William Hone to William Augustus Dowling, n.d. [early 1816] An Electronic Edition William Hone Kyle Grimes

For publication in the Hone Correspondence section of the William Hone BioText, http://honearchive.org. The letter is published under a Creative Commons license, details of which are accessible from the BioText homepage.

Hone Collection, Adelphi University Library, Series 1A, Box 1, f. 2.; transcribed from original.

 Re-edited and enriched the TEI encoding; transformed using custom xslt.
William Hone to William Augustus Dowling, 1816. Hone Collection, Adelphi University Library, Series 1A, Box 1, f. 2.[return] — -TEI-
Dear Sir,

On February 14, 1816, Captain George Harrower was tried at the Old Bailey on charges of bigamy. Apparently, while stationed in India in the 1790s, Harrower had married a woman who subsequently became a lunatic. When Harrower returned to England, he did not bring his wife. Some years later he once again married. The charges of bigamy were later brought forward by Harrower's new father-in-law (Mr. Giblet), perhaps with the intention of extorting money from Harrower. Later in 1816, Hone published an account of the Trial; William Augustus Dowling supplied many of the details and perhaps wrote much of the text. This letter shows the exchange of information as the publication was being readied for the press. [return] Annexed are some Queries which I shall be obliged by your answering on the blanks left for that purpose.

Any thing that you can throw in of Incidents &c. during the Trial I shall be glad of — to come after the verdict — such for instance was Mrs. H__ bing in Court & what occurred respecting her —&c. — &c. at what time Giblet left the Court &c.

Capt. Harrower's Defence reads disjointedly—Perhaps a reviewal of your Notes will enable you to throw in a little of connecting matter. His conclusion is insufferably bad but if the man really said no more it must go of course. I imagine it possible that as you conceived yourself hurried for the defence you may today not dislike the opportunity of again referring to your note book. I enclose the Observer Report—it may refresh you ["turn over"] possibly. When can you let me have Ans'rs to the enclosed queries & the MS? I need not urge Despatch in a Case of this sort. I do not expect impossibilities.

Yrs hastily &c. W Hone

Half of the sheet is filled with a series of questions Hone poses to Dowling. It appears that Dowling simply answered the questions and then returned the letter to Hone. The result is a sort of conversation which I've reproduced as such, adding only the names of the writers in square brackets. [return] [Hone:] What Counsel examined Grisseau? [Dowling:] Mr. Adolphus

[Hone:] Was not Grisseau's name Thomas le Garde? [Dowling:] Yes.

[Hone:] What Counsel ex'd Burrowes? [Dowling:] Mr. Gurney.

[Hone:] Burrowses Xn Name? [Dowling:] I could not catch it.

[Hone:] Who was Sol[icito]r for Prosecution? Is it Henson? [Dowling: Yes. [Hone:] Who is Stokes? [Dowling:] [one word] attorney of Giblets.

[Hone:] Who Sol[icito]r for Harrower? [Dowling:] I can't learn.

[Hone:] The 3 Letters [Dowling:] You have got them.

[Hone:] Was Charles Forbes Esq [one word] called to give Evidence? [Dowling:] Did not appear.

[Hone:] Who Examined Elizabeth Giblet? [Dowling:] Mr. Adolphus

[Hone:] Who Examined Adkins? [Dowling:] Mr Gurney.

[Hone:] You do not say whether Harrower called any witnesses. [Dowling:] His counsel did not think it necessary.

[Hone:] I have been informed that he was about to do so, that his [two words] and other respectable persons who knew Harrower in India were ready to speak to his Character but that their testimony was declined by the Court. Can you give me any information about this? [Dowling:] You have been misinformed. Mr. Serjeant was about to do it when they appeared to consider it unnecessary as an idea was generally entertained before the charge that he would be acquitted.

[Hone:] Names of Judges before whom tried? [Dowling:] Sir Simon Le Blanc of the Kings Bench Mr Baron Richards of the Exchequer Mr Justice Abbot of the Common Pleas

[Hone:] Which presided? [Dowling:] Mr. Baron Richards

[Hone:] Name of the Sessions? If February Sessions or any other? [Dowling:] The February Sessions for the County of Middlesex holden in and for the same County at Justice [one word] the Old Bailey

[Hone:] Who were Counsel for the Prosecution? [Dowling:] Mr. Gurney, Mr. Adolphus.

[Hone:] Who for Harrower? [Dowling:] Mr. Serjeant Best, Mr. Alley, Mr. Pooley, and Mr Arabian.

[Hone:] Is not Miss Giblet's name, Susannah Anne? [Dowling:] Yes