Star.
London, England, 1820-03-31 00:00:00

147' I.*:ITELLIcr.vcE.

COI:MT OF CHANCERY, MARCH 30,
INTENDED MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE.
In 6 wailer of SIR ROCER GIiESLEY, Barond, a
Minor and a Ward of Chanceq,-and the Hon. LADY
SOPHIA COVENTRY, also a Minor. •

Mr. HART again mentioned this case to his Lord-
ship. His Lordship had expressed ea desire that he
(Mr. Hart) as Counsel for Lady Gresley, would inti-
mate What sort of order it was desired theCUmrt
should make. In the case of Walter, a minor, which
came before his Lordship in the year 1815, as re-
ported in the 19th volume of Vesty's Reports-
The LORD CHANCELLOR.—" Is that the case of
the bricklayer's daughter at Tunbridge ?"
Mr. HART said it was not; it was a case where
the infant had solemnized a marriage with a young
woman of much inferior rank in life. His Lordship
directed that a suit should be instituted to annul
the marriage, and afterwards madc an order that all
the parties who had been in any way concerned iH
bringing about the marriage, should be restrained
from all intercourse with the infant. In the case of
Potter v. Potter, his Lordship, on the 23d of March,
1809, made an order restraining the minor from
contracting marriage till aller he bad attained the
age of '2l years ; and his Lordship's order also went
further, namely, to forbid all intercourse between
the minor and certain persons specified by name. In
the present case his Lordship bad already made an
order restraining the marriage; and he now wished
to have added to that restraint, the order of the
Court restraining all intercourse between the minor,
the Earl and Countess of Coventry, Lady Sophia
Coventry, and the Hon. John Coventry, during his

Mr. WETHERELL, on behalf of Lord Coventry,
contended, that his Lordship would not now make
such an order as that required by Mr. Hart. Such
an order could only be ju,tified by one of three
cases, namely, either where the contemplated mar-
riage was proved to be ineligible, where there was a
conspiracy, or where the persons alluded to in the
order where united together with design and concert
to bring about the marriage. In the present instance
none of these allegations v:ould apply ; there had
been neither conspiracy, concert, nor design, on the
part of Lord Coventry's family ; nor could it be said
that a marriage with Lady Sophia Coventry would
be ineligible for Sir Roger Giesley. That young
gentleman had been left entirely to himself and his
own guidance,by his guardian, Lady Gi esley,through
the whole of the yeas 1819; and during that time
he had found admission into Lord Coventry's family,
and had made a spontaneous offer of his hand to
Lady Sophia. Lady Greslev well knew during this
time, namely. for upwards of three months, that her
son was a constant visitor. at Lord Coventry's by
general invitation. She must have anticipated the
result; yet she made no objectiln. She never inter-
fercd with any application to his Lordship, to pre-
vent the intercourse, till January last. During all
that interval she was anienvigilant and supine guar-
dian ; the other guardian. Lord Beauchamp, having
declared he did not consider a future marriage be-
tween the parties as ineligible. Yet now Lady Gres-
ley, that supine guardian, who by her supineness
had suffered affection between these young people to
take deep root, came dowrr, and endeavoured to pre-
vail
on the Court to tear the parties asunder, at the
price of their feelings and happiness, and to mtike
an order declaring the marriage ineligible ; and this
too at a time when the minor wanted not more than
eight months of being of ati,e—a period to which
every one looked forward with the hope of seeing the
marriage between the pasties take place. The
Learned Ceunsel contended, that the extent of his
Lordship's order could only be, at most, to enquire •
into the eligibility of the marriage when the parties
came of age; it being well understood that no one
contemplated an union before that period. He con-
cluded by tendering to the Court the letter of Lord
Beauchamp, containing his Lordship's declaration
that he should not consider the marriage between the
parties, at a future period, 'as ineligible.
• Mr. Hen: had no objection to that voucher being
admitted, if it was at the same time admitted that
Lord Beauchamp never troubled himself with the
conduct of Sir Roger, and scarcely knew he had
such a ward. •

Mr. SHADWELL also followed on the part of Lord
Coventry. The order, if made at all, he contended,
could only be to teler the matter to the Master, for
him to report on the eligibility of the marriage. The
great anxiety of Lord Coventry was to have the nat-
ter investigated, and to prove to the Public, that in
this case he and his family were. blameless. If the
order nuw applied for were made, it would convey
the strongest possible censure on the Noble Earl and
his family.
_ _

11r. HART, in support of his application, said, he
.must set his Learned Friend right on two points. His
Learned Friend said, everybody was looking forward
to, and hoping for this marriage. Now, he must
beg leave to say, such were not the sentiments of
Lady Gresley, who certainly had some little interest
in the question. -His Learned Friend had also made
him (Mr. Hart), declare an opinion, that mutual af-
fection had irrevocably fixed itself in the hearts of
thee. young persons. He had given no such opi-
nion ; on the contrary, he hoped and thought quite
differently. He contended, that the order he had
applied for, was founded on precedent, and he trusted
his Lordship would grant it.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, he should take time,
though but a short time, to consider this question.—
i This was one of the most painful duties a Chancellor
! had to perform, unless it was in such cases as would
1 adarit of no doubt. Some such he had had before
him; where the parties seeking the marriage were
seeking to commit downright robbery and plunder;
there the duty of a Chancellor was clear. In the
present case, he should have had no difficulty, if the
application had been made earlier. This young Gen.
tleman, it appeared, Jett Oxford at nineteen years of
age, and soon after, was seeking to contract mar-
riage. It was said, a Chancellor should act the part
of an arTectionate father to his wards. Nuw, he
would ask, was there a father existing, who'would
not have said to his son at such an age, even though
the Lady of his affection might be most amiable and
most worthy, as he allowed Lady Sophia Coventry
to be, a You are stiil too young to marry ; .you have
not yet seen sufficiect N.. 11 lif:. A teher Nvo:Ala say

so, and so must a Chancellor. lie felt • -hound here
to state, that everyone who knew tiir R. Greslev,
spoke well-of him ; Must long doubt, whether
a marriage between these parties so yet:n, , would
be productive of their future happiness. 'With his
feelings and habits, now, so nearly al-live,' at thee
score years and ten, he must confess it appeared to
him an event not likely to have such a rec,uit. He
had *a high respect fcr‘Lord Coventry ; he acquitted
him entirely of anythin: like concert, elt. or
c?
nit
as regarded this marriage; but still he
must say, he could not approve of his Lordship's
conduct, in directing his Solicitor to inquire into the
state of the minor's fortune. He must also advert to
the conduct of Lady Gresley ; it ne could not do all
she wished, it was her Lad::ship's own lault, in
having delayed her application. Why had she not
applied sooner? It was apparent sl.e was not igno-
rant of her son's visits to Lop? Coveutr)'s family ;
their excursions to wate:ing-places, Stc. Why did
she suffer this course of things to contra tie all through
1819? The young man was now within eight months
of being of age ; it would then cease •to be his duty
to prevent his marrying ; indeed, it would be eon!.
t: at yto his duty to do so. He had in some cases al-
lowed marriages to take place, which lie should as
certainly have prevented, if he had been applied to at
an early period ; but the parties haying delayed their
application, he had frequenti-y approved, because he
had fore een, that to disappro,,e moti:o, at that pe-
riod, be the greater evil, lle would not now refer
the subject to the Master, unless there was a petition
for that purpose. lie had the word of the parties,
that no marr:age was to take place during the tuino-
rity ; and he now expected of the guardians to use
their utmost exertions to prevent toe parties becoming
further entangled. He would consi.ler the case, and
give his judg !uent when the Court met again. His
Lordship then intimated, that he should not sit again
till after the Easter Holidays, He should, however,
be ready to attend the summons of any Gentleman at
the Bar after Wednesday next.

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