WEDDED UNAWARES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 183, 1 August 1908, Page 15

WEDDED UNAWARES.

GIRL WHO WAS MARRIED BY SURPRISE SE.EKS FREEDOM. A curious nullity case, in which two young people got married at a register office, and apparently did not recognise that they were man and wife, came before the London Divorce Court on Wednesday, June 17th. The petitioner was Maud Felicia Barrar, daughter of a boardinghouse keeper, of South Kensington, who sought to have her marriage with Mr Charles William Hall, a mining engineer, at present at Penang, Straits Settlements, declared null and void. The ground of the petition was that she did not consent, and had no knowledge of the nature of the ceremony. The age of each was twenty-four years at the time of the marriage, which took place at the Kensington Register Office ia January, 1906. At the time Mr Hall was a student, and was engaged to Miss Barrar, the arrangement being that the marriage should take place after he had settled down at Penang. Ou the afternoon of January Ist, 1008, they went out for a walk together, and he then quite casually said. "Let's go and put our names down to be registered to get married in Penang." She demurred, but he said, "Come along; do not be stupid; do not be a coward," and she went with him. She belonged to the Church of England, and had never heard of marriages being celebrated anywhere but in church. When they got to the registrar's office Hall did not seem to think a ring was required till tho registrar told him, and he therenpon took his own off and put it on her finger. Witness had no idea that she was being married. The President: There are certain questions the registrar asks; did you not hear them?—No, I did not: it was very short. Yes, but it is very pointed. He asks if yo-1 consent to marry, did you not hear that?—T do not remember what I said. Mr Middleton (for the petitioner): Do ycj remember what the registrar said to you?He never said anything about marriage; he never wished us happiness or anything of that. You thought that wishing happiness wax part of the ceremony?:—l thought we were merely registering our names, and I did no: take much notice. What happened after?—We went and had tea, and then went to see "Peter Pan." Did you ever live with him as his wife?--Never. Witness added that five days later Hall sailed for the Straits Settlements. After ho ha<! gone they wrote to each other every The President (to Mr Middleton): How old was she?— She appears to have been about twenty-four, aLd he was about the same Counsel went on to point out that the subsequent letter clearly showed that Hall ulmselr uiu nor mink this ceremony was a marriage. In his letters he said how unfortunate it was that he must always remain n bachelor, he referred to her loving another man. he spoke of his intention of marrying her In the future, and again he talked of the impossibility of It. The President: There Is no reference in any letter to show he thought he was married?— No. The clerk to the superintendent registrar prodnced the register to show that the proper notices had been given by Charles William Hnll. The witnesses to the marriage were two rlerks In the registrar's office. The rresldent: The difficulty 1 nave is to believe that two people couid.be such awfiil Tools. Sidney TJarrar, mther of the petitioner, added that his married daughter told him she thought Maud must be married, as she had said she fancied she must have got married. The hearing was adjourned for the attendance of the daughter referred to.