Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1861-03-29
DntlrmaI anu Statesman.
Friday Morning, March 90 1861.


Inc YelVert0n Marriage Case.
FROM tile London Times Of March 9th.
The facts of the case of "Thelwall vs.. Yelver
ton" 80 far as regards their general interest
may be detailed in few sentences, though
Judge remarkable for acuteness and despatch
was engaged nearly fortnight in hearing them
and, as given from the lips of the actual wit
nesses, they seem to have formed the most movinJ
OF dramas, The action was brought by thu
nominal plaintiff against the Hon. William
Charles Yelyerton, the heir to the Irish peerage
of Avonmore, and Brevet Major in the Royal
Artillery, for the purpose of trying before jury
whether Major Iclyert0n, who in June, 1868,
had contracted marriage with lady in Scotland
had not previously married another lady, then
named Maria Theresa Longworth who, of oourse
was the real complainant. We should add
perhaps that the present action was incidental
to formal suit, now pending before Scotch
tribunal, with the view of setting the same ques-
ton, but in which the parties interested 10 the
issue can only proceed upon written testimony.
1t appears that in August 1862, William
Charles Yelverton aud Maria Theresa Longwcrth
became acquainted by mere accident upon the
passage from Boulogue to London. The gentle
man was in his 2Sth year, and the lady, II We
may judge from her letters and from the interest
her appearance has excitsd, must have been at
traotive. and even fascinating. The night was
passed by the pair on deck, n plaid forming
Major Yeyeron found himself the visitor of a
relation Of Miss Longworth, and spending some
hours in that ladya society. few months
afterwards letter from Miss Longworth, ad-
dressed to her cousin in Albania but sent with
20 formal note to Major Yelyerton, who was
asked TO post it Mt Malta, where he was quarter
cd, induced n renewal Of the acquaintance; aud
from this time till the autumn Of 1866 these two
young persons cOrresponded with each other,
without however, my actual meeting. The
tone Of the correspondence is peculiar-a mixture
OF gossip and bGdiHdge. indicating great ability,
but not too much deficiency or feeling In the lady.
la 1865, Miss Llngwor.h, being Roman
Catholic, undertook the duties of a Sister of
Mercy in French convent, at Constantinople,
having previously been made acquainted with
the fact that Major Yelverton was in the Crimea
and engaged on service in the British army AT
this convent lenglhenei interview took place,
atwhich. according to her version, the gentleman
made mn offer Of marriage, and according to his
statement 'he lurned tho idea Ofmnking Theresa
Longworth his mistress" The scene shifts to
the camp III the Crimea and there some further
love passages occurred, while the lady was under
the care OF the wife If n general of brigade who
must have remarked Major Yelyorton's advances,
and Of course must have believed them honora-
ble After this, Miss LongW orth embarked at
Balaklaya, and she positively swears that on this
occasion, at night, and again Oh the deck of a
steamer she received proposal Of instant mar
riage, to be celebrated OF the Greek Church of
the place, with no condition but that of secrecy.
This offer, however, she states she rejected, a
Greek Church being out Of the question in the
case Of u marriage with Roman Catholic, al
though from this time she firmly believed an
union with leyerton would soon be accomplish.
ed Major ielverton gives quite an opposite
account, detailing scene so gross that we eau
not allude to it and from this time to the spring
of 1851, Miss LOuSworth and he had no personal
intercourse. Many letters, however, had passed
between them, be,okening, certainly, in our
Judgment m ardent attachment on her part,
and on his n gallant though less passionate
feeling and it should be observed that when |
returning to England, instead of passing through |
Constnnnope, where he well knew that the |
lady was he took the route of the Danube and |
Vienna, for the purpose as he says, of avoiding |
danger. In Fcbrunry, 1867, he was quarterel |
mt Leith Fort, near Edinburgh, and while there, |
Miss Longworth, in the company of lady who |
has since become Sister Of Mercy, once more |
sought him out and renewed tho acquaintance |
and saw him repeatedly at different places. On |
one Of these occasions the lady depOses the Mai |
H0lverton, while nj her residence, read over with |
her the English marriage service, and declared |
that they were husband md wife no witness,
however, was present at the act, although il was
Immediately communicated by her to her COM
phnlons pne huinltst moreover, mat Whatever |
was the rite, it was not followed by the conse-
quences of marriage; aud that, though she con-
ceived it a legal ObIieation, she declined TO live
with Major Yegerton ~ his wife until married in
Catholic place OF Worship All this Yelverton
peremptOrly cnuundicts, insisting that an Illicit
connection had been formed at Edinburgh at
this period. Events followed in quick success
sion which have led to IL most unfortunate issue.
At the close of July, 1851, Miss Longworth met
Muinr Xa1varfuf,. pf WntnrfupI 10
according to her statement of clothing the quasi
nuptals in Scotland Wiih the sanctity of Ro-
man Catholic ceremony difficulty arose re-
specting dispsns lton for the non-publication of
the bans between the parties and the pair Travelled
towards the North Of ireland, through Thomas
town, Maluhide and Newry, until, upon the 18th
of August, they were privately married by
Roman Catholic priest in the neighborhood of
Rostreyor With one very important exception,
to which We shall hereafter recur, there is little
difference in the evidence on either side so far as
regards this marriage cerOmany; and it must be
taken that these persons were united, according
to the forms Of the Church Of Rome, in solemn,
though scarcely regular manner From this
time forward both agree that they lived together
ms man and wife, the Indy, however, positively
declaring that, until after the Roman Catholic
marriage, there had been no cohabitation; but
Mr., Yeyerton pledging his oath that they had
cohahiied during all the course of the previous
fortnight, and further, that his only intention in
going through the rite at Rostreyor was to ease
the conscience of a scrupulous paramour. Some
months were spent in this curious connection
The lady, bearing the gentleman g name, was
TO her friends in Scotland, and re.
ceived apparently the status of wife she was
regularly described ms Mrs Nelverton in Scotch
hotel book md n French passport; aud at length,
early In 1868, the pair found themselves in
lodgings at Bordeaux, where Yelyerton soon
thought fit to leave her. Before this time some
differences had sprung up. The lady, believing
herself encieHic, insisted upon IN avowal of the
while Nelyerton, putting her off, was
writing about "keeping the cat in the bag" and
''trying to avoid the event which they dreaded"
AS might have been expected, misery ensned
they unhappy woman, fearing her danger, not
knowing what to do, and already abandoned,
wrote passionate letters of anguish to Yelverton,
in which she evidently addressed him as a hus-
band. by this time she had managed TO ohiain
n certificate of her marriage in Ireland and she
reached Scotland only to hear of Yeyerton's
union with another person. She refused with
scorn an insulting offer to take a refuge, ''per-
haps in New ZaGlnnd;' commenced proceedings
for bigamy against Nelverton, which have been
followed by the suit in Scotland aud now, for
the first time the whole story has been brought
to light in a court of justice.
Such is an outline Of this extraordinary case,
and in weighing the evidence on either side IL is
difficult to pronounce judgment There are
some improbabitics in the lady's story, especi-
ally as regards the alleged Scotch marriage but
on this and other important points she was well
corrOborated by facts aud witnesses, and during
u long and severe examination she was not shaken
in single particular. In finding for her the
jury have probably come to sound conclusion,
though their verdict can have no effect on the
principal point in issue. On the other hanl, the
case of Nelyerton WAS ohviouslv anfecedentiv |
improbable, and that in a very remarkable de.
nrae. II reAInl in I'm nlnin On Liz mum nLntn |