New-York tribune., 1910-09-24
Echoes Of Cause Celebre-

I.ard Avonnore's death N a private hos
7ftsI zt Dublin serves TO recall the roman
-ic circvrustances OF his parents marriage
-be LEGALITY OF which was contested, until
me House OF Lords. as the supreme
tribunal. decided IN its favor HIS fa1her
v-ss the fourth Tisoount AvonH1ore, VINO
as CAPTAIN the Hon. William Yelvertcn, o.
the ROYAL Artillery. served with dlstinc-
Ton IN the Crirnea- Wounded and inVaioeo
20 the hospital at ScutarL he was nurseo
back 10 health and strength By MISS
Theresa LongwOrth. one OF the most
charming assistants of the late Florence
kiEhr,rgale and daughter OF a Manches'er
merchant It was only natural that lhe
captain should fall in love with bis 0eaull-
u nurse. After the war was over tney
Tper in ireland. and one afternoon thes
eroUued quietly down Carlingford Lough
70 Eulowen where IN the plcuuresoOF
and ancient little chapel which Is one OF
the features Of that spot they were mar
ried according 10 the rites Of the Roman
Catholic Church by one Father Moody
Trey subsequently lived together al Edtn-
hllr-z1 where yelverton, BY this time
major. read aloud the marriage service OF
rhe church OF England, with view o.
41l-+He- consolidating the union He intro
svced her everywhere in the Scottish cap
-tal as his wife.
subsequently ne deserted her In France
sns married = rich widow. Mrs Edward
Forbes. daughter OF General Sir Charles
Atvo-th. bv whom he had four children.
-ne % them the yiscount who mas
JUST died and whose legitimacy was In
doubt until the validity OF his parents
union was definitely established When the
fourth vfscount Cat the time Major Yelver-
ION married Mrs Forbes the ex-Miss Long
worth. or the Hon Mrs Yelverton- as she
STYLED herself and whom he had abandoned.
brought suit for the restitution Of her con
3uEsf rights. Charles Russell. afterward
Lord Chief Justice Russell. figuring as one
81 her counsel. being specially interest
&C IN the case TIE petition was denied
en The ground that Major Telverton WAS an
Irishmau and that thu London Divorce
Court had no Jurisdiction in the matter.
Thereupon another action was brought u
the court Of Common Pleas at Dublin.
where Yelverson denied that either the
ceremony at KiIowen or the union at
Edinburgh had been Of q valid character,
adding cynicaIy that ne never had the
slightest intention OF making Miss Long
worth mis- wife. The Dublin jury. however.
found rhat there haa been legal marriage
IN Ireland and a common law marriage in
Scotland and gave a verdict in favor OF
The plaintiff
The major thereupon carried the case on
appeal 20 the House Of Lords There both
the Lord High Chancellor OF the day and
ne great Lord BrouglGm gave it as their
opinion that there had been a common law
marriage II Scotland. though the Irish rnar-
rage was Illegal. the ground that b.
IN OLD act OF Parliament q marriage be-
tween a Roman Catholic and a Protestant
n Ireland. Il celebrated by Catholic priest,
saE null and void. ard that 1elTcrtoE-
marriage 20 the widowed Mrs. Forbes WAS
81 biEarnOus character. But the ma sor1ty
- the law lords decided against the ez-hcs-
Di:s- nurse. who therefore became once
more Miss LOnRWorfh. while t;l- marriage
of the major with Mrs Forbes was decreed
- b- valid
MAJOR yeivsr1on was dropped from tre
s,rry ct the personal instance OF queen
tie'orla. whose sympathy lad been eX-
sifeo hy Florence Nightingale IN behalf ~
NlsE Lcng~orth. Nor would the Queen
aver consent 10 receive him a. court