BREACH OF PROMISE

Shannon News, 30 September 1927, Page 4

BREACH OF PROMISE

Jilted for Bridesmaid A PICKLE FARMER PAYS Within three weeks of the June day on which she was to have been led to the altar by her farmer-sweetheart a young woman from Newport, Monmouthshire, found that his lov e had died. Three weeks after what she had vision’ed would be her happy ■wedding, the intended bride, Miss Olivo Cook, who is 20 years of age, sought redress in the Court. His fickleness cost the prospective bridegroom, William Williams, aged 23, a farmer, £l5B in damages and costs,' awarded against him by a jury who regarded the absence of a defence to lh e action as an admission that lie broke his promise to Miss Cook. Romance, that it had taken four full years to promote was suddenly shattered when the final stages of the preparations for the wedding were being arranged. The wedding cake had hern purchased, and rooms had been taken for their proposed honeymoon at Burnham, in Somerset. Ev-n the farm, vacated by William’s tjarents, which was to be their home, was partly furnished, and thoughtful of home life, Miss Cook had bought a quantity of clothing and household linen.

About three weeks before the . wedding- day, there arrived'from Canada, a Miss Lilia Williams. She was Williams’ stop-niece, and had crossed the Atlantic to be a bridesmaid at the wedding As events afterwards proved, Williams fell in love at first sight. Thinking of his approaching- marriage and the change in his affections, Williams appeared very unhappy on the day after lie r arrival. The story from this point was best outlined to the Court by Miss Cook and her counsel.

Counsel related that when they met at th e farm u few days after the stepniece had come over, Williams told Miss Cook that Ire had fallen in love with the bridesmaid from Canada, and that he was “in a terrible state.” There was the usual bout of crying but both wont on putting the carpet on the stairs of what was to be their future home. The young farmer’s coolh'ss towards his prospective brid e however, became more pronounced. They had an interview, and then it was that Williams mad e the definite break, when he told his fiancee that he had written to the minister informing him that his services would not be required for the wedding. “It is better to break it off now,” wore

his words to Miss Cook, ’’than to break it off on the morning of the wedding. ” This ended th ( , romance, and as counsel pointed out the fickle farmer may have exercised considerable foresight in changing his brid'e, as the ! ride lie chose from Canada was coming into a considerable dowry. Williams’ parents hav e retaken possession of the farm. Miss Cook was a shop assistant, She had been engaged to Williams for four years and the ring he gave her he had never asked to be returned.