A BARONET'S CHILDREN

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 49, 26 August 1926, Page 10

A BARONET'S CHILDREN

QUESTION OF WELFARE

THE STXTABT FOBBES CASE.

"My feeling is that Mr. Benwick's offer to give the children an education. ■ should be given effect to," said Mr. E. Page, S;M., this morning, when Lady Stuart Forbes Js claim for maintenance agaiast her husband, Sir Charles Stuart Forbes, of Picton, in respect of their three children under the age of 16 years, came before him again in the ■Magistrate's Court. The case had been adjourned from last Monday in order that the Female Probation Officer (Mrs. Glorer) might report on the home in which the children were living with their mother and a man named Thompson, at "Wellington.

Mr. A. B. Sievwright, who appeared lor Lady Stuart Forbes, said Mrs. Glover's report plainly showed that, whatever the fault of Lady Stuart 1' Forbes in living with Thompson, she had looked after the children fittingly; in fact, during the last three years they had been better looked after than ever before. By the efforts of the complainant, they had been able to get a home, which showed that she wished to do her best for her children.

Lady StuaTt Forbes was quite willing to agree that the children should be placed in a home in Wellington, but she was not satisfied that the offer of Sir Charles' sister, Mrs. Kenwick, to put them in ■ a convent was a bona fide one: it was understood that Mrs. Allbright,\Lady Forbes's married daughter, had been offered £4 a week by Mrs. Benwick to look after the children. If, however, the offer were genuine, there was no reason why the childTen should not be placed in a home in Wellington; Sir Charles could have access just as easily as he could if they were at Nelson, and the arrangement would be satisfactory from the point of view of both parties. Until the offer which Mrs. Eenwick was supposed to have made was proved to bo genuine, .however, he would ask that maintenance be granted —the welfare of the children was a matter of concern.

Mr. Page said he thought Mrs. Eenwick's offer should be given effect to, but her consent would first have to be proved at Court. He would adjourn the matter for fourteen days so that the arrangement could be carried out. Mr. W. E. Leicester, for Sir Charles, said he would undertake to get Mrs. Eenwiek's consent.

Mr. Page added that it was possible that Mrs. Eenwick would agree to have the children placed in a convent at Wellington, instead of at Nelson. _