The Sun.
London, England, 1827-04-14 00:00:00

LENT AgSIZES.

WESTERN CIRCUIT—TAUNTON, Arm 12.
CIVIL SIDE.
ruiwnss Z. plum

This was an action to recover damages for breach
of promise of marriage.
Mr. MEREWETTIER opened the pleadings.
Mr. Sergeant WILDE addressed the Jury. The
circumstances of this case were most cruel, and the
neglect and desertion experienced by the plaintiff ad-
mitted of no palliation.
_The parties became ac-
quainted at the very.early age of 17, on the part of
the female, when the defendant promised to marry
her whenever his father should die. This engage-
ment was oftentimes repeated, and that in the pre-
sence of respectable witnesses. The father had
since died, but not only had the defendant neglected
to perform his covenant, he had plainly refusid to
do so. That which made the case snore cruel was,
that the young woman had been so unfortunate as
to become the mother of two children by the defen-
dant, as the result of this unhappy connection. That
by no means lessened the claim now advanced by
her. He had gained his point by promising her
marriage, and subsequent to the birth of the- chil-
dren he had repeated his promise in the presence of
witnesses. Not only had the defendant injured the
object of his pretended regard ;njuring her feel-
ings, but he had placed her in a situation in which
her prospects could only be those of shame and beg
gary, whilst he suffered nothing. She had lost
every thing, he nothing.
Harriett Hawkins, the aunt of the plaintiff, was
first called.—She knew the parties well; lived with
her and her mother; had heard Pring promise her
niece to marry her. This was six or seven years
ago. He had promised that he would marry her
after the death of his father. The plaintiff had had
a child by him twelve months before that. +Pring
used to visit the plaintiff at the house, and she (the
witness) had,refused to let him come, because he
had some property, and her niece none. He pro-
mised to marry her on the death of his father, and
said, if he did so before, he should be cut off with Is.

In answer to the COURT.—Neither the witness
nor the mother of the plaintiff ever allowed Pring to
sleep in the house.
- Mary Bayly was acquainted with both plaintiff
and defendant ; she hail-known them for four years,
and had heard the defendant say, that he would
marry the.'plaintiff a mnnth after the death of his
father, so help him God ! Pring's father was a
farmer, and he was at present living with his mother.
John, Allen was acquainted with the defendant;
his father died in September last; since that time
the defendant came to him, and asked him to go
down to the plaintiff with him, as a witness; he did
go with him, and Pring said, "Jane, what money do
you want ?" upon which she said, " D---. your
money,,and you too • I have got two children, .and
have had enough of you in the seven years
,I . have
lived with you—all I want of thee is, for thee to
make me thy wife." After some further conversa-
tion, the plaintiff said, thee and thy witness
too." Upon which the witness walked off, for he
thought he was not wanted.
Henry Hawkins knew the defendant, and spoke
to him of marrying the plaintiff. On one occasion
he asked him why he allowed the children to run
about without shoes ; upon which the defendant
said, that he would take, care of the 'children, but
that Jane must take care of herself. At another
-meeting he said to witness, "Jane wants to be mar-
ried to me, but I cannot say any thing about it."—
lie,..also said, "I have enough money—my father
left me 7001. and I shall have another 1001. when
my mother dies." • .
The Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff—.-Da-
mages 504 . -