, 1876-12-24
VANE rs. VANE.
An English Scandal.
London Tjmeg. Nou. y.


/ An English Scandal.
| london 1i0ses, Nou, n.
The case Of "Vane ys. Vaue.n on which Sir
Richard Malins gave Judgment on Saturday, is
one OF those stories which sometimes make the
Court Of Chancery the best school eGen for the
most ingenious masters OF romance. All the
materials OF an exciting three-Yo1ume novel lie
ready In the prosaic records Of the trial
which have appeared from day to day
in our columns. Irregular connexions in
a. Weilknown county family, whispers
Of nlegitimaey against the heir Of ahne estate,
family quarrels and rich crop Of family scan-
dals, charges Of fraud to keep the rightful heir
| out Of his possessions, reports of what might
be termed death-bed confessions this chain
Of circumstances, extending over three-quarters
| bellishment from fancy. It is true that the
! attempt to prove the charge of fraud ignomin-
| iously failed; but not the less wildly does
the story bring out the errors, the
sometimes. the price OF coveted possession
The narrative takes US back to the last century,
| when Sir Frederick Fletcher Vane became the
heir Of the entailed estates in Cumberland left
by his father, Sir Lionel Fletcher. Sir Fred
below him in life, Hannah Bowerbank, by
whom he had two children. In 1877 she gave
| birth to- q third child, and On the 9th
| OIL Narcn IN tne same year Sir Frcd
! erlck married her. me main question be-
| born before Or after the marriage: According
to the plaintiff, the birth happened before that
event; according TO the defendant, the date OF
II ft "as IN tne SSta o. MaaGn Or about three weeks
the 18th of April under the name Of Francis
Fletcher, and the register contains the state
| nent that he Was born on the 29th of March;
| eut tnese "olas are Wf1tten IN df1erent Ink
| from from the Iest Of the record, and the
| theory Of the plaintiff was that, after
inc register ol the baptism, they
PAD bccn ADDED with fraudulent
lnten1. some tlme after me marriage the parents
Nen1 70 lqe ~ sne iah1ily seat 10 Cumberland
ana, since the tleglt1macy OF their two eldest
children vas matter OF notoriety, Sir Fredcr-
,ch souSht leGans' as 1ar nack as ioo. 10 put the
lMeEltlnacy M o. n1S son FRANCIS beyond dispute by
ming blll u Ghancery. me evidence OF the
nurse ana Inc doctor VINO had been present at
tne oifea' Us well as OF otner Witnesses, was
placed IN one ol those "seaied packets"
"ltnout winch no case OF disputed
sueGesslon Woulo oe complete: In loO7 Lady
vane Aaa anotner son, freuer1ck Henry who
tnas+ nus ms eiaef *s nrot9ef franeis, was always
u aoeo as Is enG ne nnen r1anels came OF age,
III 1910 ne 1oneo "1tn nls 1atnet IN the resettle-
laeut u ~ estates an1 ne was aesefioed ~ inc
Teca Ta,st ~ luz ; son a.la nes 4PpaIentn o. SIR
FaeaelK prtYate t act o. rariament having
a neen required IN the same year to autho1ize the
sac OF part ol t9e estates, certificate
thas th francis Tas Ng1t1m1a1e camc: before
enG u 1esa anu u "as 49,; oeemed
Beaqclerk, md again his legitimacy was assumed
IN .ne a.alllagc III, sses1ienents. hnoWlns, now,
EVER EVER cnat s"ou ~ 1. rtGueEchs -, c4nofen nad
E nesn born ,9nt o. & &wedlock, MISS Beauelerk's
his % husband n dew s possBe
ana ana ne1ee, LIS rs supposed !1 Tue 7act that eight
GAYS aitcr the Harl'ase or freoef1ck vane