Year: 1867

fheLondon Star publishes the following
4 report OF an extraordinary suit in the Lon.


don Court of Divorce:


Hancock Cersus Peaty.-This was an ex.


traordinarY case, being petition for disso.


luton Of marriage brought BY the guardian


oi lady on the ground Of her madness at


tne time OF her marriage to the respondent


miss mary Ann Hancock was the vounoeat


daughter Of manufacturer who died n,


1900. The respondent, who is a clerk in the


Bank OF England, was cousin of this Mias


hancock, and he paid his address to her


Long before the marriage Miss Horoool,


mad been the subject of curious delusions


and was looked upon in the family as the


victim Of insanity She dressed herself n
peculiar ways, and wore her hair in a most


disorderly fashion. In spite of the remon-


strances OF the family, Mr.. Peaty persisted


in marrying Miss Hancock. The ladv,s


sister told him that Miss Hancock was mad


but his reply was that if she was really mad


It was through love for him. Two or three


days prior to the marriage she sat for a con.
siderable time in bath in state of nudity


looking at the drawing of bridge under
which she said her husband must mass he.
fore he could marry her. Il was with the
greatest difficulty that she was removed from
this bath, and articlesof clothing put around
her. She also labored under the impression
that her food was poisoned, and had many
other delusions. In spite of all this, how
ever, Mr.. Peaty demanded that marriage
should take place, and accordingly In August.
1858, the two were married al ST. Matthias's
Church, Paddlngton. During the ceremony
Miss Hancock conducted herself in a most
extraordinary manner, and in the vestry of
the church she wanted to enterin a discus
sion upon the relations of Church and State.
After the marriage short wedding tour
took place, after which Mr.. and Mrs. Peaty
returned to London. Within three weeks
of the marriage the sister of Mrs. Peaty
visited her at Osnaburgh-terrace and there
found her under restraint as an insane DER.
son. She spoke in the widest and most in.
coherent manner, and was, in fact. in a
state OF wild insanity. Mrs. Peaty never
lived with her husband after this time. and
in October of 1868, she was placed under
medical restraint in consequence of a GER
tificate from DR.. Taylor that she was insane.
Her husband afterwards made several at.
tempts to get her back to him, but of course
this was out of the question. She was ulu-
mately removed to st. Luke's Asylum.
where she remained until the 18th of this
month; and, although she had been since
removed from the asylum, she was still uu-
der medical restraint.


Miss Harriet Hancock, sister to Mrs Pea
ty, said their mother died from insanity in
1852, and her sister was always looked upon
in the family as unsound of mind. She
used to sit in her bedroom all day, and re.
fuse to take her meals or speak 10 any one.
She used to say that the society down stairs
was not fit for her. At dinner she made
loud noises with her knife and fork upon the
plate, and used to get into violent passion
without cause. Her dress was peculiar.
She "pi'ed" her hair high upon her head.
and put curious ribbons on the top of this
hair, and then over all that was bonnet
quite a quarter of yard high in the air.
When demonstrated with for this she remark
ed that all her tendencies were supwards'-
llaughterl-and she persisted in keeping to
the style. She refused to wash herself, say.
ing she was too pure to need washing. She
would go for a fortnight with her face most
lmperfectly cleansed. She saved the water
which she used, stating that every part of
her was too precious to be lost; and she re-
tanned her hair when twas cut for the same
rerson.