The Sun.
London, England, 1827-08-28 00:00:00

THE WIFE OF TWO HUSBANDS.

The following singular account of the funeral
of a celebrated beauty, in her day, who was called
Kate Cannon, at which the chief mourners were
her two husbands, is taken from an English
Newspaper for the year 1752. It is in a letter
from the mayor of Colchester, dated August 15,
1752 :----

" Perhaps you have heard that a chest was
seized by our Custom-house officers, which was
landed near this place a fortnight ago. They
took it for smuggled goods, though the person
who brought it produced the King of France's
signature to Mr. Williams, Harnhurgh merchant.
Our-'Custom's people, not satisfied with Mr..
Williams's account, opened the chest, and one of
them was going to run his hanger into it when
the gentleman to whom it belonged clapped his
hand upon his sword, and desired him, in
French, to desist, for it was the corpse of his
dear-wife. Not content with this, the officers
plucked., off the embalming, and found it as
he had said. The gentleman, who appeared a per-
son of consequence, was in the utmost agonies,
while they made a speCtacle of the lady, who was
placed in the church, where any body might come
and look at her; nor would they suffer him to
bury. her until lie gave a further account of him-
self. There were other chests of fine clothes,
ewels, &c. helOnging to the deceased. He ac-
knowledged, at last, that he was a person of qua-
lity, and his name not Williams ; that he was
born in Florence, and that the lady was a native
of England, whom lie married, and she desired
to be buried in Essex ; that he had brought her
from Verona, in Italy, to France, by land—then
hired a vessel for Dover, discharged her there,
and took another for Harwich, but was driven
hither by contrary winds. This account did not
satisfy the people ; he must tell his name and
condition, in order to clear himself of a suspi-
cion of murder. He was continually in tears,
and had a key of the vestry, where he constantly
sat with the corpse. He talked both Latin and
French, and finding a gentleman to converse
with him in these languages, he (to his great
surprise) told him who the lady was, which,
proving to be a person he knew, he could not
help uncovering the face. In abort, the gentle-
man confessed that he was the Earl of Rose-
berry's eldest son, Lord Dalinany ; that he was
born and educated in Italy, and never was in
England till two or three years ago, when lie
fell passionately in love with this lady, in Lon-
don, and prevailed on her to quit the kingdom,
and marry him ; that, having bad health, he had
travelled with her all over Europe : and, when
she was dying, she asked for pen and paper, and
wrote, lam the wife of the Rev. Mr. G---,
Rector of Th—, in Essex ; my maiden name
was C. Cannon, and my last request is to be
buried at Th---.
" The poor gentleman, who last married her,
protests he never knew, until this confession on
her death-bed, that she was the wife of another
person ; but in compliance with her desire, he
brought her over, and should have buried her
at Th—, if the corpse had not been stopped,
without making any stir about it. After the
Nobleman had made this confession, they sent to
the Rev. Mr. G., who put himself first into a
passion, and threatened to run her last husband
through the body. However, he was prevailed
on to be calm ; it was represented to him, that
this gentleman had been at great expence and
trouble to fulfil her desire, and Mr. G. at length
consented to see him. The meeting was very
moving, and they addressed each other civilly.
The stranger protested that his affection to the
lady Wag so strong, that it was his earnest wish,
not only to attend her to the grave, but to he
shut up for ever with her there. He had a very
handsome coffin made for her, with six large
silver plates,Overit ;, and, at last, was very loth
to part with her to_ have her buried. He put
himself in the deepest mourning, and, on Sunday
last, in a coach, attended
the corpse to
Th----
where Mr. G. met it, in like manner. After
the funeral, Mr. G. attended him to London,
where they parted very civilly.