The Sun.
London, England, 1820-03-25 00:00:00

..Cl4
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MARCH 2.5; 1',,c.20

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF CHANCERY, Mnact: 24.

INTENDED MARRIAGE IN HIGH, LIRE.

In the matter of SIR ROGER GRESLEY, Barbnct, It
Minor. and a Ward of Chancery, and" the Hon.
LADY S-OPRIA COVENTRY, also a Minor.
A •Petition,was presented to the Lord Chancel-
lor ionietime,back by Lady Gresley, the mother
of the Ward:of Court, prqing 'that the Earl Of
Cove:Wily; the Countess of Coventry, and the Him.
John Coventry, their son, might be restrained by
injunctiontrom aiding and assisting,,or encourag-
ing a tiiarriage betweeu the Ward, who is 20
years of uge, and Lady Sophia Coventry, the
'youngest daughter of the Earl, who is only 17
years of age.. His Lordship heard the Counsel
t-rir the ifetiiibfiet lb his private room at Westmin-
ster-Hall. . .
Mr. WETHERELL this day said, he bad to shety
Cause why the prayer of the petition shoti:d not
be granted. -altle bad advi,ed ilia titble
into consisted Of all the parties of the Coventry
family set forth in the petition„ to lay every cir-
cumstance of their conduct, and of the transac-
tion, even to every letter that was written on the
subject, before his, Loidship ; they had done so,
and what did they amonnt to ? It appeared that
Sir Roger Gresley, the ward, was the representa-
tive of an ancient family, and on becoming of age,
would be in the possession of a large estate. In
April last year, he left -the-Uoiversity of Oxford,

Davin finislred.his studies, mid went to Wurces

ter, where" the fathily of the Earl of
,Coventry
were at the time: He was iittnidneen to the td,-
mily for the firs"( tithe, he was invited to dine, but
there was not a geneial invitation .giyett him to

the house of
,the Noble Earl, as charged in the
petition og Lady Gresley. After the return, of
tl►e noble family to their house in Piccadilly, tlae
wu►d 'visited them, and was invited to dine, and
received i►r the same way as any other. person at
the same rank would have been. The Noble Earl's

,
family in n'ellt to Chelteuham, and
they sopooriesl by one of those accidents, which
people in a simiiar situation of life meet, they met
the ward, and the Hon. John Coventry brought
him home to (limier witlr Inns. Shortly aftetSvards
the ward wrote a letter to the Noble Earl, asking
his permission to pay his addresses to Lady Sophia
which Ire answered as g father ought, that it his for-
tune was of that, extent, so as to make a settlement
on his daughter sufficient to; her rank is lire, and
his, the ward's trierri!,, , approved of the marriage,
he would have no objection. The wind, inans,serto
this letter, ameille rent-1-911.0*W
for the truth 'of it. He
did apply to the eolieitois, nand they confirmed the
statement of; the rent-roll eat! informed him
that Eat! Beatreltamp was the guardian of the
ward on which lie «•i to to that Notile lim I, and
informed him, of Ow circumstance, and received
forena werA hat he could hare no objection to the
marriage, hw, ;het the ~yard could not make a -set-
tlement on Lady until lie obtained his
• toll age of 21. The Earl of Coveutty immedi•
arely Wormed the ward of the answer he hod re-
ceived Stout his guart'ion, and at the same time
represented to hint that he could not consent to any
Marriage between him atid Lady Sophia until he
became of age. It appeared that UfteriVorilS ihric
was a correspondence between Lady Gresley and
the Countess of Coventry, in which the latter as-
surer) her Ladyship that no 'part of her family
would consent to a marriage with her son, the
ward, betme he became of age: He would ask his
Lordship, now he war in possession of the facts,
what were in them that was derogatory to the
character of the Noble House of Coventry He
was at a loss to knOw what order his Lordship
could make, in such a case as this without it we's
t 0 AismisA the petition with costs..
.Mr. StIADWEI,L followed on the same side.
The ATTORNEY-GEINERAL, Counsel for Earl
Beauchainp, the gmardien of the ward, said he
wiis instructed by his Noble client to say, that he
did not see anything improper in the intended
marriage Of- the ward and Lady Sophia whew he
had obtained the age of 21,, and that he believed
it never was the intention*of the Ear-I of CoVen-
try, or any part, pt his family, that the marriage
should take place.before he obtained that age.
Mr. HART,' Counsel boa Lady Greeley,' stated
that it never was charged by his client that the
noble family of Coventry had entered into it con-
spiracy for tlie,purpose at gettik the ward to
marry Lady ; it was only alleged they had
given such an acquiescenee that would promote it.
Ile was the last person that would wish to say any
thing,disrespect lid to any person, whether in high
Or low life ; hot Would it not b Ave been supposed
that -a man of high honour, such as Eat I Coventry
was represented .to he, would, on the ward Apply-
ing to him by letter to address his daughter,
Lads Sophia,' hare immediately informed Lady
Gresley of the circumstance ; hat' he eid not, And
fact did not decline the immediate marriage
until he was informed by Eatl Beauchamp that
the settlement on Lady Sophia eMilif nol be amide
until the weld became of age he would concede
to his Learner) Friend that it was nut the lot en-
tion now of Earl Coventry that the marriage should
take place until that time arrived. Bo! that did'not
make it the less necessai y tor his Lordship to inter•
fere by injonctioo, or some of leer oilier (list IA told
prevent the imercom se bet ween the ward and LOY
Sophia being kept up. It it vas proved that the
marriage was contemplateJ to take place before
that period, his Lordship would he bound to pre-
vent it ; ant( what was the distinction, it the
ward was allowed to visit Lady Sophia. up to the
time of his attioirtg that age, ,for he u, otdd.;et
so entangled that the morneut he was legally au-
thorised to art for himself, he is wild be compelled
to catty the marriage hate effect. Unties these.

reIIICE SIZI-rENPENCF4

considerations be -trusted his Lordship would
;rent the prayer of the petition_
The, Lt:RI) -CE-}AN.C' 6LLOii observed, that lie
would give his judgment on coming into Court on
illonday .°tanning.