The Chronicles of Newgate, vol. 2/2Griffiths, Arthur
History
The Chronicles of Newgate, vol. 2/2
Griffiths, Arthur
Criminals -- Great Britain; Newgate (Prison : London, England); Prisons -- England; Punishment -- Great Britain
At Manchester, however, the carriage stopped at the Albion Hotel. Miss
Turner was shown into a private room, where Mr. Wakefield soon presented
himself. Miss Turner, not knowing him, would have left the room, but he
said he came from her father, and she remained. Wakefield, in reply to
her inquiries, satisfied her that her mother was well, and that the real
reason for summoning her from school was the state of her father's
affairs. Mr. Turner was on the verge of bankruptcy. He was at that
moment at Kendal, and wished her to join him there at once. Miss Turner
consented to go on, and they travelled night and day towards the north.
But at Kendal there was no Mr. Turner, and, to allay Miss Turner's
growing anxiety, Wakefield found it necessary to become more explicit
regarding her father's affairs. He now pretended that Mr. Turner was
also on his way to the border, pursued by sheriffs' officers. The fact
was, Wakefield went on to say, an uncle of his had advanced Mr. Turner
£60,000, which had temporarily staved off ruin. But another bank had
since failed, and nothing could save Mr. Turner but the transfer of some
property to Miss Turner, and its settlement on her, so that it might
become the exclusive property of her husband, "whoever he might be."
Wakefield added that it had been suggested he should marry Miss Turner,
but that he had laughed at the idea. Wakefield's uncle took the matter
more seriously, and declared that unless the marriage came off Mr.
Turner must be sold up. Miss Turner, thus pressed, consented to go on to
Gretna Green. Passing through Carlisle, she was told that Mr. Turner was
in the town, but could not show himself. Nothing could release him from
his trouble but the arrival of the marriage certificate from Gretna
Green. Filial affection rose superior to all scruples, and Miss Turner,
having crossed the border, was married to Wakefield by the blacksmith in
the usual way. Returning to Carlisle, she now heard that her father had
been set free, and had gone home to Shrigley, whither they were to
follow him. They set out, but at Leeds Wakefield found himself called
suddenly to Paris; the other brother was accordingly sent on a pretended
mission to Shrigley to bring Mr. Turner on to London, whither Wakefield
and Miss Turner also proceeded. On arrival, Wakefield pretended that
they had missed Mr. Turner, and must follow him over to France. The
strangely-married couple thereupon pressed on to Dover, and crossed over
to Calais.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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