Contemporary press reports of elopements
1780
Poison
A young gentleman of the name of Brisbane, who some time ago eloped from Bath, and married the daughter of Col Martin, a gentleman of large fortune in the West of England, a few days ago took a draught of poison, at his lodgings in Winchester, and afterwards went in a post-chaise to the White Horse at Rumsey, where he died. It is said he pressed Mrs. Brisbane, who was with him, to take part of the dose, which, on her refusing, he drank himself.
Hampshire Chronicle, Monday 23 October 1780
Capt. Brisbane, who deprived himself of life by poison not many days since, had eloped from Bath with a young lady of fortune, but not an independent one. The father, so far from being reconciled with his daughter or son-in-law, upbraided the latter with is having taken his daughter from him: and, it is reported, that he took no small pains to persuade his daughter to leave her husband, and put herself under the protection of her parent. This she peremptorily refused to do, and by her refusal, enraged her father greatly. After they had been married about two months, the husband was arrested, and carried to a sponging house, wither his lady accompanied him. The young gentleman was at length released, by means of a friend, endued with a feeling and truly amiable disposition; one, “who had a tear for pity, and a hand open as day for melting charity.” The young couple were received into the house of their friend, where they met with a hearty welcome in every respect. Soon after their departure from this hospitable roof, the unfortunate event happened, which we may pity, though we can’t approve.
Ipswich Journal, Saturday 4 November 1780
Benjamin Beresford and Sydney Hamilton
On Tuesday, a Petition was heard before the Lord Chancellor, at Lincoln’s Inn-Hall, against a Clergyman, who had seduced a young Lady, (a Miss Hamilton,) an only Daughter, not 16 Years of age, by the basest Arts, and by the Assistance of a Maid Servant, from her Mother’s House, and had carried her to Scotland, where they were married by a Blacksmith. The Chancellor expressed a liberal and manly Indignation at the complicated Treachery and Baseness of the Proceeding. It seems the Marriage Ceremony had been solemnized before a Bill had been filed to make the Infant a Ward of Chancery; by which Means the Court had not a Right to attack for a Contempt; “But, indeed, said the Chancellor, the severest Punishment this Court could inflict for a Contempt would be far from adequate to the atrociousness of the Offence.” He therefore strongly recommended it to the Relations of the unfortunate Infant to proceed against the Husband and the Maid Servant, his accomplice, by information in the Court of King’s Bench: This, he said, was a Duty which they owed to Society, and which he did not doubt would procure such a Sentence from the Justice of that Court, as might operate in future to the Protection of unthinking Infants from the shameful Arts of hypocritical Frauds and domestic Treachery.
The affadavits that were read on Wednesday in Lincoln’s Inn Hall, before the Lord Chancellor, in the Bill of Hamilton against the Rev. Mr. Beresford, for the latter having eloped with the Sister of the former, gave great entertainment. One in particular stated that Mr. B. having casually seen Miss Hamilton in the Neighbourhood of her Brother’s House, he in a short time afterwards contrived to obtain leave of the Vicar of the Parish to preach in the Church, which he knew she frequented; that having got into the Pulpit, he gave a manifest Proof of what had been his Inducement for coming there; for instead of preaching the Word, and conducting himself like a serious Divine, he employed himself during the whole Ceremony in ogling Miss H. and endeavouring to catch her Attention: That after this he endeavoured to get acquainted with Miss H.’s Maid; and after having plied her pretty handsomely himself, afterwards made her Footman his successor in her good graces, and effected a close Connection between them.
The Consequence of this was, that he obtained a Vehicle for his amorous purposes to Miss H. and at a Ball which happened soon after, by the Interposition of the Maid got the young Lady to engage herself as his Partner, and most irreverently so well availed himself of this Opportunity that in a few days after, by the aid and assistance of her Maid, he contrived to effect an Elopement with her to Scotland, whereby they were married by a Blacksmith. This Affidavit contained many more expressions of similar Severity, but all the effect they produced was only to shew the lengths which the Rev. gentleman was disposed to go in obtaining the Woman he loved.
Derby Mercury, Friday 8 December 1780
1781
John Schreiber and Theophila Green
Aug. 26. At Gretna Green, Theophila, aged 38, widow of –Green, Esq; and one of the daughters of Mr Wildman, salesman, London, to John Schreiber, son of Charles Schreiber, Esq; of Enfield, aged 17, heir to a fortune of £100,000.
The Scots Magazine, Saturday 1 September 1781
This Day a Petition was presented to the Lord Chancellor, in Lincoln’s Inn Hall, by Mr. S[chreiber], stating, that his Son, a Ward of that Court, was an Infant, of Seventeen Years of Age, that he was sent for his Education, to a Village, within ten Miles of London, under the Tuition and Care of the Rev. Mr. Stevens, who was to have an Allowance of £250 per Annum, that on the third of March he was informed by Mr. Stevens that his Son had eloped about Eleven O’Clock the preceding Evening; he had since discovered that his Son had been decoyed away by several Persons, and influenced to marry Mrs. Green, a Widow, he therefore prayed for Judgement against Mrs. Green, her Mother, Mrs. Wildman, and a Relative, for a Contempt of that Court. A variety of Affidavits, stating the Manner in which the Transaction was performed, were read, and no Denial of the Facts being offered by the accused, the Lord Chancellor expatiated in the most animated and pathetic Terms upon the Infamy of trepanning Infants into improper and dishonourable Mariages, and he was much concerned that the Power of that Court extended no farther than to the Punishment of Offences so atrocious only by Imprisonment. In this Case, a Confederacy had been formed by the Persons before him, and others unknown, to seduce an Infant away, and marry him to a Person, who, whatever had been her previous character, was, by her consenting and abetting this Seduction, a very Improper Person to be connected with a respectable Family: He observed in the Affidavits, there was a Description of a Mrs. W. who had by her own Confession been an active Person in this infamous Transaction; he therefore ordered that she should attend, with the rest of the Parties on the next Day for hearing Petitions. He expressed himself pretty severely against the Tutor as having very probably been, in some Measure, one of the Confederates, although there is no direct Evidence of his Guilt; but it was exceeding suspicious, that he should be apprized of the Elopement at Seven O’Clock in the Morning, and yet did not acquaint his Father with it until Five o’Clock in the Afternoon.
With regard to the Infant, he ordered him to be returned to his Father, and recommended proceeding against the Delinquents in the court of King’s Bench, which Court would no doubt upon conviction inflict a more exemplary Punishment than it was competent in him to do.
The Infant, as he was legally termed, led his Wife to an elegant Carriage which stood in the Yard, with the greatest Gallantry and Care; she was so overcome by Heat arising from the great Crowd, that she was with much Difficulty prevented from fainting.
It is a little remarkable that Mrs. Green has £300 per Annum annuity, and £2000 in the Funds, is a Woman of exceedingly good Character, and irreproachable Morals, and was very much respected by a numerous and genteel Acquaintance.
Derby Mercury, Thursday 1 November 1781
John Schreiber and Theophila Green were remarried by banns on 22 October 1781 at St Giles without Cripplegate in London. Theophila gave her name as “Temperance.” The marriage was witnessed by James Schreiber and Mary Thomasman. (Source Citation: Guildhall, St Giles Cripplegate, Marriages, 1781 – 1798, P69/GIS/A/01/Ms 6421/2.)
This obituary for Theophila’s father appeared in The Gentleman’s Magazine for 1784.
25 December 1784
In Red-lion-street, Clerkenwell, Mr. Wm. Wildman, formerly an eminent butcher and salesman, and since well known to the gentlemen of the turf. His eldest son was apprenticed to his father’s original business; but on his death comes into a considerable fortune. His daughter Theophila, relict of the late Mr. Green, was remarried, in 1781, to John Schreiber, esq; who comes of age early next year.
The Gentleman’s Magazine (London), Volume 56 (1784)
1782
Negro servant
On Saturday morning last the Negro Servant of a Gentleman in the Neighbourhood of Marybone ran off with his Master’s Niece, a fine young Lady about Seventeen. As soon as the Elopement was known, several persons were dispatched in pursuit of them. The Lady will be worth £11,000 when of age.
Oxford Journal, Saturday 2 March 1782
Stabbing in defence of the lady’s honour
Extract of a letter from Perth, May 11.
“The Court CIrcuit of Justiciary proceeded on the trial of Horatio Thomas Macgeorge, musician and comedian, present prisoner in the tollbooth of Perth, indicted for stabbing Thomas Bell, a comedian, in the breast with a table knife. The case was: Bell and the pannel, with their company, having been performing at Banff, Bell drew up there with a gentleman’s daughter. She afterwards being in Aberdeen, they met, and agreed to make an elopement, and get married. The pannel being their confident, they all set off from Aberdeen, about six in the evening, in a chaise and arrive at Montrose about three in the morning. There happened to be in the public house they went to only two beds unoccupied, one of which was in a bed closet, entering within the other. The young lady was to have the closet, and the two men the other. The lady went to bed, and shortly after Bell said, he would not sleep with the pannel. The pannel insisted Bell should not sleep alone in the room, for nigh the lady, as she was under his protection till married. However, Bell flipping out of the dining-room, got into the bed-room, and locked it. On this the pannel went to the door, and made a great noise for access, and high words passed betwixt them; at last, the door being opened, Bell collared the pannel , and gave him a blow on the face. The pannel having a table-knife in his hand, with which he had been cutting cheese, Bell was therewith stabbed, which the pannel said was accidental. The trial continued till two in the afternoon, when the Jury inclosed in a room off the Court, and in half an hour after returning their verdict, all in one voice having the libel, so far as relates to stabbing, proven; but on account that there was no appearance of presence of malice on the part of the pannel, and from many other peculiarly alleviating circumstances, they earnestly recommended him to the mercy of the Court.
Judgement was superseded till this day at eleven before noon, when the following sentence was pronounced: “Having considered the verdict of [illegible] dated and returned the 10th inst. against the said Horatio Tho. Macgeorge, pannel; in respect … and that the pannel has already been a hundred and eleven days in prison, chiefly owing [illegible].
Leeds Intelligencer, Tuesday 21 May 1782
1783
The blacksmith parson at Gretna Green has a particular bed in the corner of his house, which serves for the purpose of ceremonial consummation. By the law of Scotland, it is well known that any person whatever above sixteen years of age may perform the sacerdotal rites of marriage, which stands valid only if they be consummated, that is, if the couple be seen in bed by two witnesses. Several laughable circumstances often happen at Gretna Green, at this conclusion of the ceremony.
– If a couple be married at the inn, Vulcan, when he has finished his oral part, sees them to bed, and calls in his principal Cyclops as witnesses, when they then sign their certificate. If a pair wait on him at his own habitation, the ceremony of consummation is then performed in the allotted bed, which has borne many hundred couples. – A few months since, an Irish officer having eloped to Gretna Green with a lady from Northamptonshire, Vulcan, when he had joined their hands, told them, as usual, they must consummate, here he could sign the certificate. To which the jolly son of Hibernia replied, “By my faith, parson, if that stops your signing, sign away, Honey, for that part of the ceremony was over ere I reached York.” But the parson insisting it was of no avail, unless done in Scotland, the officer was obliged to submit, and be bedded in his presence, and that of his servant.
Whipped
On Sunday se’evennight, the waiter of the Cock Inn, in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, eloped with his mistress’s daughter for Gretna Green, but was unfortunately overtaken at the Anchor in Loughborough, by two gentlemen of the short whip, who, after a smart [illegible], returned with the lady in triumph, leaving the poor bilk’t waiter to bemoan his hard fate. What is more extraordinary, this is the second time she has been overtaken in a similar excursion.
Leeds Intelligencer, Tuesday 7 October 1783
Stepfather
The late elopement to the Continent of a step-father with his daughter, is not now supposed to have been for the purpose of seduction, but to remove the lady from the jurisdiction of her guardians, that she may dispose of her hand to a gentleman, a friend of Mr B–, on whom she has bestowed her heart.
Hampshire Chronicle, Monday 21 June 1784
1784
George Ferdinant Fitzroy and Laura Keppel
An elopement has lately taken place in the fashionable world, which is now the subject of general conversation. One of the beautiful Miss Keppels, daughter of the late bishop, has flown on the wings of love to the land of liberty, with the Hon Mr Fitzroy, son of Lord Southampton, and one of the officers in the Prince of Wales’s household. The reason of the elopement is, that their friends did not consent to their nuptials.
Ipswich Journal, Saturday 3 July 1784
Mrs Keppel’s being so soon reconciled to the marriage of her second daughter Miss Laura Keppel to Capt. Fitzroy, is entirely owing to the sensible and friendly part taken by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. When it was made known to Mrs Keppel that her daughter had eloped, after the first effort of her concern had subsided, she sat down and wrote a very affecting letter to his Royal Highness, complaining of the loss of her Laura, and requesting his assistance to recover her. The Prince, who, though a stranger to the elopement, was acquainted with the attachment that subsisted between the parties, immediately waited upon Mrs Keppel, and in about half an hour’s conversation prevailed with her to be reconciled to the couple. His Royal Highness on his return to Carleton House dispatched an express after the fugitives, and on their arrival in town accompanied them to Mrs Keppel’s, where they were married. This conduct of his Royal Highness cannot fail of meeting the approbation of the public, and does him infinite honour.
