262 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



entered the Court, and Mr. 

 Gurney (special counsel) and 

 Mr. Bolland, both for the pro- 

 secution ; as also Mr. Nolan and 

 Mr. Chitty, counsel for the pri- 

 soner. 



After the indictment had been 

 read, to which the prisoner pleaded 

 Not Guilty, and was allowed the 

 privilege of a seat, 



Mr. Gurney stated the case to 

 the jury. The prisoner was the 

 daughter of a respectable trades- 

 man at Weymouth, and had been 

 married to an officer in the army, 

 named Cox, with whom she pro- 

 ceeded to Bombay, in the East 

 Indies. Ensign Cox having died 

 in 1802, in the year 1810 the 

 prisoner married a Gentleman in 

 the East India Company's ser- 

 vice, named Wilkins, and with 

 that Gentleman she returned to 

 England. For reasons not now 

 necessary to state, the prisoner 

 and her husband separated. In 

 the year 1816, she was residing 

 at Brighton, and there attracted 

 considerable notice, particularly 

 of the Gentlemen of the army, 

 by her personal attractions, her 

 accomplishments, and her style 

 of living. Mr. Walton, a very 

 young gentleman, a native of 

 Barbadoes, who had been sent 

 over to this country by his mo- 

 ther, a respectable lady of for- 

 tune, had entered into the army 

 at an early age, and "was then 

 quartered with his regiment at 

 Brighton. He became acquaint- 

 ed with the prisoner — was smitten 

 with her charms, and in the re- 

 sult, they were married. The 

 prisoner was married by the 

 name of Maria Cox, representing 

 to Mr. Walton, that she was the 

 widow of Mr. Cox. The mar- 



riage was solemnized at Lewes ; 

 they lived together for a short 

 time, and shortly afterwards Mr. 

 Walton discovered that his con- 

 nexion Avith the prisoner threw 

 him into the greatest pecuniary 

 difficulties. He was arrested for 

 debts contracted by her, and 

 doomed to a gaol. — Mr. Walton 

 thought it proper, under all the 

 circumstances of the case, to 

 institute the present prosecution. 

 The two marriages would be 

 proved beyond all doubt, as 

 would also the fact of Mr. Wil- 

 kins, the second husband, being 

 still alive. Indeed there would 

 be no doubt that Mr. Wilkins 

 was living at this moment, be- 

 cause the same gentleman had 

 received letters from him, dated 

 Clonmel, in Ireland, since he had 

 been in this town, announcing 

 his intention of coming to Eng- 

 land, and, down to the very hour 

 of this trial, his arrival was ex- 

 pected. The prosecution was 

 carried on by the mother of the 

 young man, who though his 

 prudence in this transaction could 

 not be much praised, yet as a 

 soldier he was entitled to every 

 commendation. In the field of 

 honour he had greatly distin- 

 guished himself; he had shared 

 in the laurels of Waterloo. The 

 jury, under the circumstances of 

 the case, must feel it their duty 

 to pronounce a verdict of guilty. 



Mr. Maitland, clerk of the 

 Secretary's office at the India- 

 house, produced the book of 

 registers of marriages, births, 

 and deaths, at Bombay, com- 

 mencing the 14th Jan. to the 

 19th Dec. 1810. 



The Rev. Mr. Burroughs stated, 

 that he was a resident Chaplain 



at 



