A Famous Nullity Case.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2053, 8 April 1887, Page 2

A Famous Nullity Case.

(St James' Budget). I'i March. 182G, there was boarding at ;< i«lbv's seminary, near Liverpool, cue Miss Eiltu Turner, uf the ago of fi een years and one mouth. Hho was the only child of :i wealthy country gentlemen living at Shrighy L’arli, near Maculcslh Ij, and ahe sec mcd ii'ie'y to inherit not only .her lather’s hut an nne'e's fortune. Her mother ■> i- mi invalid . >ie iieiref was a credulous limjle till. Oi . n >;th of Match Mr ; nruer left Sl.'i ley to y > I / Iv.' idoli ml ini-2", s

>la the Tin of ,'.l ne, i!i . ie me ■ -M' Fid vard Gibbon W.akcii-Id, All Wi'liim M M.< field, and au ehlerlv s. rva> 1 -drovi r’.t fj.ierfool in a hail; goon conch. Thev alighted a* the B,jt Beil, frmu »m'' loeleliy the servant alone accmup-icic ! ’•'*» cinlape to Mia DanlbyV ,-cmin.iy, and handed the following letter to that la.iy : Surigiey, Monday night, half pan Id, March hill. Madam,—l write to yon nv the desire ol Mrs Turner , of Sntigley, who inis been

■air.ed with n sud-h n mid u iiipcion- attack ot )»• ralysi.s ; Mr Turner is u’llm'nr. if. )Iron. Ic'iiiie, hut has been scut fur, and .Mm Turnn wishes to sec her daughter immediately. A steady servant will lake this letter and m;. carriage to you to fetch Miss T , and 1 bee that no time he lust in her departure. -Mir Turner particularly wishes that her daughiti should uut he informed of the extent of hei danger ; as without this precaution Miss Turner might bo very anxious ou the jour ney ; aud this house is so crowded aud iu such confusion and alarm that Mrs T. does not wish any one to accompany her daughter. The servant is instructed uot to let the boys drive too fait, as Miss T. is rather fearful iu a carriage.—l am Madam, your obedient servant.

Jmo. Ainsworth, M.D. Dr Ainsworth was a fictitious person. As (or the Wakefields, the Turner family had never heard of them before these events.

la twenty minutes Miss Ellen was ready for the journey. The carriage drove to Manchester, where she was told " the gentleman” (by which she understood her father) would meet her. She was shown into a room at the Albion Hotel, and presently Henry Gibbon Wakefield entered. He told her that he bad been commissioned by her father to meet her and take her to him. She asked about her mother’s health and Wakefield replied that that story wag a fabrication—that in reality her father's pecuniary affairs were in question. Ellen the more readily believed this statement from certain things which had lately made a deep impression on her mind, first, a Miss Greenaway, one of her schoolfellows, had a short time before, left school on account of her father's difficulties. Secondly, when Mr Turner had taken Ellen back to school after the Christmas holidays, he had found that he had not enough in his pocket bj a few pounds to pay the previous quarter’s bill ; and, alluding to Mr Grenaway’s failure he said to his daughter in jest (though she took it in earnest), •' I think I shall fail too.” Edward Gibbon Wakefield gay.’ no connected account to Miss Turner ol her father’s whereabouts ; and, indeed, she was too distressed and unnerved to ask for one. She accompanied Wakefield without question, believing that ho was bringing her to ner fuller. first, she was to meet her fai her at Huddersfield. When the carriage arrived at Huddersfield Wnkefinld f..n,..l itmi

they must go ou to Halifax ; wheu they re died Halifax there \u- (much lo Wakefield surprise) neither Mr Turner or a letter hum him. Wakeliol 1 therefore said they must proceed to Kendal, where they should be sure to meet her father. In the dark , fen carriage they travelled ail night to Kendal. there they hud breakfast, and Wakefield received or pretended to uvvive a h'Uer. Once mure they entered the carriage and took the road to Carlisle, '.hi the road, \Vakel;: d lo.d tit r Ins news, winch site had not davj to ask mm He .-‘II.. that If, do and Ham try ’a if, ink, t.l M •.•olfblinlJ, had l ined and almost iallied her f .’her. Ho also Mated that an ancle of hi" mid lent Mr Turnet i’lill.Oittl, which had iv'hve! him for a time; mi that then a 111 ickharn hank had broken, and mide tuattei.i worse than ever. Hu uue'e had th, '(.upon demanded thu estate of Sling.ev #« s -runty for Ins loan; and Wake find t re, re- ; -led that, when each si canty w;u given, ill undo would have power to turn Mr Turner one of d cis. He declared tnat M> (irimsn.ich (u ho was Mr Turner's solicitor) had pioposed tout he, ii hvanl (iibbun Wakefield, iionld become Miss Turner’s husband ;

j "'-. Cii wuiuu jircvont nur g'vy trom passing i.Uu other lianas, because that estate (•*.• W .ikt-livld allegvu) would hectruo Miss Turner's on her marriage; and if her InisiianJ. was a mail of honor (such as he. Wakefield, was), of course Mr Turner vvoni I he quite safe. To this the school girl answered nothing, except by shedding team. Wakefield went ou to say that, as for himself, he was willing, and it remained for Miss Turner to decide whether she chose to accept him or allow her father to be turned out of doors. Being pressed for answer, Ellen at last said repeatedly that she would give her answer to her father. While still on the road, Wakefield read to Mies Turner a letter purporting to be written by Mr Grimsditoh, in which that gentleman hoped “ that Miss Turner would show as much fortitude as her excellent parents had done.'' At Carlisle, Edward Gibbon Wakefield left the girl to herself for about half an hour, at the eud of which time be re entered the carriage with his brother, William Wakefield. The latter gentlemen drew up the carriage window for the sake of privacy, and announced that lie had seen Mr Turner and Mr Grimsditah concealed in a email room at the back of the inn at which they were BLonninff. ftud that srmiA nf th« norarma wlintn

they could sec standing about the inn door were sheriff s officers in pursuit of the young lady’s father. Mr Turner (lie said) Lad sent a message that ho was trying to cross the Border into Scotland, and begged lus daughter, if ehe over loved him. to accept Mr Wakefield. Miss Turner asked William Wakefield, “ Is that the only thing which will save papa ? ” and she was answered that it was. Ellen then consented. The party proceeded to Gretna Green, and after Ellen had gone through the ceremony of marriage with Edward Gibbon Wakefield, returned to Carlisle, where Ellen expected to find her father still hiding away. She was told that a nosthnv liuil iphirnAri amH inur.n inf^wnatin.i

of tlio wan rage. and thus enabled her father I to (ice. Tmu Carlisle the earring! jour - i nevcii to IVunlh ; and slid the Word was onwards —for at TWilli tney look e.naeh for : Loudon. U'.til they reach,d I mis 12ilea was miller tiie beliel th it they wer • on their ! wiv to Sluiglcv ; tut lit Leeds she was told 1 in it Mr Tinner had gone on 01 Loudon. At I Jj'oi lon again, she learned that her father 1 had gone to France. Not mud Saturday ! afternoon, lour aud a half days after leaving I Liverpool did 12 iw.ud Gibbon Wakeiield and' | his pretended wife reach (juilaeq's Hotel ai j toihiis. Outing this lime 1211 en had but I otn night of rep ise. Still no father. I 1' my alter their nnival til Oa! us, lillett went upon tile piei head le Wi'en tin, at;.. il of the naciu ts in hopes ,t s-,i ig her I

I.(In i. At Psl :j tiio W'ducsdiy I oi i 11 vv 111 g, 'llo was overjoyed !■> .mo 0.1 oils ottla ;• uu.els | o ; two undos aui Mr Gnm-eitoh (in ..or ! I I le; Mr \V(il.rtioid, wh in ..0,. ioHoru 1. I ai" nt, seem over g,.id. ilo i" •■ ■ . . : ■ | dr w i.o tiie liotpi, wh-io pieseiui, "... ........ i party orrivci!, I geo.e> with ;; I. ,v. g , o; I odg- ■ >,■. ,Mi 11 tin; a a. Hi a. a! om* . ,u ai ~ j up i.a.o Vt Wak' ho d r I rlvate ro an, ion Mi ; ‘■'■'aiiiliu.il wts t hi, amongst other thin a.. | .0.0 III) ■ Ighl to uu shot.. Wakefield niojio ,i | llpu-d ■' Vour Hunan Imt.ooiis ~i„ , i bcvpio, l. it they 'ire v.iy gio ; I do m ■ | attempt to justify my Co ~ u.-t. i hive a o-o. in r ; and if any nun; w.-i to take her • ii * lie same manner, I tag ie 1 »boalu - * a o a Ul through his 11ea,1." At tin ■ ■ ' • log l2heu to tier reid . i s, lie sod ■ i-.i.iv ! ■ Mr O’an* I itch. " 1 assure van, in i. , i.v in nor, iloit Alls* Turner is the sauie : hi. .' Turner she was worn I mok her away.'' ! Ton as.uranes Waketkia repeated m wrung. | Ac to Mias Turner, she clung tu her uncles, I

who were mu di idleepd *"* redly man »ite God for that He a ° M deceived me ; 1 never called ~ Where war Kile o'h f ether first kuowieago of the * D niiuounccme.it. of the umrisga^^^^^B** f ' held bad coolly sent to the Frantic with excitement he bl^^^^^P :ou,: at London .■ hj ore', ci Inr and^^H^Btiiiy a v.mrant tJ■ •::) Bow Stieet, ag^^niV'-’ 1 a -p cich from .Mr Canning to ijHpMpi le i.l ih.iis I', render them 'vnflp JMfter t!cv had prorated Ellen's tried to arrest I. award Gibbon 4HUI hut | eventual.y came back withuqlHMl He. \\. lie was ii| at !is tio h'r. A 'VakeiiMß-BPtcM lie'J, and Edward TueveaßjJjleoa'Ailliam Waktlind were serito|M|l9Biee years' imprisonment. Tlievenot, ■pMMut, was not to Pc found A nollt fMMMwaa eutered as to .Mrs E. Wakefield ; ftjMkH the -t. pmolher uf tbe t» > prmcipaKjMM#*ri. aud it was alleged I hit th f |h p y obtained their information abuaHhiA|rner family. They only couceived a few daye before the abduction. |Rfl9|Nfting to be staying in the ueighbourbO(j|®Bp:igley, the estate struck them ae a gSpB ijj* ■ and they pumped all tbe iuloraKftM fttey wanted oat of the neighbours. On tbe 17th of May, 1827, a BIB«W Mro. dneed into the House of Lords, MftM A bill to annul aud declare void M alMied marriage between Ellen Turner, Ml faftbt, and Edward Gibbon Wakefield,* ft wu opposed iu person by Edward GrbtM W*kefield, who was brought (rota Newg||( lew tbe purpose. He endeavoured to e ilrtMi fen the marriage was good. The Bill pMMi both Houses without a division, ami iwoeJved the royal assent on the 14th of JMM follows lag.