342 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



Smith, a brother performer, his 

 confidant ; told him what he had 

 been doing, and what he was about 

 to do, and asked him to lend him 

 a sum of money to enable him to 

 run away with miss Nicholson. 

 Mr Smith entered into his views, 

 and lent him 30/. being the whole 

 of his stock. The two sons of the 

 buskin having agreed ujjon their 

 object, and having the consent and 

 approbation of the lady, set off to 

 walk from Tunbridge Wells to Se- 

 ven Oaks, on the evening of the 

 24th ; and, to avoid suspicion, they 

 hired a chaise and four at a by- 

 inn, a few miles from Seven Oaks, 

 and set off in it about three o'clock 

 in the morning, and proceeded to- 

 wards Tunbridge Wells. They 

 stopped a short distance before they 

 came to the town ; Smith stopped 

 in the chaise, and Gilfes went for 

 the lady ; and she, on the signal of 

 love flew to his embraces with only 

 one change of clothes, in hopes 

 never more to part; but disappoint- 

 ment overtook them. 



Miss Nicholson's flight was soon 

 discovered after the family got up, 

 and it was at length ascertained that 

 she had eloped with Mr. Giles. — 

 On Thursday, the following dav, 

 .Jier mother-in-law wrote to Messrs. 

 Cardale and son, solicitors, of Bed- 

 ford-row, who are trustees to miss 

 Nicholson. They emploj'ed Ad- 

 kins and his brother to trace the 

 fugitives out. The officers pursued 

 their inquiries with all possible ex- 

 pedition and exertion. They 

 traced the parties to have changed 

 their horses at the White Hart inn, 

 at Bromley, and from thence gra- 

 dually to Westmoreland-place, 

 City-road, which is extremely well 

 calculated for persons to conceal 

 themselves. Adkins vrcnt with Mr. 



Cardale to the house of Mr. Steele ; 

 Adkins knocked at the door ; a 

 female answered it, and Adkins 

 asked if Mr. Giles was within ; she 

 answered in the affirmative, and 

 that he was at dinner. Adkins fol- 

 lowed her in, and saw Mr. Giles ; 

 Adkins addressed him by his name, 

 and he answered to it ; but when 

 Adkins told him his business, he 

 told him he must be mistaken, and 

 that he never was at Tunbridge 

 Wells in his life; Adkins, however 

 persisted that he was the man, 

 from the description of him that 

 he had received, and that the 

 young lady who was dining with 

 him was miss Nicholson ; the dis- 

 pute about the identity of their 

 persons was soon settled by Mr. 

 Cardale, the solicitor, and mits N.'s 

 trustee, entering the room, and a 

 frantic tragic scene took place. 

 MissNicholson finding any attempt 

 to conceal herself longer a folly, 

 both lovers rushed into each other's 

 arms, and swore attachment, beat- 

 ing their heads, and running about 

 the room distracted ; miss Nichol- 

 son agreed to go with them quietly 

 after much persuasion ; but, said 

 she, I must go up stairs first. Ad- 

 kins told her he must accompany 

 her, to which she agreed ; and one 

 of the principal objects to take care 

 of was her purse, which was not 

 for the amount of the cash it con- 

 tained, as we understand it only 

 contained a dollar and a few shil- 

 lings at the one end, but the other 

 contained the jewel of all jewels to 

 her, the wedding ring, which was 

 to tie her to her dearly beloved 

 Giles that morningatMary-le-bone 

 church, they having been asked in 

 the church, two Sundays, and the 

 third time was to have taken place 

 on that day. But, alas ! miss Hoi- 



dcn 



