The Sun. — 1827-02-03 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.  MANSION-TlOUSE.—Yesterday, a young female, dressed in faded mourning, was introduced to the LORD MAYOR, by a gentleman of distinguished benevolence (one of the Co►nmittee for the Refuge for the Houseless Poor,) as an object deserving of his Lordship's peculiar attention and charitable assistance.  It appeared, from the statements made to his Lordship, that amongst the wretched females who sought shelter at the Refuge for the Houseless, a few nights ago, the applicant was conspicuous for her apparently severe mental suffering. Her manners were very superior, and particular inquiry was made into the nature of the case. She stated that she was the widow of the Hon. E. Roper, the brother to the present Lord Teynham. Her husband had died suddenly in 1815. Since that period, she had lived upon small means which he had left to her ; but these failed her towards the commencement of the year, when her own parents being dead, having no relations of her own to apply to, and being refused relief by her husband's brother, she was plunged into a state of indescribable misery. She had that morning been turned out of doors in consequence of her not being able to pay her wandered about the streets, and the severebnyt. her landlady,he rity of the weather, and her own distressed state of mind, would probably have occasioned a fatal termination to her sufferings, had she not accidentally been directed. to the Refuge for the Houseless, with the nature of which she was not previously acquainted. Her statement was corroborated by her certificate of marriage, and other documents, which she produced. One of the ladies of the Provisional Protection Society gave her some requisite articles of clothing, and every attention was paid to her, that the nature of the place would permit of, until yesterday, when she was brought before the Loan Mavou, to ascertain whether some permanent relief could not be procured for her. She was, she said, the daughter of Capt. Rivit, of the Royal Navy, anti W,19 married to her late lamented husband in 1809, at Marylebone. She was then married from school, and was at the time little mere than 14 years of age ; he was 31. She lived happily with him, and had seven children, all of whom were however, now dead. His income was 2,0001. per annum, but-that terminated with his life. When the means which she had left were exhausted, and she failed in obtaining relief of her husband's relatives, she sought means to set up in business as a dentiSt, for which she considered herself eminently qualified. She had always paid peculiar attention to the subject, and having received instructions from a gentleman of great chirurgical skill at Edinburgh, she was enabled to give many satisfactory proofs of her skill. She did not by any means wish to become dependant upon any one, and all she sought was to be set up in this profession, aid left to the fair exercise of her abilities. Lord Teynham and her husband had been for some time at variance, and since his decease she had not applied to his Lordship until she was driven by necessity to do so. It was at the commencement of the last session of Parliament that she last applied to his Lordship for the loan of 201., and promised never to make any further application to him, if her request was acceded to, as else trusted it would enable her to take seine place in which she might set up business as a dentist. His Lordship, however, said that he had l 0 children to provide for, and having reconunended her to seek an eligible matrimonial engagement, coldly expressed hie regret that he could not accede to her request. She was then driven to the most dreadful extremity. She received occasional relief, and much humane treatment, from Dr. Pettigrew. Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smith, also treated her with the utmost benevolence, but she was compelled to make an appeal to the public charity, and those gentlemen not only gave her present relief, but defrayed the expence of the advertisements, and offered to receive subscriptions for her. At that time, however, the overwhelming distresses of the manufacturing classes occupied public attention exclusively, and not a shilling was sent for her. She applied to Mrs. Coutts for aid, but without success, and was informed that that lady had determined to aid none but public subscriptions. She then applied for relief to the parish officers of Lambeth, when Mr. Harwood, a gentleman who was one of the overseers, gave her temporary relief, and endeavoured to lay her case before her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, but ne answer was ever given to her application. Some gentlemen who conducted the public press behaved liberally- to her, by inserting her advertisements gratuitously, but misfortune seemed to pursue her every where. She was known by opulent persons, who had acted towards her in a very different manner whilst she was in a state of prosperity. She obtained a little money occasionally by casual employment in her new prOfession, but that required time and capital to make herself known, and although perhaps little was requisite, she could not obtain that little. With occasional assistance from illessrP. Smith, Payne, and Smith, she lived precariously from day to day, and was nearly driven by despair to commit suicide, when she was turned cut of doors by her landlady, from inability to pay her rent. She gave the names of Mr. Fentum, the music-seller, and several others at the west end of the town, who could give satisfactory testimonial. of her skill as a dentist, and her anxiety beyond her present relief was to obtain employment in that profession.  It was stated that the Ladies of the Provisional Protection Society had found no reason to doubt the truth of the particulars of her case, which she declared would undergo the most strict investigation.  A note was handed to the Lord Mayor from Mews. 'Smith, Payne, and Smith, stating that they would readily receive any thing that might be sent for the aid of the unfortunate lady.  The LOAD ALtvort expressed his commiseration of the case, and his desire that it should be made public. lie gave the applicant two sovereigns from his own private purse, and recommended her to the care of the Ladies of the Provisional Protection Society, who he was sure would superintend the application of any thing that might be transmitted for her relief. The applicant expressed her ardent gratitude to his Lordship for his kindness.