Detective and mystery stories; English fiction -- 19th century
My name is Ellen Troubridge. My husband is a seafaring man. He is
captain of a small collier. We live at Shoreham, near Brighton. I have
one daughter, whose name is Ellen. She is married to a man of the name
of Richard Brown. He is in Australia. He went out to Australia in
1856. I forget the exact date. It was some time in April or May. The
ship's name was the Maria Somes. She sailed from Gravesend. My daughter
was married on the 14th of April. That was not very long before they
sailed. She had been engaged to young Brown for three or four years.
He came home on purpose to marry her. I don't remember exactly when he
came home. It must have been about a month before. Something of that
kind. He was in a great hurry to get out again. He wanted to marry by
license, so as to be quicker, but I told him it was a foolish expense.
He had the banns put up the first Sunday he was at home. I think it was
the first, but cannot be quite sure. My daughter was then in service.
She was at a shop in Brighton. During the week she used to sleep at
a friend's house, and on Saturdays she used to come home to us for
Sundays. Brown used always to come down on Saturdays. He used to come
by the cheap excursion train. He used to go to Brighton and call for
Nelly, and walk with her to Shoreham. He used to walk back with her
early Monday morning, and go on to town. He never came at other times.
It was no good. Nelly was only at home Sundays. He wanted her to leave
and go to his mother's. She would not leave the shop till her time was
out. I would not let him be at Brighton. I was afraid people might
talk. So far as I know, he was at home all the rest of the time. The
marriage took place from Mrs. Brown's house. She had a lodger then--a
foreigner, I think. He went out of town for two or three days, and lent
her his rooms. After the wedding young Brown and my daughter went to
Southend for a few days. I cannot say exactly how long. About a week or
a fortnight. On the Saturday before they sailed we all went down to
Gravesend to meet them and see them off. The ship was to have sailed
on the Sunday. We all went to Rosherville, and slept at Gravesend that
night. I had some friends there who gave us beds. Mrs. Brown went back
on Sunday, but I stayed. A young man by the name of Aldridge was with
us. He was a friend of Brown's. I did not much like him. He went back
with Mrs. Brown. I think he took lodgings in her house. I cannot call
to mind the exact day young Brown came home. I think it must have been
some time in March.
4.--_Statement of Dr. Marsden_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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