Breach of Promise Case - (An interesting tangent to my research)

[Cwellan CoDown]

Hi everyone

I was doing some newspaper searching and found a breach of promise case in 1881 between Eliza Conalty and Bernard Furley.

It turns out that these people are no relation of mine but I just got interested in the story

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001683/18810505/044/0002
Summary for anyone without a subscription

Irish Times - May 1881
Eliza Conalty was a widow, she was a native of Castlewellan, Co Down and came from a respectable class of people - Shopkeepers, She married a draper in Derry, who died 2 years after their marriage at the end of 1876.
Bernard Farley was a spirit merchant residing at 46 Eliza Street Belfast.

Bernard Farley was a relative and next door neighbor of her husband, and continued to be a friend to Eliza after his death, and after 4 months proposed marriage.

They wrote numerous letters and these were entered in evidence, after the proposal the "seduction" took place which resulted in child - a boy.

At the suggestion of Farley, Eliza moved to Dublin for a time, but for her confinement went to Newcastle co Down.

They organized a wedding in Belfast, but Bernard never showed up.

At the time of the article Bernard was dying of Consumption in Rostrevor.

I just found the story fascinating - and hope you do as well!

Now for no reason other than nosiness, I started researching this, and found the will of Eliza's husband John Conalty, who died 28 September 1876

https://apps.proni.gov.uk/WillsCalendar_IE/willsSearchResultsDetails.aspx

The will leaves everything in trust for his son James Conalty and to his wife Eliza

From this I got James birth cert - Eliza's maiden name is McCartan

And here is the wedding of Eliza and John
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1873/11286/8140378.pdf

I tried to find them in the 1901 census - I think this may be the son James

1901: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Woodvale_Ward/Mitchell_Street/1007038/
1911: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Wood_Vale_Ward/Boyd_Street/163313/

Here is their wedding - https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1899/10377/5778379.pdf



Eliza - possibly in Nazareth House (A home for the eldery and Infirm) in Belfast
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Ormeau/Ormeau_Road/1212171/

Here is the birth of the child referred to in the Breach of Promise case
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1877/03001/2099836.pdf

I can't find any other information on him.

The story just fascinated me - its worth a read if you have a subscription!

[groom]

My great grandmother sued William Matthew Dennison for breach of contract when he broke off their engagement and married another. He was the Captain of a Merchant vessel and the son of a wealthy ship owner from Aberdeen. He went off on a voyage on his father's ship and on board was a woman passenger, who he fell in love with and married when they arrived at Algoa Bay. He then wrote to my great grandmother breaking off their engagement and telling her that his father had forbidden him to marry and threatened to cut him off without a penny and that he had to stay single.

Love letters and poetry were produced in court and my great great grandfather was called as a witness. He told how a William had directed that a house should be furnished and a pianoforte purchased in preparation for his marriage to my great grandmother. He also said how it had affected her health and that she still hadn't recovered. She was awarded £250 damages.

However, she can't have been that upset as just over a year later she married by great grandfather.