OLDEN BREACH OF PROMISE SUITS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1055, 22 April 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

OLDEN BREACH OF PROMISE S UI. TS

.Some.yery.jcuribus' have been disentombed/in regar<i.'to 'the.early, breach, of promtee' sui^' 1 iii' Which the lacerated' feelings' of, man pr-.wbrriari kind have sought that balm ,whlch. a' good money indemnity could'afford;". Perhaps, though, they were a trifle lesSh'ypor critical ! in England Borne four or five'hundred, years' ago,- arid'lf' the'wounds' pf the |heart', were'not brought so'rnuch in evidence,'the costs of siich portable properly as therihgs.pr' jewellery'which' had been given were sought" for in the courts of law. It is not' supprisable, that much sentimentality existed hrsuch juries as held their sessions in' trie times'of Henry, of Edwrird. In those daysaregular betrothal apparently took place, signed and certified to, and in this if'may be noticed 'how wise were, the precaution's of our'ancestors. ' If, in;ißßr, such a 'ceremony'took place; arid a db'curaerit ; fyas 'caieluily ''drirtyrj ! up'ih| ! wbich Albrizo agreed"wiihih'a s certain time'to'marry'his

"Adelgesa, l how, much;litigation : would ' 'Spaced P If greater putoliciiy waVrequir«l,P the German method of advertising.the.fact'of - a betrothal might find a place in the personal I -?9te^!!i.,,9^J'liLWU,!!?^^^k a ! : , F. J 'ilawctltywou^^^ gagement, the parson might read it out aloud | to the congregation. A writer in the; 'Antiquarafy stales that-"sensational trials in the courts of and sixteenth cere i juries we're hot 1 at 7 all 1 uncommon,' 'One of 1452' shows what'a rascal was a certain John' Kech'& , Alice'GaV'dyner wanted to marry |piin,'ahd the gi'rl'sVraotrieif'pressed the suit, 1 John waVvenaV and on thecoh'sideratiori of 22 marks;'paid tb'hirh,' iofroni'Mar'g'are't and to take.Alice for Ivife: -But'what did this'slippery .Jack do ? Having pookcted ; the money, 1 "by craft 'and pisbeyt," he went and took Joan, the. daughter of ThomasPloysi'fif a spouse, and accordingly Margaret; the ,rditttned one,"'" prams' for a wfit'directing the re'cusaht j 'John to'appear pefpr'e' the King in'his Chancery to'answer fhe premises';"- In the suit' which ensues there is no false-parading 'of the'siippo'sititious'agony of Margaret.' but' in a matter of Taot wiy'the' p.mark's'are ask'ed^dr.'i l'Whetherthedisappbinted'maiden got her moneyTiistorydoes not record^'''Some of'these-old cases-are very, peculiar,arid show V very ;curidus idea of por'ality;' One John Anger/having'/''great 'pnfydence arid trust" in Ahhe' ; Kent)' the iriends of both parties arrange a marriage be.' 'tween them.' ; Anne goes' to liveat'Ariger's house before ,tb.e nuptial ceremony' and stays 1: jthere a month' or' more j' she 1 then cleats-out,' 'taking'with her "dy vers myny'menW,'also idyvers juells."' 1 ' Theiquasi h'usbaud bring3 : ;a • jsuitV '.There is no grievance advanced Of ;-a' ( sentimehtal character'; 'for all ho wants are the. 1 goods Anne has 1 carried away.; .When 1 men make charges against women some'very rrier-' ■ cenary items appear to have been introduced; into their-schedules, as expenses paid.-when' going to I 'visit* the lady; From' 'all 1 the docu. nients which have been studied, the action for breach of marriage was very, common in oideh| times, but such substantial damages as'a syni •'. pathetic, jury gives- to-day for:broken hearts was never thought of. It is a latter-day improvement invented'by ingenious lawyers,' •'