coape gave notice
that he was ready to receive her in a house on
Blackheath-hill on a certain day, and to treat her
with conjugal affection in obedience to the order of
the Court, but that he would not allow her to bring
with her any servant of her own, and did not wish
her to be accompanied by Lord Mountcashell or the
other members of her family. He stated, however,
that he had provided servants who would pay
every reasonable attention to her, and that she
might be accompanied by her solicitor.] On the
18th of March I went to Blackheath. I and my
solicitor, Mr. Whitmore, were shown into a sitting
room. Mr. Coape and his solicitor came in and bowed
to me, and shook hands with Mr. Whitmore. He
sat down with his back to me, and never spoke to
me until the two solicitors had left. He then told
me I might have some dinner, but that all my meals
would be served to me alone, as he had determined
never to take a meal or sit at table with me. The
next morning I went downstairs to give a letter to
him in his room, and he informed me that I was to
consider myself confined to the two upper rooms—
a bedroom and sitting room, and I was not to go into
any other part of the house. I sent to the cook to
order dinner. I afterwards told Mr. Cope that
that when I had given my directions to the cook
she said "I must ask the butler, Mr. Shuttleworth,
whether you may have it or not, for I am hired to
obey Mr. Co ipe, but not you." I said that I could
not submit to such treatment and desired her to
quit the room. Mr. Coape said, "They are my
servants, and if you think proper to give orders to
them you must take the consequences." We ar-
ranged that I should write down my dinner every
day and send it to him in an envelope. The ser-
var.ts refused to deliver notes and messages for me.
On the 25th of March a glass of wine was brought
to be. About a quarter of an hour after I had
taken it I was seized with a violent sensation in my
head. Leeches were ordered to my temples, and I
told Mr. Coape that it would be necessary to get
some one to apply them. He said he would not
get me anyone. I sent for an old servant of mine,
but Mr. Coape locked the gate and would not allow
her to come in. I got out of bed and went do een to
the garden-gate. Mr. Coape at last unlocked the gate.
On the 25th March the same symptoms were produced
by a cup of tea. On the 18th April, 1847, I applied
to Mr. Coape for money to pay a physician's fee,
and he refused to give it. He also refused me
money to pay for my washing. He told me ho
would not let me have money,that I might not bribe
his servants. I was very ill lying on the sofa, and
he shook his fist in my face and said, " D— it,
Madam, why don't you die ? You have been lying
long enough. The sooner you die the better for
me.' Dr. Watson had ordered me carriage exer-
cise. On the 10th of June I told Mr. Coape that
he.had stated that I was out of my mind, and I had
had the deposition taken of one ' man to whom the
statement had been made; that in consequence
some children had cried after me, " There goes the
mad lady;' and that I had been followed on two
or three occasions. Mr. Coape looked confused, and
said " Stuff and nonsense." He also said " Madam,
you have stated that. I have drugged your food." I
replied, " And so you have, sir, upon two occasions."
He turned pale and looked very guilty, and re-
peated, S. uff and nonsense " I showed the letters
of Dr. Watson and Dr. Chambers to him. (These
letters described the nature of Mrs. Coape's illness,
recommended that she should have all the luxuries
that an Englishwoman in weak health could fairly
lay claim, and prescribed carriage exercise and
mental quiet and cheerfulness.) On the 17th of
June he said no doctor should induce him to give
me carriages. He said, " What is your life to me ?
I don't care how soon you die. It lam killing you,
you must leave my house." I said, "That I cannot
do." He said, "Theo stop and die." He said he
would make the place as much like hell for me as
he could, and that I should never have peace nor
necessaries. Mr. Coape's income was £2,700 a
year. He frequently used expressions to the effect
that there was war to the knife between us, and
that the system he had adopted was a calculation of
hate, in which heart, feeling, and principle had no
part, that he would as soon see the devil as me, and
that he would torture me like a fiend. He once
kicked at me in a brutal manner, but I avoided the
blow by a sudden movement. On another occasion
he swung a table round his head, and went to hurl
it at me. I looked at him earnestly and said,
"You will kill me if you throw that,"
and he did
not throw it. In July, 1847, he gave me notice
that he had taken a house for me at Byfleet, near
Chertsey. On the 19th of July I wanted to consult
Dr. Watson, but he had the gate locked and would
not let me go. ,I was seized with convulsions, and
then he carried me to the carriage and I went to
Dr. Watson/s, When I returned to Blackheath I
found the house shut up, and all the servants gone,
and my clothes carried away. Ultimately he de-
serted me altogether.
In cross-examination she said that her husband
had offered to settle £l,OOO a year, which included
the interest on her fortune, and that he had been
sued three times for debts incurred by her during
their occasional separation. One of these, in which
her husband got the verdict, was for £230 for board
and lodging at an hotel for two years.
Mr. Witney, a medical man, deposed to having
visited Mrs. Coape at Blackheath and Byfield Cot-
tage, and deposed to her not being comfortably
situated, and to her being of sound mind.
Another witness was called, but not examined,
which closed the petitioner's case, and no evidence
was adduced on behalf of the respondent.
The jury found a verdict for the petitioner on all
the issues.
The learned judge then pronounced the decree
nisi, but said that he would consider before elecid-
hg on the question of costs.

Brighton and its vicinity were visited by a most
violent thunderstorm on Thursday, by which considerable
dart:ll4N was caused to property; though happily, we be-
UM, Q PUVall wag ilaCt4d,

. _
The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to. be
passed under the Great Seal, granting the dignity cr f a
Baron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and rrela nd
unto the Right Hon. Sir Richard Bethel], Knt., Chancel for
of that part of the said United Kingdom, called Great 13 ri-
tain, and to the heirs male of his body lawfully begott en,
by the name, style, and title of Baron Westbury, of Wm st-
bury, in the county of Wilts.
At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 26th day of
June, 1861--Present, the Queen's Most Excellent Maj 2 sty
in Council. This day the Right Hon. Sir Richard Bet!3 ell,
Knight, was, by her Majesty's command, sworn of her
Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and took his
place at the board accordingly.
At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 26th de v of
June, 1861, present, the Queen's Most Excellent Maj sty
in Council. Her Majesty in Council was this day plea sed
to deliver the Great Seal to the Right Hon. Sir Rich and
Bethel], Knight; whereupon the oath of Lord Chance llor
of Great Britain was, by her Majesty's 'command, ad mi-
nistered to him ; and he took his place at the board ace( )rd-
ngly.

WAR-OFFICE, JUNE 28.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to give orders for
the following appointments to the Most Honourable Order
of the Bath :
To be Ordinary Members of the Military Division of the
First Class, or Knights Grand Cross, of the said. Most
Honourable Order, viz. :
General Sir Arthur Benjamin Clifton, K.C.B.
Admiral Sir Phipps Hernby, K.C.B.
General Sir James Archibald Hope, K.C.B.
General Sir Thomas William Brotherton, K.C.D.
General Sir Samuel Benjamin Auchmuty, K.C.B.
A.liniral S:c Barrington Reynolds, K.C.B.
General Sir Thomas Willshire, Bart. K.C.B.
Vice-Admiral the Right Hon. Sir Maurice Fredei ick
Fitzhardinge Berkeley. K.C.B , and
Lieutenant •General Sir Harry David Jones, K.C.B.
To he Ordinary Members of the Military Division of: the
Second Class, or Knights Commanders, of the said :lost
Honourable Order, viz.:—
Admiral Edward Harvey.
Lieut.-General William Henry Sewell, C.B.
Lieut.-Genei al George William Paty, C.B.
Lieut.-General James Shaw Kennedy, C.B.
Lieut.-General George Leigh Goldie, C.B.
Lieut.-General John Michell, C.B.
Vice-Admiral Henry William Bruce.
Vice-Admiral William Fanshawe Martin.
Major-General William Brereton, C.B.
Rear-Admiral Lewis Tobias Jones, 033. ; and
Colonel the Earl of Longford, C.B. -
DOWNING -STREET, JUNE 25.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint Henry NiellLolas
Duverger Beyt, Esq., to be Protector of Immigran'ti for
the Island of Mauritius.
Her Majesty has also been pleased to appoint Nicht olas
Cox, Esq., to be Inspector-General of Prisons, and David
Lillie, Esq., to be Inspector of Prisons, in the solo Liy of
British Guiana.
ADMIRALTY, JUNE 28.
The following promotion, dated the 22d inst., consequent
upon the death on the 21st inst., of Rear-Admiral o f the
Blue the Hon. Frederick Thomas Pelham, C. 8., has, this
day taken place :—Captain Woodford John Williams to be
Rear- Admiral of the Blue.

BANKRUPTS.
Richard Hooke, baker, shoe-lane, city, to surroxider,
July 11 and August 15, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
George Jones, jeweller, Holloway-road, Islington, July
11, at eleven, and August 8, at twelve, at the Count of
Bankruptcy.
William Rayner, commission agent, Southwark, July 11,
at half-past one, and Aug. 15, at twelve, at the Court of
Bankruptcy.
Thomas Germain, Italian warehouseman, Gracechurch-
street. City, July 11, at half -past twelve, and Aug. 9, at
one, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
John Parkin and Edwin Parkin, iron forgers, Oughty-
bridge' near Sheffield, July 6 and August 3, at ten, at the
Leeds District Court.
David Kirkby Mauer, wine and spirit merchant, Fetter-
lane, July 11, at half-past eleven, and Aug. 9, at half-past
one, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Joseph Crosham Harris, licensed victualler, Old Swan,
near Liverpool, July 10 and 30, at twelve, at the Liver-
pool District Court.
.i ohn Joseph Ross, wood carver, Duke-street, Manches-
ter-square, July 11, at eleven, and Aug. 9, at two, at the
Court of lankruptcy.
William Henry Traish, ale and porter merchant, Upper
Kennington-lane, July 11, at twelve, and Aug. 9, at tall-
eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy.