Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-05-29
WIVES IN ENGLISH LAW.
SOME NOTABLE CASES OF ABDUc-
TiONS BY HUSBANDS.


aroused such a sensation in England, is
not the first Englishman, even in modern
times, to take advantage of the peculiar
English law relating to conjugal rights
Substantially that law permits husband
to compel wife to live with him. That
Is, she is denied the right of choice She
must have something besides her prefer
ence to sustain claim for legal interfer-
ence in her behalf. OF course nowadays
the tendency of courts is toward the largest
individual liberty compatible with law,
and a very slight cause or pretext might
be accepted as justifying wife's release
from compulsory association with her hus-
band. On this tendency the court acted in
Mrs. Jackson's case, deciding that she
should have the right to choose her own
residence.
Mrs. Jackson has had different expert
ence from Emily, the wife of Sir Hercules
Robert Packenham and daughter Of the
old English family of lie Despencer This
lady, shortly after marriage concluded to
leave her husband. She had no known
ground of complaint and it is surmised
that she did not like Irish surroundings
and became homesick for England. Sir
Hercules belonged to an Anglo-Irish family
more noted for courage than prudence, as
instanced in the case Of his famous brother,
Sir Edward, who fell in the battle of New
Orleans. When he came home one day
and found that Lady Packenham, to whom
he had been married about two months,
was missing, he did not sit down quietly,
but made up his mind to get her back.
Mereworth Castle, Kent, was then, as now,
no contemplate place of refuge, and every
body in the vicinity was almost a feudal
vassal of the Despencers.
Emily had every reason to consider her
self safe in her ancestral halls, and indeed
nobody could have dreamed that she was
in any danger of abduction. Sir Hercules
laid his plans well, and he had for assist
ants two sturdy veterans who had followed
him in the Peninsular war. He brought a
carriage comfortably furnished and pair
Of swift horses when he drove up to Mere
worth castle one pleasant day in 1877.
STEALING HIS WIFE.
Sir Hercules did not condescend to lie in
wait He called at the castle, asked for his
wife and was ushered into her presence.
She told him she would not return to live
with him. Sir Hercules, who well deserved
his name, picked her up gently and firmly
and carried her, too dazed to summon help,
to his carriage. The menials who saw the
act did not dare to interfere, but fastened
to tell Lord lie Despencer. 1t took that
gentleman some time to organize pursuit,
and meanwhile Sir Hercules and his cap
tive were speeding swiftly toward Sand
gate. There vessel awaited Sir Hercules,
prepared to convey him to Ireland. He
was overtaken during the delay attendant
upon embarkation, but he promptly threat
ened to kill any one interfering with him.
Lord lie Despencer concluded, after a
parley, not to attempt a rescue. Sir Her
cules promised that if Emily would remain
with him four months longer she would
then be at liberty to make her own choice
as to the future, and on this basis a truce
was arranged. At the end of the four
months Lady Packenham was willing to
remain with her husband, and they lived
together happily for thirty-two years,
when he died, she surviving him as a
widow for a quarter Of a century longer.
At Highworth, in Wiltshire, as late as
1885, the house of a farmer named Samuel
Angel was besieged for week by sympa-
thizers with his wife, whom he had COM
PEELED to rejoin him. The woman deserted
Angel while he was serving a short SEN
tence for some petty offense, and on his re-
turn he carried her to the house from an
adjoining farm, where she was making a
living as a dairymaid. The rustics assem-
bled in large numbers and surrounded the
dwelling, which was protected, however,
by the police.
The farmer was literally starved into al
lowing his wife to go. No one would sup
ply him with provisions for fear of popular
Indignation, and what he had in the house
was exhausted in the course of few days.
II 10 Of nd tnl1
wife to depart il she desired. She went
and did not return.
SAD CASE.
The late Sir Arthur Jervoise had a most
romantic experience with his wife, Georgi-
ana, whom be abducted by force after a
separation that had lasted over two years
In that instance Ellsworth park presented
the appearance of an old fashioned siege
the gentry Of the neighborhood taking diff
ferent sides in the dispute and turning out
with their tenants as friends or foes Of Sir
Arthur However, there was no actual
fighting, one side keeping on watch &c
help the lady If she should succeed In leav
ing the mansion, and the other TO prevent
her from being carried away. The pictur
esque costume Of the gentry, most Of whom
turned out in their hunting attire, added
to the interest of the occasion, and scores
Of people went down from London to SEE
the episode.
The siege, if it may be called such, LASTED
altogether four days, during two Of which
Lady Georgiana was locked In her apart
ments. At length Sir Arthur himsel
threw open the great doors and invited thu
besiegers to enter. Lady Georgiana wa
there and allowed her husband to state il
her behalf and his own that they were en-
tirely reconciled. Then followed ban
Quet and several days Of rejoicing.
1t is said, however, that these affairs hat
sometimes tragic ending in the Older
days. As late as the middle Of the Eigh
tenth century a tragedy Of this kind oc
Cured at Mount Boone, Devon. The wifi
Of gentleman named Carthew, held al
unwilling prisoner, attempted to escape b,
q window and fell, receiving fatal injuries
She died in the arms of her husband, VIII
narrowly escaped violence at the hands o
the people.
There Is another sad instance in tn
Redesdale family Of the wife Of Captail
Milford, who starved to death In her bus
bands custody, refusing to take eithe
food or drink while he detained her a car
tive. The magistrates at length interfered
but the order for her release arrived afte
after her death. The husband, who ha
not supposed her condition so serious an
bad hoped to subdue her stubbornness
went mad when Re learned the sad result
OF bis tyranny.-Chicago Herald.