CURIOUS BREACH OF PROMISE CASES.

Evening Star, Issue 3841, 16 June 1875, Page 3

CURIOUS BREACH OF PROMISE CASES.

In the Sheriff’s Court in London, an action for breach of promise of marriage, presenting some very peculiar features, came before Mr Sheriff Burchell and a jury on March 4th. It was an action in the Queen’s Bench, by 11 osina Wormleighton against William Ash, for breach of promise of marraige, in which the damages were laid at LI,OOO. There was no plea, and the case came before the Court on the amount to be awarded. There were witnesses on both sides, and from the peculiar features it occupied nearly the whole day. Both plaintiff and defendant are Homan Catholics ; the defendant, it was stated, had become a convert about two years ago. In September -last he became an inmate of a boarding house at 27, Ovington-square. Brampton, kept by the plaintiff’s aunt. The plaintiff said she was thirty-five, and the defendant forty-four, and they became acquainted. At the end of a month be went to Paris, and they corresponded. The plaintiff had advised him to marry, as he said be was dull, and he had told her he had about L 290 a-year. In one of the letters she sent, bin she said, “some unsophisticated love, of which he was to drink freely,” as it was the best medicine for bis heart, and he sent her an offer of marriage, which she accepted, and in an epistle he called her his “Rose,” as the queen of maidens, as the rose was the queen of flowers. On his . return in December they met as accepted lovers, and arrangements were made for the wedding. Some LSO had been expended on dresses, &c., but no day was fixed. The plaintiff was introduced to the defendant’s sister, Miss Ash, and when she heard of the intended marriage she was surprised, and by her wish the defendant saw Dr Johnson and Di Buokland, who had attended him for aberration of intellect, and he was advised not to marry. The defendant left the house on the 4th of January, and the writ of the present action was observed on the following day. On the part of the defendant it was alleged that the plaintiff had hastened on the affair and made love to him. The defendant was examined, and described his illneis. He imagined, he said, that the plain, tiff wanted to marry him, and he did not think that she had lost much by not marry* ing him. He had, after seeing his sister, consulted several medical gentlemen, and they strongly advised him not to marry, though he was attached to her, and fully intended to marry. The jury assessed damages at L6OO. Execution was stayed to apply to the Court of Queen’s Bench.