Hi Essnell
I received your pm, but I have a house full of company over Christmas, so I will leave the Laura issue until I can sift through everything. Her wandering age is throwing off the timeline!
But as to your recent query; Gibel is on the mark with the suggestion of "commissioner"
This is from the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald - 01 November 1902, and may be of some help, and as I am short of time, typed rather rapidly and probably full of typos!
COMMISSION AGENT GETS A DIVORCE
A Westmorland Co-respondent
Evidence was led before Lord Kincairney in an action of divorce by Henry Orchard Brown, commission agent, 278 St. Vincent-street, Glasgow, against Margaret Murdoch Gibson or Brown, 90 Church-street, Toronto, Canada.. The pursuer (42) said he was married to the defender in April, 1894, and one child had been born. They lived in Glasgow, and subsequently at West Kilbride, and while there the defender travelled daily to Glasgow for millinery lessons, and later to look after a millinery business that had been taken.
In May, 1901, pursuer noticed a letter about shares, in which his wife was interested, from a man called Cowperthwaite, whom the pursuer did not know. The defender said she had been introduced to Cowperthwaite by a friend, but pursuer learned that she had got acquainted with him at the Post Office. Subsequently the man came to the house at West Kilbride, and pursuer was introduced to him. He stayed in the house against the pursuer's desire, and on subsequent occasions he spent the week-ends at pursuer's house on the invitation of the defender. The defender was frequently away from home for week-ends, and stated that she had been staying with friends. The pursuer had given the defender 19 shares of the value of £100 each.
On 19th September, 1901, defender left home ostensibly on a few days' visit to friends at Bellshill, but other information led him to believe she had gone abroad, and inquiries he made showed that Cowperthwaite had left his employment in the Post Office at the same time. She had never been back, nor had she communicated with the pursuer in any way.
First-Officer Newman, s.s. Tritonia, said that a Mr. and Mrs. Cowper and a little girl occupied the same state room on the vessel, travelling as husband and wife, from Glasgow to Montreal in September, 1901. He identified the defender and Cowperthwaite as Mr. and Mrs. Cowper.
Other evidence was led, and decree was granted.
We are informed the Cowperthwaite is a native of Orton, and that his wife, whom he deserted, is the daughter of Mr. William Buck, late of Newbiggin, Ravenstonedale, now of Whiby, Yorkshire. She is one of the seven nurses now under training at Plaistow, London, under the auspices of the Cumberland Nursing Association, where she has shown great efficiency, having attended over 300 midwifery cases in less than three months successfully. She will be returning at the beginning of the year to Cumberland having been engaged by the Association for three years.
