Seduction cases

[Asa]

Has anyone else come across this sort of thing in newspapers?

I have two in my family - completely different sides - one in the early C20th which I won't go into detail about and another I've just found in 1830 in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire.

The latter case is brought by the father,a timber dealer to claim damages against his neighbour the butcher for seducing his elder daughter, a 20 year old, who did a bit of temporary housekeeping for him - I think it is persuasion rather than force. The newspaper reports are fascinating and give such a vivid image. Poor Mary Ann was made pregnant with promises of marriage in a coppice on the way to visiting her great aunt. In court, there was much discussion of her character with friends of the butcher describing her as loose and friends of her father's, plus the Vicar, defending her morals.

The timber dealer won 350 quid for Mary Ann's seduction and presumably the upkeep of the child but I do wonder how the poor girl felt being reported in newspapers as "a female of no great personal charms" from London to Newcastle.

[Guinevere]

Never heard of those cases before. Poor Mary Ann.

[marquette]

According to the Toowong and Wodonga Sentenial in 1908, Gladys Sheather had an illegitimate child, the father being Frederick Ordish. Her father then sued Ordish for the alleged seduction of his 18year old daughter (Ordish was 38),claiming 250 pounds damages. They were neighbours and moved in the same social circles and had known each other for a long time.

Frederick said that he had not known the girl was pregnant, but was willing to marry the girl, but her father said that Ordish had never shown her any affection and he would not give consent for the marriage. The judge asked if it would not be better if her father allowed her to marry and make the child legitimate, but he was obdurate.

Her father said that she could marry when she turned 21, but he would never allow it while she was under his control and was awarded 40 pounds. The couple married in 1909 and evenutally moved to Melbourne, with their daughter.

[Asa]

That's quite sad, Marquette - do you know if they were happy?

[ElizabethHerts]

Very interesting stories. There must have been many more similar cases.

[Olde Crone]

At auction I bought a box of bits and pieces, in which was a box containing letters and a newspaper cutting.

A female had sued for breach of promise (egged on by her furious father) and a sad little tale unfolded of how the man had been taken into the family as an employee but treated as a favoured son. the engagement to the daughter lasted over 7 years until the chap disappeared one day. Father tracked him down and found him to be amrried to another, who had given birth to his child.

Female was awarded substantial damages as her prospects of marriage were ruined...BECAUSE SHE WAS NEARLY THIRTY, lol. and had allowed "certain liberties" in advance of marriage. Her father said she was a foolish girl.

The sad part of all this was that the box contained many letters between the couple written AFTER the court case and they corresponded affectionately for the rest of their lives.

OC

EDIT - Meant to say that until the 1950s, a man divorcing an unfaithful wife could obtain damages from her seducer.

[Merry]

EDIT - Meant to say that until the 1950s, a man divorcing an unfaithful wife could obtain damages from her seducer.

My uncle had to pay about £350 in the above situation . This was in the late 1940s. He later married the lady and they had a long and happy marriage. He said it was the best money he ever spent! lol

[Asa]

Nearly thirty, OC - lawks. That *is* a sad story though.

[Asa]

I've been looking at Mary Ann - neither she nor the butcher James Rogers ever married and both lived in Nettlebed for the rest of their lives dying in 1878 and 1864 respectively. Their daughter Elizabeth married and had a family.

[Nell]

A curious tale, Asa.