Source: Bell's Weekly Messenger, No.1858, Sunday, November 13, 1831
Arches Court.
Judgment of Divorce.
This was a suit promoted by the wife against the husband for a divorce, on the grounds of great cruelty and adultery.
Sir J. Nicholl went over the facts of the case as stated in evidence, and said that the cruelty of the husband to his wife was seldom equalled. After having had intercourse with other women, and having contracted a loathsome disease, he had by violence compelled his wife to submit to him. Up to Sept. 1831 the wife had submitted to her wrongs in silence, partly owing to fear of her husband, and partly for the affection she owed her five children. In common sense and common justice the submission, after the wife knew of the actions of the husband, could not be considered a bar to the obtaining of justice by the injured party. In September in the year he had stated the husband had renewed his acts of adultery and cruelty, and, whatever forgiveness he might have obtained, this act on the part of the husband revived all former criminal acts in point of law. The wife then separated, and had very properly refused all solicitations to return to her husband. He considered that the wife had fully proved her libel, and he should not be doing justice if he did not proceed to pronounce the sentence of separation, as prayed for on the part of the wife. The learned Judge then pronounced for the separation.