COMMISSION OF LUNACY ON LORD PORTSMOUTH. Freemason's Hall, 10th February. THIS was a case of great importance, and excited much interest. The object was to prove Lord Portsmouth a man of unsound mind, and unfit to manage his own affairs. The aim of those friends of Lord Portsmouth by whom it was raised, was not only to take himself and his property out of the hands of Lady Portsmouth, by whom both were grossly mismanaged, but also to annul the marriage altogether, as not contracted by a person of competent mind, and to exclude from the succession the children who, there was reason to believe, were not Lord Portsmouth's. To try this important case, the Lord Chancellor appointed a Commission of Lunacy, under whom the following jury were impanelled: Lord John Fitzroy Edward Walpole G. S. Repton Counsel for Mr N. Fellowes, the petitioner-Mr Wetherell, the Common Sergeant, Mr Brougham, Mr Tyndal, Mr Pepys, Mr Powell; for Lord Portsmouth-Sergeant Pell, Mr Adam, Mr J. F. Williams, and Mr Wilde. At a trial which lasted for several weeks, our limits of course can allow us only to introduce the leading heads of evidence. John Draper Coombs. Were you, in 1808, at the residence of Lord Portsmouth ?—I was. At what place?-At Hurstbourn park. At whose request did you go there At the request of the late Lord Grantley, the late Lady Portsmouth, and General Norton. In what state did you find that no ble Earl?-In the same state as at present. The first day or two he was peculiarly polite and complaisant; but after a little time I found that he required some management. I observed several peculiarities in his conduct which required attention. What was the nature of the pecu liarities which you observed?-First he seemed to me to have a very pecu liar look. Did you frequently observe that upon him?-A great deal depended on his humour at the time. Sometimes he would pass three or four days with out any such appearance of ill bu mour. Did you observe any other peculia rity in his temper or manner? If any little accident occurred at table, and Lady Portsmouth spoke to him at the time, he would sometimes discover symptoms of displeasure amounting to rage. Was this often?-More frequently when I first went there than afterwards. I had been there for a day or two before I discovered it at all. Can you state anything remarkab which you observed in his general con duct?-His general conduct indicated a peculiar mind-generally speaking, a very peculiar state of mind. How long were you there?-I mained there from 1808 to 1811. During that time had you constart e means and opportunity of ob- generally appealed to me on such ocng the temper and state of mindc a sions. ord Portsmouth ?—Yes. Being appealed to, did you always om what you saw, what did you confirm what his Lordship had done? of his general state of mind?--Seldom or never. a what I saw, I should think he a man of extreme weak mind-I say of unsound mind entirely. id he appear to you to be so far eak and unsound mind, as to need attendance of other persons?inly. id any person, in fact, attend him he purpose of taking care of him? you mean constantly, or other ? any way?—I was with him. id you receive any remuneration 28. believe you are connected with 7 Grantley's family by marriage? 28. uring those three years, did he rd Portsmouth) or did he not uct his own affairs?-Certainly id he settle his own accounts? did not. ad he the command of money?— Tho did these things for him? could only give out money by a ght, which must have Lady Portsth's signature to it. What money equired for himself she gave him. Did he give orders in the domestic agement to the servants? Yes, lid. If what nature were his orders?a general nature; such as masters give to servants: he would frently threaten to discharge the serts for little or no offence. Lady tsmouth would not allow it: she Have you ever seen the domestics whom his Lordship discharged serving in the house at another time ?— Frequently. You spoke of his Lordship complaining if the servants touched him at the dinner table. Do you know how they treated him to cause these complaints?-Sometimes they touched him lightly, at other times they did not touch him at all, and there were the same complaints. In what manner were those complaints made?-Merely by looking at the servant in a very odd manner, and requiring him not to do the like again. Do you know in what manner Lord Portsmouth employed his time about the farm?-In exercising the carthorses. In what way did he employ them? In several ways: in the carriage of manure. Did he superintend these operations? Was that custom frequent with him? You say he drove the horses himself?-He walked by the side with a whip in his hand, in the manner of a cartman. Have you ever seen him in the hayfield ?—I have. In what manner did he then conduct himself?-He went by the side of the cart, guiding the horses with a whip, in the manner of a carter. Was this once or twice, or was it commonly so?-Frequently; it was his chief occupation when he was in the country. During the whole time of your residence with Lord Portsmouth, did your opinion vary as to the condition of his Lordship's intellect?-Certainly not. About that time was he in the habit of holding any conversation about women, or marriage?-Certainly: perpetually. Can you state the nature of the conversation?-He expressed, generally, a great desire to be married. To marry any particular person?Two or three ladies were mentioned. Do you recollect his naming a Miss Devines?—Yes. Was Miss Hanson named?-Certainly not. He did not mention her name as the lady he wished to marry?—I don't recollect anything he said about any particular person: he seemed anxious to marry; I said it was too early a period after the death of Lady Portsmouth. What answer did he make to your remonstrance ?-He said that he could not be happy till he married again. Was that a frequent subject of conversation between you?-Scarcely a day passed but he mentioned it. Did you again see Lord Portsmouth last July?—I did. What day?-The second. Where? I think about eighteen miles from Edinburgh, on the road to London. Was it at the particular request of any one that you went in search of him?- Of Lord Grantley. Was anybody with Lord Portsmouth when you saw him?-The present Lord Grantley Had you any conversation with his Lordship about that time relative to his mode of treatment?-He gave us a long history on the road of the illtreatment which he had received at Edinburgh. State what was the account which Lord Portsmouth gave of his ill-treatment. He said that a gentleman named Alder, who was resident in his house, had treated him with great indignity and cruelty; that he had frequently knocked him down; that he was fre quently interrupted by him in his bed room; that Lady Portsmouth ha sent for Mr Alder to come to her and that he (Lord Portsmouth) had gone to Mr Alder, stating that the was unwell; that Mr Alder came iste the room-into Lady Portsmouth' room. Did he state at what time?-A| one or two o'clock in the morning. asked him if Mr Alder was dressed He said sometimes Mr Alder had of his robe de chambre; at other times he was without it. Did he state where Mr Alder wal in the habit of sleeping?-In the house. Did he say in what part of the house ?-Not that I recollect. Or where he went to call Mr Alder I don't recollect. I inquired what Mr Alder did when he came into the room. The answer was, that he r mained there a considerable time. 1 asked if Mr Alder sat down in a chair He said Mr Alder lay down on the bed, on the left hand side of Lady Portsmouth; so that Lady Portsmout lay between. I asked how long M Alder remained there. His answe was, sometimes longer than at othe times. I asked why he allowed any man to come into his room to tak these liberties. He said he was afraid Mr Alder was a powerful man, and h must submit to him. I asked if ther were any others who had ill-treated him. He said there was a Mr Newto Hanson, who had used him by beating and knocking him down and that Lady Portsmouth was in the habit of keeping a whip under her på low, I don't know that there was an thing more that he complained of. very Did he say anything about the to which the whip was to be applied He said that they were in the hab of applying it to his Lordship. When he said Mr Alder had beate and knocked him down, did he mak any complaints about the domestic He mentioned Lonsdale and Want, as servants who had ill-used him. Did he speak of the beating as severe ?-Some, very severe; he complained of the effects of them lasting till this day. Ann Coke and Sarah Adams had been repeatedly presented by Lord Portsmouth with lancets, and urged to bleed him. There was an appearance of some amorous idea attached to this action. - Mr Justice Best had been consulted on the management of Lord Portsmouth. "I believe Lord Portsmouth to have a sense of religion, and to know right from wrong, so as to be a responsible agent ; but utterly incapable of managing affairs of any consequence. I cannot restrain my opinion, that his intellect does not rise higher than that of a boy of eight or nine years. During the time I acted as a trustee, I never thought it fit to consult him. I acted with Mr Hanson. On a particular occasion I did consult him. Though I have seen him conduct himself at his own house very much like a gentleman, doing the honours in quite a proper way, I never thought him a man of sound mind." John Baverstock, examined by Mr Brougham.-Had known Lord Portsmouth thirty years. "It was when I went first into his service. I left it thirteen years the 26th of October last. I don't recollect what sort of a gentleman he was with respect to his understanding. 'Twere no part of my business. I was brewer in the house, and lived in the hall; was never with Lord Portsmouth among his servants. Lord Portsmouth came into the room of George, the coachman, who had broke his leg; says my lord to George, "Get up, and do your work;" "I can't," George says; "You shall," my lord says; with that, my lord throws himself on the bed, snatched up George's leg, and broke it a second time; I heard it snap. The man cries out, "You have broke my leg;" my lord says, "I don't care for that." I runn'd into the room, and pulled my lord off George's leg, and took him out of the room. I said to my lord, "You've ruined the man;" my lord says, "I don't care for that." There was nothing done, as I know, to provoke him; I never heard him complain that George had done anything; George asked me to give him something to guard himself; I gave him an old broom-handle. I have seen my lord at church, Sabbath days: remember once seeing him at the door of the chancel; Lord Portsmouth said, "You shall not come in at that door any more;" called me "d-d rascal, and blackguard," and I should not come to the church again. Lord Portsmouth used to give large hems in the church, and set three girls laughing; they laughed when they came out, and said what a fool Lord Portsmouth was to make such a noise in the church." Joseph Head, under-butler, remembered two servants, Mills and London; Lord Portsmouth had frequently ordered them doses of jalap, mustard, and pepper, to be given in their beer. He used to order witness to mix the drugs up for them. On one occasion, Lord Portsmouth mixed it himself, putting in pepper and mustard, and told witness to put in nutmeg; and his Lordship held the man while he drank it. One day, he ordered those two persons doses of six ounces each; and on the 5th day, he ordered twelve ounces each; on the 7th day, he ordered the last dose to be repeated. Those orders he did not obey. "He left Lord Portsmouth's service 4th of December 1814. Lord Portsmouth had often told him he was ill-treated by the present Lady Portsmouth, and that she was going to have him horsewhipped. He complain ed that she treated him like a dog, like a servant. He appeared to be much dejected in consequence. On one occasion he said, "That d-d woman has been here again, and treated me worse than ever," and that he lost his best friend when he lost his late wife. Josiah Fisher, postilion-I used to attend morning prayers read by Lord Portsmouth. He would read morning prayers first; then he would say, "Now you shall have the evening ser vice." I used to run out of the room. I could not help laughing. He used to come to the stables every day. Sometimes he asked if there was ever a black job-meaning a funeral. He once came and blowed me up. I said, "You would not blow me up if you know'd what I've seen."-" What's that?" says he." A black job up in Holborn," says I. "Let me out of the gate," says my Lord. I let him out, and never saw him for the rest of the day. He came back in the evening, and said he had been chief mourner; and said there was some wine and turkey before starting. His Lordship would drop in and follow a funeral. Sometimes he would swear that we starved the horses, and then he would put two or three feeds of corn in each manger; that was wrong, and so we used to take it out when he went away. He is not a bad whip, I can't say he is; but as to his conduct in driving, he has got no conduct at all. He would drive in among other carriages, then throw the reins in your lap, and say, "There, drive yourself." Sometimes I went behind, sometimes by the side of him. When he made a start from home, like a child, he wanted to be there directly; and he would so drive them along. He generally whipped the horse that drawed most. Thomas Mills.-I was in Lord Portsmouth's employ. I am now. I have been about 13 years. I am carter. The earl used to come frequently into the field where we were working. He used to drive the horses. Sometimes he would whip us while we were pitching into the waggon. He gave us no rea son. Sometimes he would be angry for some reason or another, we could not tell what. He used to eat and drink with us in the field, and joke in the way of throwing beer over us. He used to say, " Give me a horn," and would make as if to drink. There was table-beer in it; he would put it up to his mouth, and then whip it up i my face. I'd rather take it that way than go without it. I am ringer a church. My lord used fre quently to come and ring with us. We got money for ringing. He used to ex pect his part; he got it; he took it. He used to take some of the beer, and would send to the house after it. Sometimes he would have a horn himself. I recollect a grey horse belonging to my lord. I remember my lord running round the waggon, and the horse ran round after him. We went and stopped the horse, or it would have run over him. He came to me, as I was ploughing the field, and said he had got another wife. I says, "Who's that? Miss Hanson?" He said, "Yes." That he was obligated to marry her. He said, that Mr Hanson told him, that if he did not marry Miss Hanson, Mr Fellowes would take him down to Devonshire, and shut him up. There was nothing more about it. He did not tell me at what time he was mar ried. Lord Portsmouth did not give orders to servants. He used to give orders, but we did not go by them. We had orders not. The orders were to go by the bailiff's order. Thi was ordered by Lady Grace. Charles Webb.-I went into the ser vice of Lord Portsmouth in 1808. ! am a coachman. During that time. Lord Portsmouth seldom went o unattended by me. I have frequently |