Star.
London, England, 1810-11-03 00:00:00

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THE ARKC

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It RI AL OF THE= C 01.114. "TE•• O Al4i NESttit,
Obi A CHARGE OF BIGAMY.
• --4._-.
BEYORE THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Stitt/SORGE DA LT AND
JUDGE OSBORNE: AT THE !ASSIGNS,. WANE, OREE.N.•
STREET, DUBLIN, ON TUESDAY, OCT ,SER SO.
•••••••
Ms. MiNatax stated the case in behalf of the pro-
secution. He said the prisoner, Siipliiii Connor,
stood charged, that she, on the 29th September, in
the 37th year of she King, did marry tie late Earl
Annesley, though Martin Connor, her former has-
band, to her knowledge, was then, and still is, alive. ;
-a-He said, that in his progress he would do every 1
thing within the limits of his duty ; that the prisoner
had a right to have it presumed that she was intro,
cent ; and that he would be amongst those who
would rejoice if she established that innocence. Mr.
*Nally proceeded to say, that the present was not
a case without precedent ; a lady of even higher rank
had been tried for a similar offence—he meant the
Duchess of Kingston ; and that though upon the pre-
sent occasion he stood alone, he yet had the example
of Lord Thurlow, who conducted the prosecution
against the Duchess of Kingston, and that example
he would endeavour humbly to imitate. The offence
charged in the indictment was bigamy, the marrying '
a second husband while the first *as alive. An of-
fence more dangerous to society or morality could
not be found. By a former law in this country, this
crime was punished with death ; but by the 12th of
. Geo. I. the capital part of the punishment was re.
1
pealed, and transportation was sublituted. In the
Cl course of the trial, if any doubt could remain of the
ne 'guilt of the prisorer, Mr. M'Nally called trpon the
IS, Jury to give the prisoner the benefit of it. He wish-
st, ed to act candidly and mercifully ; he would not stop
- . to advert to minor circumstances ; he had no incli-
et.' v nation to aggravate. On the contrary, he would
He endeavour to reconcile the feelings of his heart with
ind sx the duties of his profession. He then proceeded to '
state the circumstances of the case, as they were toll
mistak be provedby evidence. The first witness, Mrs. M'-'
?ortugg Veagh, was most material, and to be attended to, as
hat Get
she would come before the Court with every advan-
tar that moral conduct could entitle her to.—
eral Hoi - [Here Mr. GOOLD, Counsel for the prisoner, applied
to the Court to have all the witnesses on behalf of
uite, nom the prosecution removed from the hearing of the ad-
dajor-Ges vocate, and they were removed accordingly.]
aion. Mr. M'NALLY then proceeded as follows ;
ted to suc Two facts it was necessary to prove : first, that a
:ommand o marriage actually did take place between the priso-
ner and Martin Connor ; and not only that he, Con-
JOHN LAFO nor, was alive when a second marriage took place be-
e DRAGON ca tween the prisoner and the late Earl Annesley ; but
LIDGE, Lady C that the prisoner actually knew that her first Inn-
s, Physician ti band was alive when she permitted the marriage-
eds Sir ALEXAI ceremony to be performed between her and Lord
ief on the Lees Annesley.
The first witness, Mary M'Veagh, would prove,
been appointed 1 that the maiden name of the prisoner was Sophia
and likewise doe Kelly.; she was born in the north of Ireland, near
;army in the Lee where Mr. M'Veagh lived. Mrs,. M'Veagh remov.
ed from the place of her birth to Artane, near Kil-
eneral BR.OWNRicc
lister, within a few miles of Dublin, atid near the re-
trents with the Cos sidence of the late Earl Annesley, to whom Martin
i
.:ommander in Chu Connor was gardener. Miss Kelly, the prisoner at
'the bar, accompanied Mrs. M'Veagh from the north,
seal HEWITT* aad was upon a visit with her at Artane when she
3th regiment, comma became acquainted with Martin Connor, who paid
DlTihas been ordered his addresses to her, and he proposed marriage. The
een stationed for
.five Rev. Mr. Larkins, the parish priest, was applied to,
- to perform the ceremony ; but Miss Kelly being a
Orders were received from the Admiralty at the I stranger in the parish, he declined to perform his of-
Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth, on Thursday last fice, until her father, wholired in the north, was ap-
to prepare Wards for the reception of 500 troops. plied to, to learn it he had any objection to the
Horse-Guards, October sr. j snatch ; and afavourable answer being received, to-
At a General Court-Martial, held at Trinidad, gether with a certificate from the parish priest in the
on the '.Z9111 of January, 1810, and subsequent days, north, where Miss Kelly resided, that he knew of no
Lieutenant N. HEYLIGER, of the Ist West-India Re- impediment to her marriage, Father Larkins kerfor-
went, was arraigned upon the under-mentioned med the ceremony of marriage between Miss Sophia
charges, viz.— Kelly, the prisoner at the bar, and Martin Connor,
" tar, Being drunk at rae evening parade of the regiment on the gardener, in the presence of five witnesses, of
-the 16th of December last. whom two are dead, and three are alive. At the
" ed, Conduct unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman, in de- time of the marriage, the law did not Hermit the
. tat try!
Il tI i a
Is isgon3a t tairned tpoa ay promissory.ibi
tothe noeter'odaf Bartholomew,ted
Mr.SDLavidNlsbitt."
The Court-Martial found the prisoner Guilty of gistry of marriage, but a memorandum of it was
both charges preferred against him, and sentenced made by the clergyman who performed the cere-
him to be dismissed his Majesty's service, and ren. mony. A supper was given by Mrs. M.Veagh at
:dered incapable of ever serving his Majesty in any her house, in consequence of the marriage, where the
military capacity whatever. ' new married couple cohabited for two or three days,
_
His Majesty Was pleased to approve and confirm after which Connor took his wife home to his own
so much of the finding and sentence of the Court as habitation, where they lived as man and wife : but it
adjudges the prisoner to be dismissed his Majesty's , unfortunately happened, after some time, that Lord
service. i Annesley took a liking to Mrs. Connor, and his rank
fr..
Tho Commander in Chief directs, that the charges 3n life appears to have made an impression upon her.
preferred against Lieutenant Heyliger, together with : His Lordship carried her off in his carriage to Dub-
-the sentence of the Court, and his Majesty's pleasure
' fin, where they lived together. Mrs. M,Veagli found
thereon, shall be read at the head of every Corps, and }set. out at his Lordship's house. She visited the pri-
entered in the Reginsellal Orderly Books. apner, and gave her excellent advice, which unfortu-
..
By command of the Right Hon. the Commander trately had no influence. Lord Annesley made some
in Chief, ' HAaav Cavveter, Adj.-Gen. !Compensation or other to Connor for the loss of his
'Wife, it was to be presumed, for he brought no action
• Herse;Guards, Oct. i 2.
- . 411. Con. against his Lordship ; on the contrary,
At a General Court-Martial, bad at Nonnin.Cross; of Cr
he kept himself a recluse, and gave the amorous pair
on the 10th of September, and subsequent days, Ma- ,no trouble whatever. Something was done to in.
jor Shafto John Medley, of the Northumberland regi- duce Lord Annesley to believe that Connor was
malt of Militia, was arraigned upon the undermen- 'dead, and the ceremony of marriage was performed.
tioned charge, viz.— The prisoner'had two children by his Lordship ; one
" For conduct highly unbecoming the character of an Ofßeer of them is alive. Upon her marriage, she assumed
and a Gentleman, in holding conversation with Serjeant Joseph .
tne name and title of the Countess Annesley ; and,
Scott, of the Northumberland regiment, while going his rounds
as a Field Officer of the day, on Saturday night, the Seth July; though the Earl had been dead for some years, that
.at Norman-cross barracks, in the county of Huntingdon, in which title she still assumed. Here Mr. *Nally intreated
conversation he :bused aptain Thain, of the Northumberland 'the Jury to banish from their minds any impression
militia, and Mr. Cockburn, Quarter-Master of the 84th Foot, • which•
former reports might have made upon them,
in the grossest terms, calling the former " the damnedest rascal
in the world," and that "he would hang the latter," and other and to form their decision solely upon the evidence.
conversation, tending io lower Captain Thain in the estimation The first witness called was
of the regiment, and to create disrespect and dissatisfaction in the Mary M'Veagh.—Witoess is a widow, did live in
minds of the non-cortimissioned officers mid men towards their offi -
the county of Down, where she knew the prisoner ;
curs, and consequently subversive of good order and military dis-
cipline ; and also for repeating the abuse of Captain Thain before left the North about 21 years ago, and removed to
Captains Ogle, Warde, and Lewis of the Northumberland regf- Killister, near Dublin, where she received the prima-
meet, at Norman-Cross Barracks, on Friday the 3d day of Au- ner, then Miss Kelly, as a visitor. She became ac-
gust, 101®" quainted about the same* time with Martin Connor,
The Court found the prisoner guilty of the charge . who is living, and whom witness saw' within this
preferred against him, and adjudged him to be ca- half-hour. Martin Connor was married to the priso-
shiered. ner fifteen years ago from. last Shrove Tuesday, by
His Majesty has been pleased to approve And con- Father Larkin. The prisoner, iter husband Connor,
firm the finding and sentence of the Court, and the witness M'Veagh, the hutitband. of witness, and Pat
Commander in Chief directs that the charge preferred Connor, the brother of Martin Connor, were present.
against Major Medley, together with the sentence of It was after dinner when the marriage ceremony took
the Court, and his Majesty's confirmation thereof, place; Father Larkin, wk o performed the ceremony
shall be read at the head of every regiment, and en- was the priest of the parish—he Is dea&--he was
tered in the Regimental Orderly. Books. sober at the time. The new-married couple slept at
. By command of the Right Honourable the Coin- Xillister, where they afterwards lived as man and
maadcr in Chief, HARRY CALVES'S', Adj.-Gen. wife for six or SEM weeks ; they afterwards went to

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the itossAlre Militia,cearimpnded by tlent.-ito lo-
nel the Earl of Carr-Innis, voicalast week reviewed at
Leith, by Major-General Scorr, and acquitted them-
selves highly. to General SCOTT'S approbation. The
Ross-shire after the rcvie* gave a splendid entertain-
ment at their mess-room to General SCOTT and his.
Staff ; to which the Commander in Chief and Staff,
Lord BERINDALE, Sir Joan SINCLAIR, Sir JOHN Muir:
RAY *GREGOR, Dr. Geauoar, and many other dis:,
tinguished characters were invited.
Much to the regret oftieutenant-General ENGLAND, i
and the Mayor and inhabitants of Plymouth, that ex-'
cellent regiment the Ist West York militia is about
to leave them, after a residence of two years and
a half, for Portsmouth. The Duke of BEAUFORT'S
regiment, the Monmouth and Brecon, is expected at
Plymouth. --.
The country at large stilt remain in. the most
anxious site
.of suspense regarding the fate of our
brave arm? in Portugal. During the week, the
CaaanzailtOrig sailed with dispatches for Lord
Weilar4oWirrom Ministers. There is now a consi.
derable fleet, with a few recruits, a considerable.
quantity of stores, and many Officers, particularly of
the Foot Guards, 3d Dragoon Guards, Artillery an
Rifle corps; :which will sail to-morrow under convoy
of the AICLE from Portsmouth.
, We are daily lookinkfirr.rhekrlispatches of SirJomri
'I9I4IWART, the hero of ble*eleich the true account of
.11 -kipecUtiois. , •
We may soon preseneviur readers a faithful account
of a most important expedition, consisting of nearly
15,000 men, undertaken tarn' st the Mauritius, the
only remaining port of our eilerny in the East, and
which is in a most formidable state of defence. - This'
grand expedition is under the Son of the ever to be
lamented hero the immortal Asericitosnsur. He has
under him General WARDS, from Madras, and many
able Officers.
We understand, that we were under a mistake in
General 'DANIEL HOUGHTON going to Portugal. to
succeed General LicirravaN. We hear that General
GRAHAM keeps that gallant officer General HOUGH.'
TON at Cadiz.
Major-General NIGHTINGALE, and suite, now are
embarking at Portsmouth for Lisbon ; Major-General
DUNLOP lately set out for the same station.
Major-General HOWARD is appointed to succeed
Major. General NIGHTINGALE, in the command of the
troops at Dover.
This week the DRAGON, 74, Sir Join; LAFOREY,
sailed for the Leeward Islands ; the DRAGON carries
out Sir THOMAS and Lady TROWBRIDGE, Lady COCH•
Rain and daughter, and Dr. EYRE, Physician to the
Forces. Sir JOHN LAFOREY Succeeds Sir ALEXANDER
COCHRANE as Commander in Chief on the Leeward
,station.
' Sir GEORGE BECKWITH has been appointed Lieu-
'tient-Governor of Barbadoes, and likewise does not
keep the Chief Command of the army in the Leeward
Wm&
As soon as Lieutenant-General BROWNRIGG has
made some necessary arrangements with the Court of
Directors, he sails out as C-Ommander in Chief of
India, vice Liententent-General HEWITT.
The Ist battalion of the 99th regiment, commanded
by Lientenant-Colonel Smorrihas been ordered from
Malta to Sicily. It has been stationed for .five years'
at Malta.