The Sun.
London, England, 1829-10-01 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 1, 1829.

WRIT DE LUNATICO INQUIRENDO.

(Contintud from our Paper of yesterday.)

After the evidence of Mr. Roots, a surgeon, Dr.
Boreland, and Dr. Monro, had been given in sup-
port of the alleged lunacy,

Sir George Tuthill said—l attended Mr. Jervis
on the 3.1 of August. My opinion was that he la-
boured under great imbecility. I was desired by the
Lord Chancellor to visit him, and on that occasion I
signed a certificate of his insanity.
Dr. Gooch, who had alsO visited Mr. Jervis, being
unable to attend, his Report, which was to the fol-
lowing effect, was prodtved

4 Beruers-street, FA. 27, 1829.

. ,
" My LORD-According to your Lordship's order, I
went on February 26th to Teddington House, Teddington,
to visit the Hon. William Jervis, eldest son of Lord St.
Vincent, a supposed lunatic, and had a long interview with
him. I found him in a state of mind scarcely capable of
uttering one sentence collectedly, and either unable or un-
willing to give me any account of his past state, and what
had brought him to his present condition of mind. The
only subjects he was willing to explain were, who he was,
and what he wished for; he was at first very violent, and
wanted to drive me out of the room, but I pacified him by
appearing anxious to listen to his statement. Ile toil] me
that he Was not William Jervis, the san of Lord St. Vin-
cent, but that he was Augustus Frederick, son of his pre-
sent Majesty, by Lady Elizabeth Lambert; and that his
brothers were children of the same father by the same
mother ; that be wished to be released front his present
confinement, and sent to Warwick Castle, to go in his
own carriage and post horses, and to be attended by a re-
giment ofCavalry and a number of Gentlemen, among whem
he named Sir James Scarlett, William Cobbett, Esq. sen.
and jun., and Henry Hunt,. Esq. sen. and jun. I begged
him to write down what he wished for. This I did partly
to identify his hand-writing with several letters which I
bad examined, and partly that your Lordship might see
under his own hand the condition of his mind. The let-
ter marked No. 1 was written by him in my presence for
your Lordship. These letters at first appear unintelligible;
but they are in fact real words, written in separate capital
letters, and, knowing this, may be easily understood.—
No. 2 is a letter to his present Majesty, his alleged father,
in small letters. He challenges his Majesty to a single
combat, at four o'clock in the morning, in Winibledon
Common ; and after that to a single combat with his bro-
ther, Thomas Jervis; and after that to a third combat
with his younger brother.—No. 3 is a letter to his Royal
Highness the Duke of Clarence, Lddressing his Royal
Highness as his uncle, and challenging his Royal High-
ness to a single combat, first with himself, and Olen with
his brothers.—No. 4 is a letter to Lord St. Vincent, chal-
lenging his Lordship to a public combat on Wimb!edan
Common with naval regulation swords, first with hitnsell,
and then with his younger brothers. There are a number
of other letters written by Mr. Jervis, but it is unneces-
sary to trouble your Lordship with more than these. He
is clearly in a complete state of lunacy, totally unable to
take care of his own affiirs, or even of his own person,
and requires the' strictest vigilance on the part of those
under whose care he is.

‘, It has been intimated that his present condition of
mind has been brought on by his present strict confine-
ment ; but there is ample proof that it existed before this
confinement, and rendered it absolutely necessary, befors
Dr. Monro saw him. While he was attended only by the
family physician, and under the care of none but his own
servants, he escaped from his house, was absent three
days, and was brought home by two Officers of the Cam-
den-street Police, who found him, without shoes or stock-
ings near the Canal. They took him to the watch-house,
cleaned him, put him to bed, and the next morning, hav-
ing learnt from him who he was, brought him down in a
post-chaise to his own houie at Teddington. This state-
ment they made on oath before a Magistrate. I have pro-
cured a copy of it for your Lordship's.satisfaction„marked
No. 5. A few hours after his return }mime, and while
he was still under the care only of his own servants, he
escaped from the window by a sheet, and ran down the
village, with nothing but a shirt and trousers on. It was
in consequence of this conduct that Dr. Monro was con-
sulted, and that be was placed under the care of a regular
keeper.
" Mr. Jervis's present state of mind has been of short
duration. He is thirty-four years of age, has been mar-
ried, and has a family of children. About three months
ago his wife died in lying-in, since which he has appeared
depressed in spirits, but not unusually disordered in mind.
lie has always been a man of feeble understanding and
shy manners, but be managed his own affairs ; with the
advice of his friends he used to go into company with his
wife, and play at cards not badly. Nothing unusual was
observed about him till the begining of this month, when,
immediately after a letter which he received from a soli-
citor about his affairs, he became suddenly unusually ex-
cited, talking much more than usual and laughing, and a
day or two afterwards made his escape from his house.
It was the second or third time of his quitting home,
when he was found and brought home by the Camden-
street patrol, as I have already described. This account of
his previous habitual state of mind, and of the commence-
ment of his illness, I received chiefly from Mrs. Gnttie,
the lady who has at this time the care of his house and
children, but the state in which he was found at Camden
Town depends on the statement on oath of the Camden_
street patrol.

" I have the honour to be
" Your Lordship's respectful humble servant,
" ROBERT GOOCH."
" To the Right Hon. the Lord Chancellor.

The following are the letters referred to in Doctor Gooch's
Report.
LETTER TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR -NO. 1.

" Teddington-house, Teddington, Middle-
sex, February the twenty-sixth, in
the year of our Lord, one thousand
eight hundred and twenty-
God bless the King.
" To the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, Scot-
land, and Ireland united—My wish is to be released this
moment from my confinement, and my brother Thomas
Frederick, my brother Charles Twiselton, to be released
from confinement—my children to be removed from con-
finement, and to proceed to Warwick Castle, with a Re-
giment of Light Cavalry; Thomas Wrenham Southouse
to go with me to 'Warwick Castle, Sir James Scarlett to
proceed with me to Warwick Castle, William King, Es-
quire to proceed with me to Warwick Castle ; William
Cobbett, E..quire, senior, and William Cobbett, Esquire,
junior, to proceed with me to Warwick Castle. Henry."

LITTER TO HIS :kIAJESTY..-.110. 2.
" Teddington-house, Teddington, Middle-
sex, February 25, 1829.
" FATHER-From the injuries, tyrannical, despotic, and
unnatural conduct I have received from you, I challenge
you to a single combat to-morrow morning, at four o'clock
precisely, each armed with a naval regulation sword, to
fight it out manfully on Wimbledon Common, in the
county of Surrey—So writ."
" Mr. Thomas Jervis White Jervis, your second son,
will be ready on the ground, ready to take my place im-
mediately after you and I have decided the contest.
" Your third son, Mr. Charles Twiselton, an Ensign of
your Majesty's service, will be ready on the ground, ready
to take your second son's place, after you and him have
decided the contest.—God save the King.
" WILLIAM JERVIS JERVIS.
Addrtnsed " To his Excellency Ma;esty."

day after to-morrow, February, the 26th, in the 19th
year of our Lord, 1929, to fight it out manfully. For
my defence, a naval regulation sword I will take to
the ground; a naval regulation sword you will take to
the ground ; a naval regulation swot' ; I will choose the
ground. I will bring with me as any second Thomas
Jervis White Jervis, Esq., a Lieutenant of the Royal
Navy; be is ready to meet his father in a duel, on the
same- ground, with a naval regulation sword, to fight it
out manfully, after you and I have decided the contest.
From the cruel, unmanly, and tyrannical conduct he has
experienced from him, as a father, whose duty it was to
be his guide and protector, from the day of his birth ;
will meet you on WiMbledon Common, in the County of
Surrey, the day after to-morrow, at four o'clock in the
morning, February the 26th, in the 19th year of our
Lord, 1529; and Thomas Jervis White Jervis, EN. will
meet his father, Sir John Jervis White Jervis, Baronet,
with a naval regulation sword, on Wimbledon .Common,
to decide the contest at the same thm. God save the King.
6' The Honourable WILLIAM JERVIS JERVIS.
Addressed" The Right Hon. the Viscount St. Vincent,

" Ellis Hotel, St. James's-street, Laudon."

Mr. HORNE said that that was the whole of the
evidence he should lay before the Jury.
Mr. PRXLLIMORE required that the alleged lunatic
should be brought forward and examined.
Some of the Counsel suggested ttutt there was no
necessity for his presence after such evidence as had
been given.

One of the Jury, to chew the necessity of pro-
ducing the alleged lunatic, stated that he had been
on a Jury when a Commission was proceeded in
against a Mr. King, who, upon being examined for
an hour, impressed the Jury so strongly against the
Commission that it was dismissed.

The Jury. retired about half-past one o'clock, to
examine Mr. Jerv:s in private. After an absence o
about two hours, considerable surprise was excited
at their not returning. At length a post-chaise-and
four drove up to the Coffee-house, and then it was
discovered that, by some mistake, Mr. Jervis had
not been in attendance, and was only then brought
from his place of confinement. The Jury then sent
for the Counsel and Commissioners to attend the
examination, which continued for about half an
hour, when the Counsel, Jury, and Commissioners
returned.

Mr. KNIGHT then stated that he felt it his duty
to call some friends and acquaintances of Mr. Jervis,
from the neighbourhood, to speak to his habits and
state of mind, and suggested that the better mode
would be to adjourn for the present, and proceed
with the case to-morrow.

This was agreed to, and it was agreed that Mr.
Jervis should be in attendance to-morrow (this day)
in case the Jury should wish to see him again; and
that in the meantime he should be kept in as calm a
state as possihle. It was also directed that all the
witnesses on both sides should be in attendance, and
that in the meantime Mr. Jervis's Counsel shotdd
be permitted to see him if they thought proper.
The proceedings were adjourned accordingly.