The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-23 00:00:00

THE PRINCESS OLIVE CASE.

The case of Lavinia Janetta Horton Ryves against the
Attorney-General and William Henry Ryves, was yesterday
before the House of Lords. It was an appeal from the
the Court of Divorce and Matrimonial Causes. The
plaintiff (a lady between seventy and eighty years of
age, who conducted her own case) claims to be the law-
ful heir to the Crown of England, a lineal descendant of
the Duke of Cumberland, the son of George the Second,
and by her petition of appeal complains of that part of the
decree of the Court below which declares that Olive Sorre-
was not the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Cumbers
land, and that there was no valid marriage between the
Duke and Olive Wilmot. It 1861 a decree of the Divorce
court was obtained. establishing the marriage of John
Thomas De Serres and Olive his wife (the appellant's parents),
and that she was the legitimate issue of such marriage.
Olive Serres, it appears, shortly after the death of George
the Third, and being, as she then believed, the legiti-
mato daughter of the youngest brother of his Majesty,
assumed the honour, title, and dignity of a Princess of
the blood Royal, styling herself " Her Royal Highness
Olive, Princess of Cumberland," adopting the Royal arms,
&e. The Princess was honourably acknowledged, it is
consented by William IV. when Duke of Clarence, and by
the Dukes of Kent and Sussex, though at the time the Duke
Df Cambridge did not acknowledge her, but subsequently
his Royal Highness, it appears, was perfectly satisfied. The
appellant states that in 1820 and 1821 the late Duke of
Sussex paid the Princess a visit at her residence, and after
inspecting certain documents, in the appellant's presence,
expressed himself satisfied as to the genuineness of
the sign manual of the king, his father, as well as that
ei his brother, the Duke of Kent. in September, 1820,
King George the Fourth, in Council, issued his com-
mand that the certificate which proved the mar-
riage of the Duke of Cumberland and Olive his wife
and the certificate of the Princess Olive's birth should be
authenticated. The proofs required were accordingly
without loss of time obtained and authenticated.
The appellant further says that on ono occasion,
when all were assembled for dinner, at the resi-
dence of the Princess in Alfred-place, Mr. Bell drove
up, and on coming into the drawing-room, said ho
was glad the Princess had not dined, as ho meant to claim a
knife and fork, particularly for the good news he had to
communicate, which was that the King (Goo. IV.) had been
graciously pleased to acknowledge her Highness in Privy
Council that day as Princess of Cumberland, only legitimate
daughter of hislateuncle, Hon Frederick, Duke of Cumberland,
and that he had received orders to find a suitable residence
for her until a permanent ono could bo fixed upon. Also
that pecuniary moans would be at once placed at her com-
mand, and as much expedition made in such arrangements
as the dull forms of office would admit of. Mr. Bell had the
household of the Princess formed on the same plan as the
rest of the Royal family, and which had been written
under the instruction of Lord Sidmouth. The next day the
appellant and a Mr. Dickenson applied to different house-
keepers for cards of houses adapted for the put pose re-
quired, and several were submitted to the Princess. In-
stead, however, of being enabled to decide upon any
plans as had been arranged, Mr. Bell withdrew from the
scene altogether, and totally disappeared from Alfred-place.
It was not until many years afterwards that Mr. Dell's
widow (then Mrs. Johnson), informed her medical at-
tendant (Mr. Ifooper) that she had papers of the
utmost importance to restore relating to this mat-
ter. The appellant accordingly, with Mr. Hooper
and his wife waited on Mrs. Johnson, who informed them
that the reason why Mr. Bell stopped so suddenly was his
having been handsomely remunerated for his services, but
he did not live long to enjoy the same. It was the Duke of
York, said the dying lady, who had been the cause of
personally afraid of the princess's coming forward with
ge
the proposed arraun:lents not being carried out, being
other papers touching himself and family, and therefore
was determined to prevent any assistance being shown by
his brother, the king, or the ministry. The princess was
subsequently arrested upon a promissory note, put in
bail, and pleaded to the action that—as a member of tho
Royal family —she was privileged from arrest. Various
legal proceedings followed, when, in the year 1822, the .
appellant's mother, being in the rules of the Fleet, was re-
leased as Princess of Cumberland from the rules of the
King's Bench by writ from the Crown Office. •

The appellant was assisted by Dr. J. W. Smith ; the
Attorney-General and Solicitor-General appeared on
behalf of the Crown.

Their lordships dismissed the appeal, without entering
into the merits of the case, on a preliminary objection
-made by the Crown, deciding that no application having
been originally made for a new trial, and no bill of excep-
tions been handed in to the ruling of the judge in the
court below, an appeal under these circumstances did not
lie to their lordships.

A man named Mason has been discovered quite
dead on the rails some distance from Cheltenham, having, it
is supposed, committed suicide. His right leg was severed
front his body, and there was en extensive wound in his
neck.

The racehorse Blair Athol, which arrived from
llockhampton last A.londay morning by the steamer James
Paterson, is now the property of Mr. T. Ivory, having
been disposed of by Mr. Ross for 800 guineas.—Sydney
Horning Herald.
The Law Times states that it is now determined
;tat the general election shall take place in the last week
of October or the first week of November. The registers
are to be completed by October 20. A week at least must
be allowed for printing them.

What is described as " another Speke case"
comes from Gloucester. A young man, named Osborne,
reported to have lost heavily on the Derby, loft his homo a
few days since, so arranging matters as to lead to the belief
that ho was drowned. Ho has since, however, been re-
cognised at Stroud, on his way to London.
A young man was drowned in the Wiagerwortb
Pool, near Sheffield, on Sunday. Deceased, with three
others, took bold of each other's hands and sprang into the
water together. Deceased lost his hold, and when picked
up was dead. He was only 22 years of age, and was mar-
ried on Easter Sunday.

DEATH OF THE YEN. ARCHDEACON DODGEON.-
The Rev. Charles Dodgeon, M.A., archdeacon of Rich.
mond, canon of Ripon Cathedral, and rector of Croft,
near Darlington, died on Sunday evening rather suddenly.
The archdeacon had been out within a day or two, but was
seized with a severe attack of diarrha, which carried him
off ins, few hours. The living of Croft is worth, according
to the Clcrgy List, £B5O per year, but it is understood to be
in value now above £l,OOO. The deceased was a High
Churchman, and has delivered some remarkable charges at
his visitations.

A BATHER DROWNED AT RAISISOATE.—On Mon-
day morning a large number of the W division of the
metropolitan police and other persons left Brixton by
special train (London, Chatham, and Dover Railway) for
Ramsgate, and among the excursionists was Mr. Irons, of
Camberwell-lane, Brixton, by trade an ironmonger and
gas-fitter. He was accompanied by his wife and several
children, and during the journey down he drank rather
freely. Soon after he had reached Ramsgate he enaaged
a bathing machine, and having been in the water some
little time he endeavoured to return to the machine, but
was, it is supposed, seized with apoplexy, as he expired
almost immediately. Three medical men promptly
attended, and efforts were made to restore animation,
but without sucrosek ,The deceased was about 40 years
ago.