A verbatim report of the Mordaunt divorce case.

Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A verbatim report of the Mordaunt divorce case. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    dition. Why should I dwell longer before you on this story r It is sad enough whichever way you look at it—a very, very sad story! The question for you is whether Lady Mordaunt is a well-practised and artful deceiver— whether she has been able to take in no less than eight or ten of the wisest, most experienced, and most able medical men which the United Kingdom can produce—or whether she is in reality suffering under this severe affliction. In this somewhat rude, and plain, and unartificiai manner, I have put before you the outlines of this case; but I think I have said enough to secure all which at this moment I care for, and that is your calm, patient, and impartial con- sideration of that which the witnesses will swear. Jane Lang, examined by Mr. Archibald : In May, 1869, I became lady com- panion to Lady Mordaunt, who was at that time in Eel grave-square. It was on the 17th of' May I went to her, and I accompanied her to Worthing, where I remained with her two months until two days before she left, I was in con- stant attendance on her by day, and at night I slept in the next room. Mrs. Carruthers was another attendant. Mrs. Pickard was there several days. During the time I was in attendance upon her I had opportunities of judging as to her memory and her habits. Her memory was quite wrong. She made efforts to remember, and asked me to help her to think. With regard to recent events I found her memory quite wrong. She had no notion of things which happened on the same day. In taking her food she would often use her own fingers. She would tear her dress with pins. When pins were taken away she would hide some more. When out walking she would pick up dirty articles —dried mud. She would pick it up with her hands, and carry it until I made her put it down. She showed a total want of modesty. She would go about the house with scarcely anything on. She was very dirty in her habits. In the mornings she had to be washed like a child. Sometimes she would not speak for days. She constantly walked about at night, and went into other rooms. She went into the servants’ rooms, until by my orders the servants locked their doors day and night. She said Sir Charles was locked in, and she wanted a hammer to break the doors. She once escaped undressed, with nothing on but a pair of stockings, slippers, an opera cloak, and a muff, and she went into the drawing-room. She did not show any shame. I used to bribe her with pennies to go quietly to bed. I used to drive out with her every day. She asked the driver of the fly to lend her money to pay himself. She tried to throw herself out of the carriage. I was obliged to keep her always in sight. She complained of great pain in the head. One day when she had a headache, she put a Eau de Cologne bottle to her feet, and sat with it in that way. Her feet were very cold. Her temper was very irritable, but it varied. The least noise would distress her very much—even if any person passing on the road were talking. There was a very strange expression in her eyes. She said her dress was contemptible. She destroyed her hat. She complained of the table- cloth being dirty. She spoke of seeing black things. If I left money about she would pick it up and hide it. When I first went she spoke about being poisoned. I was obliged to feed her. When strangers were present she tried to compose herself. She became more excited afterwards. Sometimes she did not sleep for nights together. She said there was a plot against her, and she had discovered it in a miraculous manner. The baby was not with her at Worthing. I have seen her once since at Worthing. She seemed to be stouter and stronger. She behaved very well for about ten minutes, and then threw herself on the floor, and walked about the house on her hands and knees, and ate a piece of coal. , Cross-examined by Serjeant Ballantine : She had known me before. I had re- sided in the same place as she did. My father is a doctor in Newcastle.