Celebrated Claimants from Perkin Warbeck to Arthur OrtonAnonymous
History
Celebrated Claimants from Perkin Warbeck to Arthur Orton
Anonymous
Impostors and imposture -- Biography
Having brought his case thus far, the counsel for the petitioners was
about to read some documents, purporting to be signed by the Duke of
Kent, as declarations of the legitimacy of Mrs. Ryves, but it was
pointed out by the court that he was not entitled to do so, as,
according to his own contention, the Duke of Kent was not a legitimate
member of the royal family. Therefore, resigning this part of his
case, he went on to say that Mrs. Serres, up to the time of her death
in 1834, and the petitioners subsequently, had made every effort to
have the documents on which they founded their claim examined by some
competent tribunal. They now relied upon the documents, upon oral
evidence, and upon the extraordinary likeness of Olive Wilmot to the
royal family, to prove their allegations.
As far as the portraits of Mrs. Serres were concerned, the court
intimated that they could not possibly be evidence of legitimacy, and
refused to allow them to be shown to the jury. The documents were
declared admissible, and an expert was called to pronounce upon their
authenticity. He expressed a very decided belief that they were
genuine, but, when cross-examined, stammered and ended by throwing
doubts on the signatures of "J. Dunning" and "Chatham," who frequently
appeared as attesting witnesses. The documents themselves were
exceedingly numerous, and contained forty-three so-called signatures
of Dr. Wilmot, sixteen of Lord Chatham, twelve of Mr. Dunning, twelve of
George III., thirty-two of Lord Warwick, and eighteen of the Duke of
Kent.
The following are some of the most remarkable papers:--
"I solemnly certify that I privately was married to the
princess of Poland, the sister of the King of Poland. But an
unhappy family difference induced us to keep our union
secret. One dear child bless'd myself, who married the Duke
of Cumberland, March 4th, 1767, and died in the prime of
life of a broken heart, December 5th, 1774, in France.
J. WILMOT."
"_January_ 1, 1780."
There were two other certificates to the same effect, and the fourth
was in the following terms:--
"I solemnly certify that I married the Princess of Poland,
and had legitimate issue Olive, my dear daughter, married
March 4th, 1767, to Henry F., Duke of Cumberland, brother of
His Majesty George the Third, who have issue Olive, my
supposed niece, born at Warwick, April 3d, 1772.
G.R. J. WILMOT.
ROBT. WILMOT.
CHATHAM."
"_May_ 23, 1775.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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